The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-10-26
MONDAY, OCTOBER 2s, 1881
Bingham's Rejuvenation

 Senator Hiram A. Bingham, the urbane gen. tleman from New Haven. has been human ized. The Senate has done 1t. The eol- lepe professor who condescended to lend his erudite ear to senate deliberations has be- come one of the boys. It was only few wears ago, too, that his fellow members joined merrily in the fight to see who could be the first to kick the supports out from under him. They very nearly did that when Senator Bingham was publicly een- sored for his action in bringing an official of the Connecticut Manufacturers Associ- ation into senate committee hearing on the tariff.
 However, we think that was the turning in Senator Bingham's devious course. Ever since he has been on his best behavior. No longer does he seem to lecture fellow mem- bers of the Senate as he rises in his place and expresses himself on this or that topic. His patronizing air, if he actually ever had one, has been replaced by more buslnesSlike manner. He is we'll liked by practically every member. although there may still be trace of enmity apparent in the relations be- tween the Connecticut senator and those westerners who wanted him expelled such short few months ago.
 Taking everything into consideration Senator Bingham should have become one of the outstanding figures in the Senate. By this we mean leading. He was, of course. outstanding but not in eompli- mentary sense. He was we'll informed cit izen. In certain fields there IS no better in- formed to-day. On the subject of aeronau- tics he is ranked at the top in the Senate. On one thing he was naturally misinformed That was the subject of politics. His rise . had been too rapid for him to acquire the { gloss and color that our better known { statesmen possess. And it is desirable ac- ! quisition when doing business with political ' ly inclined officials.
 His career in Connecticut was a meteoric one For that matter his life was not the ordinary routine existence that most of us enjoy. He was born in Honolulu, the son of minister. He was graduated from Yale l University in 1890: became Princeton < professor in 1oo5., In I o07 he followed { Bolivar's route across Venezuela and Colum- ! bia. (Here's something for Richard Halli- < burton to tackle when he runs short of ex- \ ploits to reeord.) He served in the air { forces during the World war. He became Y Yale professor after the war ended. He < continued as such until elected lieutenant governor in 1922 when Charles A. Temple { ton of this city became governor.
 \ When MT Templeton was busted by the Z state machine at the end of his term the gu- bernatorial nomination went to Senator Bingham and he was duly elected in No- [ vember. 1924. Along about that time Connecticut lost Senator Frank B. Bran- degee. At special election in December Lieutenant-governor and Governor-eleet Bingham was elected to the U. S. Senate. His position as lieutenant-governor termi- mated on the day he was sworn in as gov ernor. Twenty-four hours later he re- signed the governorship and left for Wash ington. He was reelected in 1926 and his present term will expire in March, l933. It has been rumored that he will not seek re- election. but we wouldn't be at all sur prised if this new popularity which is his may cause him to change his mind.
 His 4 per cent legalized beer bill has won him considerable popular support in this state. And he will need all of it if he decides to seek the nomination next year. With the democratic party in its aseendancy
 it will require considerable effort by the go.p. to retain the present national offices that they now hold. No one. not even Senator Bingham. is immune. And while his fellow senators may be greeting him as one of their own this same spirit of jovial ity is not apparent in Connecticut where he has succeeded not by his own efforts but by those of an efficient organization.