The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-09
FRYE WAS SENATE'S
 OLDEST MEMBER
Famed For Fairness Under
 All Circumstances
HAD LONG PUBLIC LIFE
Elected to Senate in 1881 and Served , for Thirty Years-Been
 President Pro Tempore
 Fifteen Years

otHdtoi, fTNt utdtn ISdcneu iiic tlihh-
 ed States Senate informally this aft
 ernoon. As the Senate was still Tn
 the legislative session of Monday by
 reason of continuance under the agree
 ment to vote on the statehood bill on
 the legislative day of August ', it was decided that no announcement should
 be made today of the loss Of the Sen
 ate's oldest member-oldest both in years and service. There was unan-
 mous desire also that when adjourn ment was taken out of respect for his
 memory that It be for an entire day. This formality will be complied with immediately after the Senate convenes tomorrow.
 Grief Is genuinely felt by all sen ators, regardless of party. Senator Frye
 was famed for his fairness to all mem-
 bers whether as the presiding officer
 or in debate on the floor.
 By reason of the recent democratic victory in Maine and the resultant election of a democratic governor and legislature, Senator Frye will be suc- ceeded by a democrat The change will | reduce the republican membership of the Senate to 49 and increase the dem
 ocratic membership to A. Senator Frye's term would have ended March 4 1913.
 The choice of his successor will rest with Governor Plaisted, who will make the appointment. The accession of an
 other democrat to the Senate will make
 the Maine delegation, for many years solidly republican, four democrats and
 two republicans, as the democrats al-
 ready have half of the Maine member ship in the House.
 Senator Frye was of the last two of that remarkable coterie of statesmen
 which began with Hannibal Hamlin,
 ended with himself and Senator Hale,
 who retired at the close of the last
 session of Congress, and included James
 G. Blaine. William Pitt Fessenden,
 Thomas B. Reed and Nelson Dingley.
 Both MT. Frye and MT. Hale began service in the Senate In 1881 and served
 side by side for 30 years, a much longer
 time than any other two men ever sat
 together in the Senate, whether from
 the same state or not.
 MT. Frye was in Congress from the
 time of first election to the House until
 the close of his life, a period of 10
 years, giving him the longest contin-
 uous congressional record with the two exceptions of Justin s. Merrill of Yer
 mont and William B. Allison of Iowa.
 For 15 years Mir. Frye had been pres luent pro lempOre the senate. Gre- vious to the assumption of the duties
 of presiding officer Mir. Frye was one of the most active debaters in the Sen ate.
 Both as senator and representative Mir. Frye gave most of his time to practical questions. He was for many years chair man of the Senate committee on commerce
 and in that capacity became an expert on all questions dealing with shipping. He
 was one of the principal promoters of the movement In favor of subsidies for the promotion of American shipping. So highly was his judgment in most of these matters that no ordinary bill re- ported from the commerce commission was ever questioned.
 Mir. Frye was also member of long standing of the committee of foreign re- 1ations. Of international questions he gave most attention to matters involving oriental relations. He was ono of Pres ident McKinley's ardent supporters in the Spanish war and when that conflict ended was selected as one of the American com missioners who negotiated and signed a
 peace treaty in Paris.
 Before entering Congress Mr Frye had attained distinction as a lawyer in his native city Lewiston. The financial out look was most hattering but he always declared that while he probably would have been able to amass a large fortune he had no regrets over his course in fore- going this opportunity.
 '1 would not exchange my life for any monetary consideration, he said once "I think more of the honors that have come to me and of the confidence that has been reposed in me than I do of money"
 Mir. Frye had served his own people in Maine legislatures before entering Con gress and on one occasion held the three offices of member of that legislature, at torney general of the state and mayor of Lewiston
 Senator Cullom now becomes the rank ing senator in point of longest service q had served with Senator Frye for
 more than 2S years" said Senator Cullom tonight. "Our relations were most nti- mate. I regarded him as both one of the ablest and most lovable men in public life"
 The following telegram from Vice Pres dent James s. Sherman was received at Senator Frye's home tonight:
 News of the death of Senator Frye fills every senator's heart with sorrow ana casts a gloom over official Washington. My sorrow is deep and keen. The sen
 ator's long faithful and conspicuous serv- ice brightens the pages of his country's civic history. his unfailing suavity, bis kindness, his goodness will long endure Great is his loss, we'll has he earned his rest n