Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-04-05
CAPITAL CHAT.
-Four Former n! Vice Prssi-
dahts Now Living.
tes
Senator Frye May Almost Be
Considered a Filth.
Many Venerable Men Lead In the
Senate Councils.

| Washington, ID. c.. April 4.-(Spe
| ciaD.--The oldest of ex-Vice Presi-.
dents, Hon. Levi p. Morton of New
York, has been in Washington of re-
cent days and went to the Capitol,
| although he did not enter the Sem
| ate chamber. He is the oldest of liv-
ing men who have been in the i'm
| mediate Presidential line, being now
| Sc years OF age. 1t is II years and
| more since he put down the gavel OF
presiding officer of the Senate at the
close of the Harrison administration,
one of the best-liked men who ever
presided there.
He has been very shy about return
| ing 10 the legislative chamber. One
morning he called at the residence of
Senat0r Hale of Maine, an old time
| friend. and they discussed 4 visit to
the Senate. But the former Vice
| Pres ident did not favor it, He
chou shr some of going To the gallery
of Inc Senate. where Senator Hale;
would have gladly accompanied him
land where Mr.. Morton would have had
AN orrortunity To note the changes
in the personnel of the Senate since
| his lime.
| Ex-Vice President Morton inherited
q splendid constitution from his YER
mont parents and is in fairly good
health for a man of his years. He
owns considerable property in Wash
irgton which he comes to look after
once or twice a year. The Shoreham
hotel, costly structure, belongs to
him. II was named after his native
town OF Shoreham in Vermont
ExVice President Adlai f. Steven
son, who succeeded Mr. Morton as pre-
siding officer of the Senate, is the only
Isurviving Democrat who has held the
second elective Office within the gift
CT the people. He will he IS years old
liz he lives till Oct. % next and is spry
and well-preserved for one so far be-
vond the allotted age of man. He
has recently written book, which en-
bodies some of the historic obServa-
tons of the long and eventful period
in which he has lived. A year and
a half ago he ran as the Democratic
candidate for Governor of Illinois and
but for the tremendous support which
Illinois gave to President Taft prob
ably would have been elected. AS it
was he ran shy only few thousand
votes on an election in that intense
: ly Republican state.
There are two other surviving ex-
Vice Presidents. making four in all.
One of them, however, is an eX
President. the only surviving ex-
President. and his name is now much
upon :he lips of his countrymen as
he energies from the African jungle.
The other is eXVice President Charles
w. Fairbanks, who has recently re-
turned to his home in Indianapolis
from years journey around the
world. Mr.. Roosevelt, of course, was
presiding officer of the Senate only
for a few days but the fact of his hav-
ing been Vice President of the United
States for six months was recently
Emphasized by the placing of mar
BILE bust of him in one of the Senate
inches.
| There is one other who almost de-
serves being mentioned as an eX-Fice
President. for he has presided much
longer in the Senate and has enjoyed
the emoluments of the Vice Presidents
office longer than any of them. That
is Senator William p. Frye of Maine,
who has filed out the unexpired terms
of two Vice Presidents and has there
fore had an unusual experience in
| that regard. In only two instances in
history has a Vice President been re-
elected to office. Daniel D. Tomkins
of New York was Vice President
through two administrations of James
Monroe and John c. Calhoun was
elected rs Vice President tWice-once
for the term of President John Quincy
Adams, and once for the ensuing term
of Andrew jackson. but he resigned
from office six months before his Sec
ond term was completed.
Senator Frye was chosen President
Pro Tempore of the Senate upon the
death of the late Garrett A. Hobart
Of New Jersey, who was elected on
the ticket with Mckinley and then
was continued as President Pro Tenn
pore OF the Senate for the unexpired
/ portion of Theodore Rooseveits's term.
There was only an enterval of an ex-
fra session of the Senate, lasting but
a few days, in Senator Frye's con-
tinuOns service.
| It is deserving of notice in mention
ling these men who have enjoyed wee
Presidential honors that Senator Frye.
lin wears and honars, ranks up with the
1.-Two veteran ex-Vice Presidents Nor
u ton and Stevenson, for he is now
lpearly 70 years old. Except for an
ulcer upon his foot. which has given
his friends some concern, he is In ex-
cellent health and up to n month ago
was able to go to the Capitol daily.
While these men may seem well
along in years, they are not exception
al There are many oldsters pronii-
nent in the public life of Washington