Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-30
'DON' CAMERON
DIES AT IS YEARS
Former u. S. Senator and
Secretary of War Sue
cumbs to Long Illness
HAD A CAREER
Had Turned Over Vast For
tune to Children Four
Years Ago
Lancaster, Pa. Aug. 30.

Lancaster, Pa. Aug. 30.
James Donald Cameron. former Sec.
retary of War and four times chosen
= United States Senator from Penn.
s~ylvania. died early today. after a Ions
illness at his home, Donegal Farms
In Donegal township. this county. He
was ~eiehty-five years old.
He was born May II, 1893. in Middle.
town. Dauphin County, a son of General
Simon Cameron. who. in his long politi-
cal career had been United States
Senator, Secretary of War and Minister
TO Russia. and for more thar a gen
eration the acknowledged head of the
Republican party in Pennsylvania.
Senator Cameron owned extensive
farm lands In this county, and also a
great tract along the Miami River in
Florida. He had extensive railroad and
other interests in this State and through
out the country, and a few years ago his
fortune was estimated at 1000. 900. In
1914, at the age Of eight lone years
Dir. Cameron turned over his vast pos
sessions to a trusteeship in favor of his
CONS and grandsonS.
- In 1902. while motoring in Scotland,
where he had leased a hunting lodge.
Mr.. Cameron was seriously Injured in
an accident that impaired his vigorous
health. Only a few weeks ago, when
he was very low, he watched fire sweep
one of his choice farms. and II Is be-
1ieved that the excitement FASTENED his
death Although he lost hundreds OF
thousands of dollars by fire on his IA ms
Senator Cameron always contended
that 1t was cheaper 10 build new barns
than to carry insurance, and never held
a fire policy.
Senator Cameron in his early life was
far more interested in business than in
the political arena in which his father
was a conspicuous figure even in those
days. Upon his graduation from Prince
ton in 1852 he entered the Middletown
Bank as a clerk. and rose to the post
of cashier, and subsequently became its
president. In 1861 he was chosen presi-
dent Of the Northern Central Railroad.
and in this capacity had considerable
part in the transportation of Union
troops to the front.
His first active appearance in the field
of politics was in 1858. when he was
elected a member of the Republican Ma.
tional Committee. of which. in 1879. upon
the death of Iachariah Chandler. he be.
came chairman.
The Cameron Dynasty
The election of Don" Cameron TO the
United States senate was one of the
two instances in American history where
n son succeeded his father in that Of
lnce and was the fullflment of the lat
ter's ambition to establish a political
dynasty" which. however. in the family
sense did not outlive the public career
OF the younger representative of the
'Iochiel Clan" 1t was paralleled only
in the case of the Bayards of Della ware.
In which James A. Bayard resigned his
Feat in the early part of the Civil War
than take the oath of allegiance
required Of Senator's, his son
Thomas f. Bayard, being chosen to re-
him.
Cameron'S assumption of the Sena-
torial toga was a characteristic coup
of his sagacious sire. Prior to that. in
May. 1876. President Grant had an
pointed him Secretary of War. which
post he held until the end of Grants
term. He fully expected TO be retained
IN the office on account of the zeal he
showed in promoting the Presidential
campaign of Hayes. and in the turbu-
lent scenes that attended the disputed
This expectation was not full
nlled, and when it became known 10
the elder Cameron that his son was Ia
be retired from the Cabinet. the general
conceived and executed a Cameron coup
This was his resignation of his seat
IN The Senate to make way for his son.
be1ore announcing his purpose to retire
General Cameron, then an Octogenarian.
went TO Harrisburg and. In conference
with Governor Hartranft, Robert n
Mackey' Matthew S. Quay and nthers of
MS chief l~ieulenants. arranged for the
election of his son Donald as his sue
cessor. When the Legislature was ready
70 choose a Senator for the unexpired
term of the elder Cameron, sundry aspi-
rants for the honor learned to their
cnagrln that the place had been pre-
empted. and James Donald Cameron
was elected without a serious struggle.
taking his seat October Is, 1871. He
was reelected by the Legislatures of
1879, 1885 and 1891.
His Free silver VaI-dictory
. cameron was not a speechmaker. but
ne was a man of remarkable executive
ability. Keen insight in political and
national affairs and of unfinching de-
These qualities made him
a forceful influence in the Senate. as
was SHOWN IN his resolute opposition to
what was known as the force bin.
h'"JoibN vi MS party was !
and which he was instru- ,
mental in defeating. He astonished his
friends in the early days of the free
silver craze by coming out boldly for
coinage. a speech which he
made In its favor being denominated
as political suicide" but Cameron
stuck gamely to his guns. This atti-
tude marked his final appearance in the
political arena, as he was not a can
oidate for reelection in 1897, his re-
tirement being denominated voluntary"
but II Is doubtful whether he could have !
been reelected had he so desired
Boies Penrose succeeded him in the
Senate.
Don Cameron. Senator Roscoe
Conkling, of New York. and General
John A Logan, of Illinois. were the
nucleus of the famous 1905 In the Re-
publican National Convention of 1889.
the "Old Guard" whose Jealous devotion
TO the fortunes of General Grant marked
an incident in politics that had a potent
in preventing the nomination of
James G. Blaine for President. Blaine
and Conkling were bitter personal enc
mics. and Cameron a staunch ally Of the |
New York Senator. II was not doubted
at the time that a nod from Cameron to
the Pennsylvania delegation would have
swept 1t to the support of the man from
Maine. who was the real choice OF the
people OF this State, but that nod was
forthcoming. Blaine won the nomi-