The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-29
Long In Public Life.


Shelby Moore Cul!om. for nearly nifty
seven years a distinguished public ser
want. saw in his eighty-four years three
generations of public men appear and dis
appear. His career In interviewer with that
period OF United States history beginning
five years before the civil war and end
| ing March 3. 1913. when he retired TO his
home to live with his memories, as he ex-
| pressed II.
Senator Cullom was born In Wayne
| county. Kentucky, November 20. 1929. His
father. y. r. Cullom. who died at a great
age In 1873. was a pioneer of the middle
West. and his mother. Kentucky bred
was a worthy helpmeet.
The child was one year old when his
parents emigrated to the new State OF
| Illinois. to a strip Of country now known
| as Tazewell county. That was only eighty
| three years ago. but in those days that
Journey was full Of peril and hardships.
The Indians were still in the country and
hostile at times, living was very poor.
| The first winter the fare was mainly
parched corn, hom!ny and game.
| y. X. Cullom was enterprsng and he
! had not been long in his new home be-
| fore his ne!ghbors sent him to Van
! dala. then the capital. to the Legisla-
ture. He became prosperous farmer and
gave the boy a fair education.
At the age OF le shelby NJ. Cullom was
! tall. lean. stalwart, He was farmer
too teaching school In winters and bent
. on studying law. He had little more than
reached his majority when he met an
other tall. lean, stalwart man. a rising
lawyer of Springfield, Abraham Lincoln,
and thus me, his ideal man. lie lived
long years after the world had approved
| his selection.
His Likeness to Lincoln.
Senator Cullom rcsenbled Lincoln. AS
men who knew the President agreed. and
| II was a pride OF his life. They were
! almost OF Il height. about of a weight.
| spare and angular. The young Shelby
Cullom wanted to study law in Lincoln's
office after that first meeting. but the
lawyer was too busy riding circuit 20 take
a student. Instead he found the young
man a good berth encouraged him, and
when he was admitted helped him in vari-
ous ways. Cullom was soon elected City
Attorney. and after that resumed the
| practice OF law.
shelby NJ. Cullom was a delegate to the
! convention which saw the birth OF the
| Republican party. He went 10 the State
Legislature in 1856. and thereafter he was
twice Speaker OF the Illinois Legislature,
a member OF the national House OF Rep
resentatives three terms. twice Governor
of Illinois and United States senator five
Senator Cullom lived and died an un-
deviating Republican, He was "A delegate
to the convention of 1860 which nominated
Abraham Lincoln. and he was the most
distinguished representative from Illinois
ut subsequent conventions up to the last.
He placed three Presidents of the United
States in nomination at the respective con-
ventons and he was many times under
serious consideration as nominee for the
Presidency himself. His speech nominal
ing Gen. Grant contained about eighty
ono words. but the demonstration that
followed has never been surpassed In any
subsequent convention, according to old
timers.
In his national legislative career Sena-
tor Cullom was the author Of some great
laws He secured the passage Of the first
measure to regulate interstate commerce.
He brought the idea TO Washington with
him when he entered the Senate In 1883,
He had pondered It as Governor OF Illinois,
His first bill was introduced and referred
to the Committee on Railways, Later
Senator Allison Of Iowa proposed that n
| committee of five he sent to investigate
throughout the country. Senator tullom
was made chairman and his committee
| afterward became a permanent standing
committee Of the Senate. He also served
for years as chairman OF the Committee on
Foreign Relations.
When the end of his long public service
came through defeat In 1912 he made no
complaint and seemed rather to breathe a
sigh OF relief as he gave to THE SUNS
Washington correspondent an interview
which told OF his experience In politics.
Some OF the boys In Illinois told me
: TO make the race" he said. and that
when II was over-if l lost. as though,
I shoud--they would see that I got an
| appointive office. But ! said to them
No, II arm to be defeated ] will gladly
accept the opportunity to quit will now
go way back and sit down as they say
in the song shall not have \ RrsIt
; many more years to live and l can AFFORD
to spend them In rest and retirement.
Not . Money Maker.
II have been getting little poorer
| financially every year that ] have beer
\ in office. I have less property to-day
than ! had the day left Springfield
. thirty years ago to take my seat In thu