Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-01-29

final blow and the reconstruction set
in with the sath Congress, Cullom De-
gan his service with the Illinois del
egaticn. and with such colleagues In
Congress as Logan, Wentworth,
Blaine. Conkling and Hayes and Gar
field, both of whom attained the Pres
idency.
After six years in the House, during
which he had seen the Impeachment of
Andrew Johnson and taken part in the
making of a most critical period OF
American history, he returned to I'LL
nois vowing never again to take Of
flee, only 10 become Speaker of the
Legislature and later governor. AT the
Philadelphia convention he placed
Grant in nomination for his second
term in which is said to be the short
est nominating speech ever delivered
1t contained IS words.
As United States Senator.
Cuilom's career as a United States
senator began in 1883 when he resign
ed as governor and was elected to sue
coed David Davis. His service in the
Senate chamber was an unbroken one
for 30 years-fiye consecutive terms
a record excelled only by two other
men, Senator Allison of Iowa, and
Senator Morrill, of Vermont,
He entered the Senate in 1888, a spry.
active man of s., he left it in 1913, a
fading, tottering man of 81, but with
a brain still bright and active. DE
used to tell story of how one day
seeing Senator Vest, very old, feeble
looking and detected. he said to Sen
ator Morrill,. who then was some Sc:
GO over and cheer Vest up bit,
whereat Morrill, walked over and
slapping Vest on the shoulder said.
Cheer up old man: why you're moth
ing but a boy"
Held important Offices.
Down through the administrations OF
Cleveland, Harrison, Mckinley. Roose-
welt and Taft, he held important chair
manships when his party was in power
finally that of the foreign relations
committee generally considered the
most important of the lot. He had beer
chairman of the commission which de-
vised a form of government for the
Hawaiian Islands after their annexa-
ton and mad been chairman of the
CO1DUtittte WHICH liSl fcpoItco
for the creation of the Interstate Com
| merce Commission. His work as chair
man of the foreign relations commit
tee since the Spanish War is coInpaF.
/ atively fresh In the public mind. HI
was an ardent supporter of the peace
treaties proposed by President Tai,
and which were so emasculated by the
/ Senate that they never were ratified
In Evening Of Life. =,
During the last few years his friends
had seen him slowly fading away ii
body and he became so feeble that his
! voice in the Senate chamber was mo-
( heard farther than the clerks desk
His term ended March 8. 1919, and hi
! was appointed chairman of the Lincoln
Memorial Commission created by Con
| gress to superintend The erection Of the
I. 81, 900, 900 memorial in this city. Tht
one wish expressed on his death bee
| was that he might live to see the com,
pletion of the national memorial to his
old friend. His memoirs of SO years o.
| public service finished only few
months before his final illness over.
! took him, concluded after this manner
| II have no great fear of death, eX.
cept the natural dread of the physica
pain which usually accompanies it. !
certainly wish beyond any words
have power to express thateI coult
have greater assurance that there viii
.bea reuniting with those we love and
those who have loved us in some flu
/ tire world: brt from my reading o.
| the Scripture and even admitting thai
there Is a hereafter, I cannot find an,
satisfactory evidence to warrant sucf
q belief. Could j believei that coulC
/ meet the loved ones who have gone
before, / do not know but that i should
| look forward with pleasure to the
| passing across Not having this be
lief, I am quite content to stay whert
am as long as r can; and finally
/ when old Charon appears to row mt
oyer the river Styx shall be read,
| to CO."
! CONTRACT WAS BUT LARCENY.