The Oskaloosa herald., 1908-01-09

washington, ~ S't DcS' Gt.--hNSl.
now and then somebody at the capita
speaks of the possibility that Governor
1 Cummins may attempt to take the
4 seat in the senate now occupied by
/ VIM. B. Allison. Every time such q
contingency is mentioned great sur
prise is expressed that such state
as Iowa could under any circumstances
dispose of the services of such man
as Allison
Few people here understand the ex.
act relations between the senator and
the governor, because they have got
ten into the habit of looking upon Sen
ator Allison as fixture in the upper
house of congress. Without going in
to the merits of the controversy, there
fore, or discussing the wisdom of Gov.
Cummins' intention to supplant man
with such national reputation, it
may be worth while to call attention
to the place which Senator Allison
really occupies in the government.
Friends of Allison Grieved.
II long service counts for anything
in legislative work the Iowa senator is
a great deal more valuable to the peo-
pie at large than almost any other
public man now alive. He is the most
distinctive connecting link between the
statesmen of the civil war times and
those of today, and his friends and
admirers in Washington are genuinely
grieved that there should be even a
suggestion of his removal from active
political life. They expected him to
die in the harness.
Senator Allison's term in the senate
will expire the day after he reaches
his S0th year. This would not be so
much of a distinction if IL were not
for the fact that for more than three
score years he has been actively en-
gagged in public work. He has broken
all records for mere length of service,
which would not be so much to his
credit if it were not for the fact that
he has reached absolutely the topmost
round in the ladder so far as personal
influence goes. Senator Allison, of
course, has not the actual power WELD
ed by President Roosevelt or Speaker
Cannon, but there probably is more of
him today in the statute books in the
way of important laws which affect the
life of the nation tnan ever will be
credited to either of the two distin-
guished men just mentioned
In Senate Since 1873.
AS a mere biographical detail it is
m tho enninP n n
tor from Iowa mas been in that state
for exactly fifty years. He served en-
the staff of the governor during the
early years of the civil war and was
actively engaged in organizing and
equipping that splendid army of voltin-
teer soldiery which always has been
the pride of Iowa. Then he went into
the house of representatives for four
terms and he has served in the United
States senate since March 4, 1873. His
present term expires March 3, 1903,
when President Roosevelt will termi-
nate his official life in the White
House.
Eight years in the house of repre-
sentatives and thirty-siX years in the
senate will be a record of legislative
work in America any man might be
proud of and yet this is merely bio
graphical detail which can be picked
up in any book of reference.
The wonderful career of Senator AL
lison has been written as yet in only
a fragmentary way. He probably has
been offered and refused seat in the
cabinet more often than any other man
in the history of the United States.
Almost every republican president for
generation has sought the services
of the wise man from Iowa as an as
sistant to his executive work.
Barely Missed Presidency.
Senator Allison has declined the po-
sition of secretary of the treasury over
and over again. He has been an act
i've candidate for the nomination for
the presidency, and had it not been
for one of those strange whirlpools of
political sentiment which come now
and then without warning he almost
certainly would have been nominated
and elected president. He was much
nearer to that goal of American poll
tics than Tom Reed, John Sherman,
Roscoe ConRling. or any OF his col,
leagues in the senate, with the single
exception OF Blaine.
One doesn't always stop to think
that a man like Senator Allison was
in his seat in congress during the try