The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-08-27
BIOGRAPHICAL CALENDAR
August u.
HANNIBAL HAMLlN.

| Hannibal Hamlin, who was Lin
coins running mate in the memorable
| campaign Of 1860 and was the frs
vice president of the republican party
vas born at Paris Hill. Me-, one hun
drei years ago today. The centennia
vas observed today by the people o
his native village by the dedication O.
a handsome memorial to his memory.
Hamlin was the son of DR.. Cyru:
Hamlin. a Massachusetts physician
who settled in Maine early in the
nineteenth century. The house a.
Paris Hill, about As miles of Port
land, where Hamlin was born is YET
standing.
The first vice president of the repub-
lican party hustled on a farm wher
a boy and as soon las he was high
enough to look over a case worked
in the composing room of The Jefferso-
MAN, a weekly democratic paped. II
was to his many-sided views of life
obtained on newspaper that he as
cribed much of his latter success.
Working by day and studying Law
by night he forged ahead and soon be-
gan practicing law. finally settling in
the town of Hampden, a few miles
from the city of Bangor, Penobscot
county, Me.
His entrance into public life was
made when he was elected to the
Maine legislature in 1887, and the next
year was made Speaker of the House.
This was followed by four years in
Years in the senate, from which he re-
signed to become the first republican
returned to the senate and four years
later again resigned to be inaugurated
vice president of the United States
when Lincoln was made president.
When Lincoln was renominated at
Baltimore in 1864 Hamlin was super
seder by Andrew Johnson, but the
change proved unfortunate for the re-
publican party. and the extent to
which Lincoln was responsible for it
is discussed even to this late day.
The retirement of Hamlin was a
srievous disappointment to the people
of Maine and they realized its conse-
quences more fully after the assas-
sination of Lincoln, which deprived
their favorite son from becoming presi-
dent of the United States. Shortly
after his retirement as vice president
Hamlin was appointed minister to
Spain. and on his way to that country
made a tour of England. He was es-
pecially interested in the great cathe-
drals, but drylN remarked that he found
more relics than religion"
In 1869 he again entered the United
States senate, where he remained /:
years. when he Voluntarily retired. af-
public life for 81 years. He was tht
most fortunate of all Maine politicians
! having never been defeated in his oWl
! state but once in his many contests
| and that was the first time he was (
candidate for the United States sena
tOrship. - He lost by single vot'
| thrown by member of the legislator
at whom he had previously joked on tn
score of bald head.
| After the close of his political ca
reer he retired to his farm in the sub
urbs of Bangor, where his remainin:
years We're passed as a FARMER. Ham
lin always advised young men to sticl
to the farm, claiming that too man.
good farmers We're spoiled in man.
, cases to make poor politicians.
/ On the afternoon. of July 4, 1891. b.
was stricken with apopleXy whil'
| conversing with friends at the rooms
of the Tarratine club. in Bangor. ant
1
after his wife and children had reached
| his side. In Mount Hope cemetery. OF
a commanding eninence, about a mil,
from the city of Bangor. and in sigh
| of the majestic waters of thes Penob
/ scot river, stands a granite sarcopha
| gus and beneath it rests the remain!
of one of the most sagacious. demo
cratic and fortunate of American
statesmen. man who but for the stu
pendous blunder of his party would
have crowned a career almost UMPIRE
cedented in our political annals by
reaching the highest office in the gift
of the American people