Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-01
Maine and Connecticut.

HlllhOuSe and Lafayette .. ROSTER
speaker Of the House, Jonathan Trum
bull; secretary of the treasury, Oliver
Wolcott, secretary Of war, Roge1
Griswold; two secretaries of the navy
Isaac Toucey Encouragement in 1S4s
and Gideon Welles; and four postmas'
ters-general, Gideon Granger, John M
Niles, Samuel D. Hubbard and Mar
shall Jewell There are shining Names
on the Ioll.--Hartford Gourant.
Yes, it is a noble list and Connect,
cl.t may well be proud Of it. That state
from it's pioneer days has been famed
among other things for the splendid
crops of men it has raised with each
succeeding generation. Like all parts
of New England it has generously Civ
en- of it's best blood and bone and sinew
for the upbulding of the rest of tho
Union and quite likely more of it's sons
have gone to high public stations
as the residents of other states than
are mentioned in the list given above
Just as a matter of wholly friendly
comparison and net in any boastful
spirit or at all in disparagement of the
Connecticut list, let us for a moment
note those whom Maine has contributed
to the highest court and the presiden-
tial cabinet. Maine, too, has supplied
the United States with a chief justice
Melville Weston Fuller-appointed
from Illinois, to be sure, but born in
Maine, with three generations OF
Maine ancestors behind him, educated
in Maine and a practicing lawyer and
holder Of public Office here before 60
ing to Chicago. He has occupied for
over 90 years the place occupied by Oil
yer Ellsworth Of Connecticut for three
The present president pro tenn of the
Senate and the distinguished holder OF
that honor for many years, is Senator
Frye OF Maine. More than that Maine
mas had an actual president of the Sen
ate for four years, the four most
critical Of the 18th century, in Hannibal
Hamlin. vice president under Lincoln
and the trusted friend of that great
president. Connecticut has had nc
vice president, neither has it had sec
rotary Of State, while Maine has fur
nished James G. Blaine who served UNI
der two presidents and than whom nc
greater man ever filled that exalted
office Then there was Elihu B. Wash
burn, son of Maine, who was appoint
ed from Illinois. Connecticut has had
one speaker of the House for one term
Maine has had two for q total of six
terms, Mr. Blaine for three terms, and
more recently Thomas B. Reed foi
three terms, the latter the greatest par
Humanitarian of his generation. Connec-
ticut has had one secretary of the treas
ury, Maine has had two of the greatest
William j. Fessenden and Lot NJ Nor.
ri'l not to mention Hugh Mccullough
necticuI has had one secretary of wa,
and Maine has had one in Henry Knox
the first man to hold that office and the
gallant soldier who had earlier beer
Washingtons chief of artillery. Nc
secretary of the navy has been appoin-
ted froEl Maine but John D. Long, ap-
pointed from Massachusetts, is a son OF
our oxford hills. Maine has had one
attorney general in Nathan Clifford
who was the immediate predecessor OF
Isaac Toucey, Cornecticut's representa-
tive on the list. In the matter of post
masters general Maine is beaten, as II
has supplied but one, Horatio King. Or
the whole the score is decidedly in IA
vor of Maine, and we have confined the
comparison to the offices mentioned by
our Hartford contemporary. And it is
to be remembered that Names location
in the extreme corner Of the Union has
been great handicap in securing these
and similar national honors. There is
glory enough for all our good old New
England States in these matters and VIC
feel there is nothing odious in compari
sons of this nature. There are shining
names on Names roll, too. That is al
We wish to emphasize.