The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1908-08-04
j. 5. SENATOR
v. B. ALLISON
OF IOWA DEAD
A. Complication Of Diseases
Caused Death of Distinguish
ed Citizen Today
A BREIF SKETCH OF HIS
LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES

ShTi"ia III iSN1 ana itaU served HIS
State ConiinuouSi, for Nearly Thr.
| ty-SiX Years.
Dubuque, la, Aug 4--United States
Senator William b. Allison died of
heart failure at / As o'clock this aft
/ crnCGn.
. William Boyd Allison enjoyed the
/ title OF "r'ather OF the Senate having
served continuously in the upper
/ branch OF the national legislature for
/ thrtythree years-a longer period
/ than any other man now in that body.
he had Il previous record in the house
oi representatives OF eight years OF
continuous service. Senator Allison
entered congress with Blaine and Car
field in 1868. being the eldest Of the
trio who We're afterwards so closely
associated iii public life.
Senator Allison was Il native OF Ohio
/ having been born at Perry. Wayne
county, March ,, 1929 He was OF
Irish descent, his ancestors having set
tied in Pennsylvania and moved from
that state 10 Ohio. Senator Allison
Was educated in the district school
adjacent TO his fathers farm. in the
academy NJ Wooster, Ohio. and in Al
le@heny college. Meadville, Pa. He
taught school. studied year at the
Western Reserve college and settled
down to the study of law at Wooster.
In iS5l he was admitted to the bar and
about the same time entered politics.
He was u delegate to the first Repub-
licun convention in Ohio in 1856. In
the following wear he removed 10
Iowa, whore he made Dubuque his
home.
In the early years of the civil war
Senator Allison served on the staff
OF the governor of Iowa. h" was
elected u representative oi the Thirty
eighth congress and was reelected
three times He was first elected to
the senate 10 succeed James Harlan,
and took his seat March H. 1873. He
was successfully chteen as his own
successor five times. and it was Il
common saying in his home state
that he could be reelected to the SEN
ate as long as he wished To remain.
Chairman of the committee on APP
preparations for twenty years, Sen
ator Allison occupied position OF
such commanding influence in the
senate that he was loath to leave it
for any position short OF the presi-
tltncy of the United States. For Il
quarter of a century Senator Allison
was regarded as 4 presidential posi-
bility and at times was talked OF very
seriously as a candidate. but he never
made the aggressive campaign neces-
sary to make him Il winner. In 1SSS
in particular he was doomed by
northwestern Republicans for the
nomination. He declined many high
positions offered him. He was offer
ed the secretaryshp of the treasury
several times and also several diplo-
matte positions. all Of which he de-
clinet!.
Senator Allison was universally re-
spected by his colleagues in the Sell
ate. His associates regarded him as
one of the safest leaders OF the Re-
publican party. Without any SEEM
ing effort he easily held position
in the very fornt rank OF party coun-
sellers. His personality was attrac-
tive and he won the confidence and
devotion Of all his colleagues Ap-
parently he WAS of the most yielding
disposition, but when the record of a
st ssion of congress was scanned it
was found that any project or plan
determined on by him had failed when
his party had control. In his suave.
diplomatic way he gave the impress
sion of being led rather than leading,
but i'll the end the object he sought
was always accomplished.
Senator Allison was regarded as
one of the greatest authorities on
finance in America. In 1892 he head
ed the American delegation to the in
ternational monetary conference at
Brussels, and he was easily one of
the foremost and most influential par
ticipants i'll that important confer
ence, which was made up of represen-
tative financiers and legislators of the
civilized world. While Senator Alli-
sons influence upon legislation was
marked, his first important legislative
achievement was giving final form to
the Bland-Allison silver act. He was
strongly conservative, a friend of the
national banks and of the land grant
railways.
He was nominated in the Iowa pri-
maries held in May for another term,
defeating Ex-Governor Cummins by a
good majority and his nomination
would have been confirmed by his cleo
tion by the next session of the legis-
lature.
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