The Sentinel=record., 1914-01-29

bar at Springfield in 1855
 When he became City Attorney of Springfield he launched upon a poli- tical career which for a record of un. broken service, is unchallenged as ex- ceeding 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-
 feated as an elector on the Fihmore ticket, Then came the historic Lin coin and Douglas debates and Gull
 lom's intimate association with Lin coin, whom he followed into the ranks of the Republican party. He presid- ed over the session of the Illinois House at which after Fort Sumter had been fired upon, Stephen A. Douglas appeared and made his dramatic plea for the preservation of the Union. During the first of President Lincoln's second term MT Cullom came to the National House of Repre- sentatives and began work which l he served two terms as governor of l Illinois. Lincoln was assinated soon after Cullom entered Washington life and the young legislator was a mem Der of the committee that demanded the return of the presidents body to | Springfield. Then when the country | began to recover from what seemed a final blow and the reconstruction set in with the Thirty-ninth Congress, | Cullom began his service with the | Illinois delegation, and with such col eagues in Congress as Logan, Went worth, Blaine, Conkling and Hayes and Garfield, both of whom attained the presidency.
 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 peri cd of American history, he returned to Illinois vowing never again to take | office, only to become speaker of the legislature and later governor. At the Philadelphia convention he placed Grant in nomination for his second 1 term in which is said to be the short est nominating speech ever delivered It contained seventy-five words.
 1 Cullom's career as a United States senator began in 1883 when he re- signed as governor and was elected to succeed David Davis. His service in the senate chamber was an unbrok- en one for thirty years-five consecu- tive terms-a record exceIled only by two other men. Senator Allison, of iowa, and Senator Moril. of Vermont. He entered the senate in 1883. a spry, active man of fifty-four, he left 1t in 1913 fading, tottering man of eighty-four but with brain still bright and active. He used to tell a story of how one day seeing Senator Vest, very old, feeble looking and de- jected, he said to Senator Morrill,, who then was some eighty-six:
 'Go over and cheer Vest up a bit" whereat Morrill, walked over and slapping Vest on the shoulder said, 'Cheer up, old man; why you're noth- ing but a boy"
 Down through the administrations of Cleveland Harrison. Mckinley, Roosevelt ad Taft he held important | chairmanships when his party was in | power, finally that of Foreign Rela- l tions committee. generally consider 1 cd the most important of the lot. He | had been chairman of the commission | which devised form of government | for the Hawaiian Islands after their l annexation and had been chairman of | bill for the creation of the Interstate | Comerce Commission. His work as | chairman of the Foreign Relations | committee since the Spanish war is | comparatively fresh in the public | mind. He was an ardent supporter | of the peace treaties proposed by | President Taft and which were so I emasculated by the senate that they l never were ratified.
 During the last few years his | iIiShub Hdu ottu HlIl SLOWLY ldulHS | away in body and he became so feeble | that his voice in the Senate chamber | was not heard farther than the clerks | desk. His term ended March 8, 1913, 1 and he was appointed chairman of the Lincoln Memorial Commission created by Congress to superintend the erection of the s2.000,000 mem orial in this city. The one wish ex- pressed on his death bed was that he | might live to see the completion of the national memorial to his old friend. His memoirs of fifty years Of | public service finished only few months before his final Illness over took him, concluded after this man ner:
 T have no great fear of death. ex- | cept the natural dread of the phys | ical pain which usually accompanies it. I certainly wish beyond any words l have power to express that l