Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-14
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WASHINGTON, Feb. IA
Senator Augustus O.. Bacon, SEN.
ior Senator from Georgia and
chairman Of the Senate Commit
tee on Foreign Relations, the
oldest member of the United
States Senate, both in point of
age and'of service on the Demo
cratic side died this afternoon
after an illness of about three
weeks from acute inflammation of
the kidneys.
The Senator'S death came as dis
tinct shock in official circles, as 4.
bulletin issued by his physicians this
morning stated that his condition was
not regarded as alarming, and that
with careful medical attention and
absolute quiet he should be out in a
short time.
Serving Fourth Term.
/ Augustus Octavius Bacon, of BibD
County, at the time of his death was
serving his fourth term as Senator
of the United States from Georgia.
He was the first Senator in the his
tory of the State to be accorded this
honor. and the first Senator in the
United States to be elected by popu-
lar vote, under the seventeenth
amendment to the Federal Constitu-
ton. He was first elected in 1894.
Senator Bacon was born in Bryan
County. Georgia. on October 20. 1899.
received common school education
in Liberty and Troup. and was grad
uated from the academic department.
of the University of Georgia in 1859,
and from the law department in 1860,
He bore the honorary degrees OF.
A. Nj. and l.. L. D., conferred upon
him by his alma mater. During the
civil war the Senator served for two
years with honor and distinction,
holding the rank of major and ad-
jutant of the Ninth Georgia in active
service, and later the rank of captain
in provisional service At the close
of the war he took up the practice Of
law in Macon, and that was his home
at the time of his death.
Senator Bacon's political career was
most distinguished, but was not
marked by uniform success. He
served as a member of the Legisla-
ture several terms. and was Speak
er of the House for two terms His
greatest ambition originally was to
be Governor. and although he made
| several hard and all but winning
| fights to reach that goal, he never
Ina IL 49,
Of 1888 he came within one vote Of
the Democratic nomination, which
was equivalent to an election After
this he retired to private life, de-
| termined not to seek office again.
! Later, however, he changed his mind,
| became a candidate for the Senate,
and won that fight in 1894. thus be-
ginning the most distinguished period
of his career which eliminated only
/ in his death.
| Senator Bacon held high station in
the Senate. He was chairman Of
| Foreign Relations Committee at the
| time of his DEATH and his physical
| breakdown is largely attributed to
| hard work on that committee, coca
stoned by the Mexican crisis and
complications abroad.
Presided at Archibald Impeachment.
During a portion of the Sixty Sec
| ond Congress, Senator Bacon acted
as President pro tenn of the Senate,
and presided during the famous Arch
| bald Impeachment trial. He was,
and had been for years, a trustee OF
the University of Georgia and a re-
gent of the Smithsonian institution.
Senator Bacon's various elections to
the Senate were accomplished, with
| the exception of the first one, prac-
| tically without opposition.
| The Senator frequently declared
that the proudest moment of his po-
litical career was when. on a tie vote,
he, as Speaker OF the House, cast the
deciding ballot which resulted in the
establishment OF the Department OF
| Agriculture in Georgia.