The Lakeland evening telegram., 1914-01-28
GULL0M ENDS
FIFTY YEARS OF
PUBLIC SERVICE
SENATOR CULLOM DIED AT NOON
TODAY AFTER ILLNESS OF
A WEEK
Occupied a Seat in the United States
Senate for the Past Thirty
Years
nv Associated Press. }

n Washington, Jan. 2S.-Formel
II Senator Shelby M. Cullom, OF Hi
n nois. died today after an illness Of
Il more than a week. His last words
h expressed the wish that he might
b have lived to see the completion OF
n the national memorial to Abraham
A Lincoln, his personal friend.
Shelby Moore Cullom's death end
ed fifty years of continuous public
service that had made him figure
in American national life and had
brought him into official relations
7 with every President from Abraham
Lincoln to Woodrow Wilson. Presi-
dent Taft once said of him:
"Why, here's my old friend, Uncle
Shelby; he comes nearer connecting
the present with the days of Wash
ington than any one else whom
know"
AS a plow boy driving his fathers
oxen over the fresh prairie OF HI
nois. he had known and talked with
survivors of the revolution and on
the rugged foundations of life be-
gun in pioneer hardships of family
of twelve children had built a ca
reer that took him to the illinois
LEGISLATURE as member; speaker OF
the Assembly, two terms in the
governors chair, service in the ma
tional House of Representatives, and
thirty consecutive years in the Unit
ed States Senate.
His nearest living contemporary
probably is "Uncle Joe" cannon,
whose senior he was some seven
years by birth and some three years
in national service.
Cullom's career as United States
senator began in 1888 when ne re-
signed as governor and was elected
to succeed David Davis. HIS ser
vice in the Senate chamber was an
unbroken one for thirty years-hve
consecutive terms-a record ex
celled only by two other men, sen
ator Allison, of Iowa, and Senator
Morrill,, of Vermont.
He entered the Senate in 1888
spry, active man of "a; he left 1t II
1918 a fading, tottering man OF 81
but with a brain still bright anc
active. He used to tell a story q
how one day seeing Senator Vest
very old feeble looking and defect
ed, he said to Senator Morrill,, wn(
then was some Sc:
go over and cheer Vest up a bit,
whereat Horrill walked over ant
slapping Vest on the shoulder, said
"Cheer up, old man; why, you r.
nothing but boy"
Down through the administration
of Cleveland, Harrison, Mckinley
Roosevelt and Taft, he held impor
tant chairmanships when his part!
was in power, finally that of the for
eign relations committee, general!
considered the most important o
the lot. He had been chairman o
the commission which devised
form of government for the Hawa
iian islands after their annexatiol
and had been chairman OF the com
mittee which first reported bill 10
the creation of the interstate com
merce commission. His work a
chairman of the foreign relation
committee since the Spanish war
comparatively fresh in the puoil
mind. He was an ardent supporte
of the peace treaties proposed o
President Taft and which were
emasculated by the Senate that 'ne
never were ratified.
During the last few years n
friends had seen him slowly fauln
away in body and he became g le,
BILE that his voice in the Sena'
chamber was not heard farther ina
the clerks desk. His term enue
March 8, 1913. and he was appoin
ed chairman of the Lincoln Memo
ial commission created by Congre'
to superintend the erection OF Il
$4,000 900 memorial in this CIT!
The one wish expressed on his oea'
bed was that he might live 10 $
the completion of the national m
mortal to his old friend.