Evening star., 1938-03-27
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL P. KENNEDY,

The story of Mother Washburns
four) boys" recently told in this column
has prompted a request for more stories
OF long family service in Congress and
high Federal ONCE. So here's one about
another Maine family with It's tentacles
reaching right down from the American
Revolution to the present day. Senator
Frederick Hale, now serving his 2lst
year, was preceded in the Senate by his
father, Eugene Hale, who also served in
the House; by his grandfather, Zacha-
riah Chandler. who served in the Sen
ate from Michigan; by his two great
granduncles, John Chandler, a soldier in
the Revolution. who served in the House
from Massachusetts, and in the Senate
from Maine and Thomas Chandler, an
innkeeper. who served in the House from
New Hampshire. John Chandler was a
general in the War of 1912, was first
president of the Maine Senate, a member
Of the State constitutional convention
and when Maine was admitted to the
Union was elected first Senator. Thomas
Chandler was captain of militia in 1915.
Zachariah Chandler, grandfather of the
present Senator, taught schools in Maine,
was Mayor Of Detroit, prominent in the
organization OF the Republican party in
1854 was Secretary of the Interior in the
cabinet of President Grant, and was
chairman OF the Republican National
Executive Committee Eugene Hale,
father of the present Senator, twice de-
clined appointment to the cabinet-as
Postmaster General, rendered by Presi-
dent Grant, and as Secretary of the Navy,
rendered by President Hayes. After
serving 10 years in the House he had the
longest Senate service of any man up to
the time he retired. He was a member
OF the National Monetary Commission
X
But Maine has always had a proud
record in senatorships The present
Senator Wallace H. White now serving
his seventh year, following 10 years in
the House and long previous secre-
tarial term, is the grandson of the famous
Senator William P. Frye, also of Maine.
The latter was in the State Legislature,
Mayor Of his home city, attorney general
Of the State, a presidential elector for
Lincoln and johnson. He served 10
years in the House and 80 years In the
Senate. and for is years was President
pro tempOre OF the Senate-during which
period the present Senator White was
his secretary. Senator Frye was a men,
Der OF the commission which negotiated
the terms Of peace between the United
States and Spain. In the Senate he
succeeded the famous James G. Blaine.
Senators Frye and Eugene Hale served
together in the Forty-Seventh Congress.
Senator Blaine was one of the great
figures in American politics-but he
started as teacher in a military insti-
tute In Kentucky and later in the Insti-
tute for the Blind in Philadelphia-then
he was the able editor of a newspaper in
Maine, served in the State Legislature
and 13 years in Congress, including three
terms as Speaker, followed by five years
in the Senate. He was twice unsuccess-
full candidate for the Republican nomi-
nation for Senator and once unsuccessful
Republican candidate. He was Secretary
of State in the cabinets of Garfield and
Benjamin Harrison. He aided In organ
izing and was first president of the Pan
American Congress. In the Forty-fourth.
Forty-Fifth and Forty-Sixth Congresses
Maine had distinguished pair Of Sena-
tors-Blaine and Hannibal Hamlin.
~
Now consider the service In Congress
OF Representative Hamilton Fish's fam
lily. He is now serving his 18th consecu-
tive year in the House and is sometimes
mentioned as likely presidential candi-
date. His father and grandfather served
before him-all of the same name. The
grandfather came to Congress as Whig
in 1843. He was Governor OF New York
in 1849 and 1850, and then came to the
Senate. He was president general Of the
Society Of the Cincinnati from 1854 until
his death in 1893. President Lincoln ap-
pointed him as one Of the commissioners
for the relief and exchange Of Union
prisoners Of war In the South. Presi-
dent Grant appointed him Secretary of
State and he served eight years. He was
a member of the joint high commission
which settled the differences between
the United States and Great Britain in
1871 and negotiated the treaty OF WASH
ington In 1873 and the same year he ne
gotiated with the Spanish Minister the
settlement Of the Virginius question. His
report to the Senate, February 13, 1872,
on what was known as the Alabama
Claims to be laid before the Tribunal of
Arbitration at Geneva, is famous state
paper. His son, later in Congress, was
his private secretary while he was Secre-
tary of State, served as Speaker in the
New York State Assembly and was ap-
pointed by President Theodore Roosevelt
as Assistant Treasurer OF the United
States at New York. His son-the pres
ent Congressman Hamilton Fish (the
Third Is stu carrying on.