Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1910-02-02
The ssFather of the United States
Senate''.

The ssFather of the United State.
Senate'.
springfield (Mass.l Republican, Ind.]
The announcement is made thai
Fred A. Powers, OF Houlton, Me.
brother of the late Congressman LEV.
ellyn Powers, has resolved to seek the
seat of United States Senator Eugene
Hale, whose term will expire nexi
year. 1t is further declared that Mr.
Powers "has gone into the contest in
earnest, and will do all that he honor.
ably can to secure the election. Jus,
what the claims of this gentleman
may be to preference over "the father
OF the Senate" do not appear at this
distance. 1t cannot be argued in his
behalf that the prominence which
Maine has SO long maintained in the
federal Senate would be served by
such a change.
Mr.. Hale has long been in the class
with the late Orville II. Platt, of Con-
necticut. and the late William B. ALI
son, of Iowa. When the venerable
senator from Iowa passed away, Sena-
tor Hale became senior senator in
point of service in that body-a fact
which added materially to Names po-
itical prestige. 1t gave him still more
important place on the committees.
He became chairman of the commit
tee on appropriations, where he had
long been Senator Allison's first lieu
tenant.
He is also acting chairman of the
committee on public expenditures, re-
tains place and his large influence
on the naval affairs committee, and
also has membership in the commit
tees on census and finance. These
places of leadership in committee
work have enabled the Maine senator
to exercise conservative influence
that has been of great value to the
country. His range of knowledge and
influence could not be made good by a
new man, nor could any new man ap-
proach to it.
1t is by slow process that senators
grow to the power which is welded py
Eugene Hale, of Maine. Like Platt
and Allison, whom their states re-
tanned until death called them, this
Maine senator has not been moved by
every wind OF opinion, but has stood
for honor, economy and the finest pa
trlotism as he saw it. The Republican
has now and then differed with posi-
tions taken by Senator Hale, but who
shall say that in the large summing
up, his sight has not been in the main
long, and his views generally sound,
! sensible and for the protection and
advancement of the national well
eeing?
The United States needs the service
Of Senator Hale, who has saved mil
lions upon millions to the people from
time to time. Insurgents and kickers,
those who differ with the established
order, have their places and real
value in the Senate, but so has this
senator, with his unsurpassed inti-
mate knowledge of important de-
partments of the nations housekeep-
ing, where he has been for long years
overseer, leader and pruner of need
less OUTLAWS. Mr.. Powers is not q
radical of the western school, and in
the trade of craftsmanship, as it is
learned in Washington, he would be
but kindergarten scholar beside
Eugene Hale.
Maine has maintained her place of
influence in the Senate by virtue OF
the long service and the experie need
equipment of her senators. Look at
the new senators from New Hamp-
shire and Vermont, and even from
Connecticut, and where do they rank
beside Hale of Maine? To every ex-
perienced observer in Washington the
talk Of substituting Powers for q ale
will seem preposterous.
Maine has kept remarkable sena-
t0rial standard; for years out of mind
she has had great influence in Wash
ington; she has recognized faithful
service, and rewarded it. Therefore
to expect that that state will now
abandon the advantage so won and
held, and begin with the ssfather OF
the Senate, the man whose indus
try, watchfulness and courage have
saved money untold to the people OF
the United tes-this is to strain
credulity, and to ask the unthinkable.
Mr.. Hale is not SO young as he once
was-he will be seventy four years
old next June-but until the last de-