Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-14


treaties in the effort of the Admins
tration TO obtain their ratification.
This program will be adhered TO.
Plans Public Funeral.
Senator Overman left the Senate
immed lately after the adjournment to
consult with Mrs. W. b. Sparks, the
daughter of the late Senator Bacon,
regarding funeral arrangements. If
Mrs. Sparks Goes not interpose an OBJ
lection. a public funeral will be held
n the Senate chamber at II o'clock
Tuesday
Senator Bacon is the last OF the
old school," said Vice President Mar
shall while he was a sturdy adj
herent to precedent, he was a most
valuable member on the floor.
One should not lose sight OF the
fact that Senator Bacon is the first
member of the body TO be elected un-
der the seventeenth amendment to
he Constitution providing for the
Street election of Senators and that
he is the first OF the Senators so
elected to die
Serving Fourth Term.
Augustus OctaVius Bacon, of Bib
County, at the time of his death was
serving his fourth term as a Senator
~ 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, 1888
received a 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
lin 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.
Career Most Distinguished.
Senator Bacon's political career was
most distinguished, but was not
marked by uniform success. He
served as member of the Legisla-
ture several terms. and was Speak
CT of the House for two terms His
greatest ambition originally was to
ne Governor, and although he made
several hard and all but winning
lights TO reach that goal, he never
succeeded In the State convention
Of 1883 he came within one vote of
the Democratic nomination. which
was equivalent TO an election. After
This he retired 10 private life. de
termined not to seek office again.
Later, however, he changed his mind.
became candidate for the Senate,
and won that fight in 1894. thus be-
ginning the most distinguished period
or 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, occa-
stoned by the Mexican crisis and
complications abroad
Presided at Archibald Impeachment.
During a portion of the Sixty-s sec
ond Congress. Senator Bacon acted
as President pro tenn of the Senate,
and presided during the famous Arch
bald Impeachment trial He was,
md had been for years, a trustee of
the University of Georgia and a re-
gent of the Smithsonian Institution,
Senator Bacons 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 tie vote
he. as Speaker of the House, cast the
deciding ballot, which resulted in the
establishment of the Department of
Agriculture in Georgia