The Topeka state journal., 1914-01-28
CULLOM IS DEAD.


CONTINUED from Page One,
OFFICIAL relations with every president |
from Abraham Lincoln to woodrow
Wilson. President Tart once safo OF
him:
'Why, here's my old friend Uncle |
Shelby; he comes nearer connecting the |
present with the days of washington |
than any one else whom !! know
AS a plowboy driving his fathers
oxen over the fresh prairie of Illinois
he had known and talked with sur
vivors of the Revolution and on the
rugged foundations of a life begun In
pioneer hardships Of q family OF twelve
children, had built q career that took
him to the Illinois legislature as
members; speaker of the assembly. two
terms in the governors . chair, service
in the national house Of representative
and thirty consecutive years in the
United States senate.
His nearest living contemporary prob
ably is Uncle Joe" Cannon, whose
senior he was some seven years by
birth and some three years in national
service.
Born in 1899.
Andrew Jackson was president of the
United States when Mr.. Cullom was
| born in 1929 down in the Elk Spring
valley of Kentucky, near the Cumber-
| land where the Culloms of Maryland
and the Coffeys of North Carolina.
Emigration that set in at the close of
the Revolution. founded their early
| home.
During the year 1929" Mr.. Cullom
recently wrote to illustrate the epoch
in which he began life. THE crown
of Great Britain descended from King
George the Fourth to King William
the Fourth; that reign passed~away
and have lived to see the long reign
of Victoria come and go; the reign of
King Edward come and go and the
accession Of King George the Fifth.
Charles the Fifth ruled in France,
Francis the First in Austria, Freder-
lex William the Third in Prussia,
Nicholas the Firs. in Russia, while
Leo the Twelfth governed the papal
states, the kingdom of Italy not yet
having come into existence The
United Kingdom Of Great Britain and
| Ireland had not yet population of
24,O0O,000 all told. No man who had
not served his country in some ca
pacity in the Revolutionary war had
been elevated to the presidency of
the United States and this was the
case until 1843.''
Times and events in his own coun-
try were no less stirring and his part
| In them was a marked one. Ken
lucky was q slave state at his birth.
the controversy which was to hatch
into a great civil war was in the proc
ess of incubation; in fact, the Cul-
Ions moved to Illinois to be in a free
state and Chicago then was a small
village.
His Father Mncoln's Friend.
The elder Cullom was then a friend
OF Lincoln's. recommending the strug-
Cling backWoods lawyer to prospect
I've clients. Young Cullom's first rec
objection of the future war president
was under such circumstances.
Scraping together the rudiments of
an education gained by toiling over
rough primeval roads. he became sue
cessfvely student at Mount Morris
academy, a country school teacher
and a lawyer, being admitted to the
bar at Springfield in 1856.
when he became city attorney of
springfield he launched upon a Do
litical career. which for a record of
unbroken service. is unchallenged as
exceeding that of any other American.
Among his first political experiences
was the novelty Of being elected and
defeated at the same election. He
; was elected to the legislature and de-
ticket. Then came the historic Lin
: coin and Douglas debates and Cullom's
. intimate association with Lincoln
whom he followed into the ranks OF
He presided over the session Of the
I Illinois house at which after Fort
Sumter had been fired upon, Stephen
A. Douglas appeared and made his
, dramatic plea for the preservation OF
I the Union. During the first of Presi-
dent Lincoln's second term Mr.. Cul-
: lom came to the national house Of
representatives and began worE
a which was practically interrupted only
I when he served two terms as COVER.
nor of Illinois. Lincoln was assas
sinated soon after Cullom entered
Washington life and the young legis
: lator was a member of the commit
{ tee that demanded the return of tn,
4 presidents body to Springfield. TheI
when the country began to recovel
: from what seemed q final blow ant
{ the reconstruction set in with tn,
d Thirty-ninth congress. Cullom begal
his service with the Illinois de1ega
ton. and with such colleagues in con
;. gress as Logan, Wentworth. Blaine
Conkling and Hayes and Garfield
: both of whom attained the presidency
Six Years In House.
After six years In the house. durini
which he had seen the tmpeachmen
d Of Andrew johnson, and taken par
4 in the making of most critical per
o iod of American history, he returne,
= to Illinois, vowing never again to tax
i office, only to become speaker OF tn
Legislature and later governor. At tn
Pbiladelphfa convention he place