The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-01-24
THE ELECTION OF Mr.. ROOT
His Name Added to Long List from New York,
Headed by Rufus King.

Albany. y. Y. Jan. 23.-Since the cleo
ton Of Rufus King. OF New York city,
and Gen. Philip Schuyler. Of Albany, on
July IS. 17se. 10 be the first two Senator's
Of the United States from the State Of
New York, under the then new ratified
Federal Constitution, the history OF these
two Scholarships has been in a large
measure Identical with the political his
tory Of the State. The battles centering
about them are the waymarks IN the
story Of the political parties: directly or
indirectly they concerned many Of the
men most forcefuI and most conspicuous
in the councils Of the State The LIST Of
men who have represented the common
wealth IN the upper House Of Congress
during these 10 years is q brilliant one.
includes the names Of many who have
won distinction. not only in the State, but
in the nation.
Thomas 3. Reed once defined q states
man as "a dead politician" A perusal
Of the newspaper files. autobiographies.
and Official documents, which contain
the history Of two Scholarships. exhibits
one thing very plainly-that is the fact
that not until many years after he Is
dead and gone does an active politician
find his status in the perspective OF his
tory.
Sink Into Oblivion
Many man who IN his Own day seemed
3 bElllan leader, slips away into almost
complete oblivion; many another. de-
nOunced with utmost bitterness as a
mere politician. turns out 10 have been
really statesman Of high order; still
others. who rose on the crest Of some
wave OF popular enthusiasm IN their day,
turn out after all 70 have been time
servers OF the most superficial kind.
Thomas Collier Plat viii reach the
definite end OF his political career on
March / For many years he has been
the center Of active politics n this state,
50 far as the Republican party IS con-
eerned He has acquired bitter enemies.
has still warm friends. even though the
host OF small fry who fed eagerly upon
his bounty have now deserted him for
less anachronistic aIlegianceS But how
win he be reckoned fifty years from now7
He IS the lineal successor in the seat n
the United States Senate once occupied
by Rufus King. De Witt Clinton. William
l. Marcy, Roscoe Conkling. William NJ
Evarts. What viii the future say OF
.Chauncey N. Depew when It scans the
lineage Of the other senatorship and finds
him IN the list with Philip SCHUYLER
Aaron Burr. GOuverneUr Morris. and Mar
tin Van Buren2 Let the future tell.
Successors OF King.
Il should be remembered thai there are
two Senatorships. and that their lines
are distinct one headed by Rufus King,
and leading down 10 Plat the other
headed By Ger. Schuyler. and leading
down to Depew. It Is interesting 10 d.
vide the long list Of the States Senator's.
and trace each succession down 10 its
present apparently '1rreducIbIe mini
mum" Il is not often thus divided.
King was the first Senator elected for
the fun term Of six years. Gen. SCHUYLER
was chosen for the short initial term Of
two years Both were elected on the
same day, July Is. T7Ss.
Those elected since the civil war are as
follows:
Ia Harris. q Albany. elected Fst-uzry 5. 1851.
Roscos Conklins. Of Utiea, frst elected January
Is Is6
Ela-iagv C. LApaam. q canandaiEua. elected
July - Isl.
william n. Earts. Of New Yo-s CIV. elected
David B. Hm. q Elmira, elected January z.
Is9I-
Thomas c. Plztt. Of ovsso. elected n this sue
cessioG JanuaTy = Ise-.
Il IS Platt's seat and Platt's present
succession that Secretary Root VIII sue
coed on the 18th Of March next
Successors of Schuyler.
The other Senatorship presents an even
Esore distinguished list Those occupying
this seat since 1851 are as follows:
Hamilton Fish. Of New YORK city. elected March
Frss.on King Of ogdcusturs. elected Fss71ay
; ls57
Edwin D. Morgan. OF New YORK aty. elected
February s. ISfS.
Rueben E Fenton. Of jamestown. elected Janv-
Francis keenan,. q Uuz. elected January z. I'D
Tb9nas c Plat, q oraSo. first elected January
=, ISL
Warner Miller. Of Ksrkimer. elected July Is. ISL.
AA@-A 12A1llNh u o1AdCt4>cs clt-Se4 saI1GTT ~
ISL
Edwsrd Murphy. II, q Tr0y. elected Jsuuz-y
E.1s93
Cbamcey II DepeE. Of New York CITY. first
elected JauaATy IS 1soa
The crucial place that these Senator
ships have ever occupied in the politics
Of the State was early established The
prominence Of New York State in the
councils Of the young republic made its
Senators national figures from the be-
ginning, aside from the fact that men
who had won renown In the Revolution
and IN the LAYING OF the national fouada-
tons were selected for the Offices. Many
OF the first Senators were famous soldiers
II the war for independence. Then. too.
almost from the beginning. the part
played by the Senators in the distribu-
ton Of the Federal patronage, which even
then swayed the ambitions OF men. made