The Republican journal., 1908-01-23
Letter From WASHINGTON:
fspecial TO The Republican Journal.)

Especial to The Republican Journal)
WASHINGTON, d. c., Jan. 20th. Waldo
County looms up large in scrutiny here OF
the records of Maine members of Congress.
1t has had representatives in thirteen of
the 60 Congresses, which cover the period
of the existence of the National Govern
ment Three of the five Congressman elect
ed from Waldo County were Belfast men,
Hugh J. Anderson, afterward governor OF
Maine, was the first. He was member OF
the 25th Congress, the first session of which
began September 4, 1887. He was born at
Belfast, Mass, in 1901 and had become
practicing lawyer there by the time that his
native town became Belfast, Maine. His
constituency reelected him before he as
sumed gubernatorial honors. Four years
after Gov. Anderson left Congress Benja-
min White was elected from Montville for
but one term. He was a farmer and had
served two terms in the legislature before
he secured the Democratic nomination for
Congress- 1t was a very long way to Wash
ngton in those days, before the construc-
tion of railroads, and Farmer hlte was
very slow about taking his seat. The hrst
session of the 2Sth Congress began in De-
here until year later, which enabled him
to draw little mileage. Ebenezer knowl-
ton of South Montville was chosen as a
Republican member of the 34th Congress,
which convened December 3, 1855. He
studied theology in youth, but prospered
.,f
speak, ker of the Maine legislature. The next
Waldo County man after Iheologlan
Knowlton was Nehemiah Abbott OF Bel
fast, who, as a Republican, succeeded to
Mr. nowtonS seat in the 35th Congress.
He came from Sidney, Me-, his native town,
and was lawyer. After returning from
Congress he practiced law in Belfast. 1t
was 26 years after Mr.. Knowlton's retire.
ment that Mr.. Miliken became Congress
man. He was in the National House for
nearly 16 years, beginning with the 4Sth
Congress, up to the time of his death here in
April OF 1897.
Maine is now the only State that has two
grand old men in the Senate, and almost the
only State that ever had two Senators at the
same time who were entitled to that dis
tinction and were keeping up an active in
terest in the Legislative work of that branch
of Congress. Aabahla had two grand old
Democrats in the Senate in Mr.. Morgan
and Mr.. Pettus, both of whom died during
the past summer. They were considerably
older than the Maine Senators and took an
active interest in legislation, but bore moth
ing like the burdens that Senators Hale and
Frye bear.
New York has two old Senators, old in
years and in point of service, but they are
infrm and are little more than figure heads
in the Senate. Iowa has one grand old man
in Senator Allison. There is hardly man
in the Senate more worthy of the appela-
ton, but he is too i'll most of the time to do
much hard work and the tasks that fall to
him are taken up largely by Senator Hale.
as has been the case for the last three
years.
Senator Hale is having his hands full with
two important measures, which are the most
prominent matters before the Senate One
is the currency bill, being shaped up in the
finance committee; the other is the bill to
increase the efficiency of the navy. There
are honest differences of opinion regarding
both bills and they will be hotly contested.
The senior Maine Senator is capable of Civ
ing and receiving hard knocks and is, in
both fights, showing his usual resourceful-
ness and the energy of youngster.
Senator Frye, in the meantime, is trying
to do the work that most Senators would do
later in the session. He is getting all the
little bills which come up before his COM
mittee through the Senate at odd moments.
He sits by the hour waiting for opportuni-
ties. He is very clever at that sort of effort
and prefers to do what he has to do right
away at the earliest moment and to do his
resting, if there Is resting ahead, later in
the session when nearly everybody else is
in scramble to gather up the odds and
ends and balance the books for the end of
the session.
Representative and Mrs. Burleigh were
invited few nights ago to the diplomatic
reception by President and Mrs. Roosevelt.
They have also had invitations to one of
Mrs. Roosevet's muscaIes, which are given
in the East room to audiences OF distinguish
ed officials in Washington.