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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (May 23, 1909)
TJ; MM)A1 OltEGOXIAX, rORTXAXn. cotocss a (mm s sSS-staasasssMalM rrZ i 1 VJU UIi 1 nUCE TERMS IS LONG lin"2-r- -n n ENOUGH FOR AN V YOUNG MAN TO " " I r 3. " ; I p STAY; OPiNIOaOF MEM OF NATIONAL M - T ; I v: j 11- ' ' II EVTTJTT American boy learn while ha till la In the primary school that aome day he may be President of the United States, and may, when he be comes a man. be sent to Congress. All this la great sentiment for a great democracy, yet It Is undoubtedly the ex perience 0f most young; men who have been elected to Congress that service in the House of Representatives for a longer period than two terms at the most In volves great risk for any young man who contemplates a career which will bring him some reputation and sufficient earn ings properly to care for himself and hla family when he has reached middle life or old age. And undoubtedly those young members of Congress who have been per suaded from time to time that the wiser part for them was to abandon political ambition after having served a term or two were influenced in that declston by anecdotes told to them of the distress, the poverty, the disappointment which came at the end of long careers In Con gress or in publio ltfe to men who had gained National political reputation. President McKlnley used earnestly to advise young men who had been elected to Congress not to serve longer than two terms, and he was able to relate the sad experiences of many men of brilliant in tellectual powers who had gained great prominence in Congress, but who. when political reverses came or old age had Impaired their usefulness, found them selves in actual want. Samuel J. Randall, for several terms Speaker of the lower house of Congress, and in 1SS4 earnestly advocated by a con siderable nuuioer of his party for the Presidential nomination, after a service of nearly 20 years, was so poor that it was deemed advisable by his friends to make up for him a puree wherewith an Income, sufficiently modest to support his family, could be secured. John A. Bingham, an orator of high repute, one of the managers of the im peachment proceedings against President Johnson, and afterward Minister to Japan, "served so long and so faithfully in Congress that when old age came he found himself without worldly posses sions, and the last years of his life were passed In pecuniary distress. Charles A. Russel, who began life as a newspaper writer after his graduation from Yale, and who afterward became a manufacturer of woolen goods, was elect ed to Congress while still a young man from one of the Connecticut district- He gained distinction there and was tempt ed to remain In public life, and that, too. at a time when, had he yielded his seat In the lower house and devoted himself to his mills, he must surely have gained a comfortable support, and might have secured a fortune. But his triumphs In the House, where he became an Influen tial member of the ways and means com mittee. Involved disaster to his manufac turing Interests, so that when he died some two years ago It was discovered that he practically was penniless, and a Private subscription was necessary to re lieve the immediate wants of . his family. Senate I-lke I nto the House. Tt is more or less of a melancholy fact that the Senate. In the matter of keeping fis members from acquiring a competence for old age, is like unto the House. No member of the Senate within the memory of the present generation gained a finer repute than was that consequent upon the service of Francis Marion Coek rell. who was Senator from Missouri for years. And the more exacclng the srlce riven by the Senator, who always was watchful lest there be extravagance or Improprieties in ' appropriations or claims, the less time he had for atten tion to his private rTa-r. ,t was pre sumed that lie would remain a member or the Senate for life, but by reason of an unlooked. for political cnange In the Plate of MiMourl he was defeated for re election, and then the question, embar rassing and anxious for him. was raised. "What shall I do for my support and for my family?" Tlie Senator could not take up the prac tice of law with any hope of success his years were too many u. make it worth while for him to spend any time building up a practice. Tlierr were no buslnew openings available for him. and but for the recognition of his public services which President Roosevelt gave it Is prob able that he would have found himself in serious financial difficulties. When Pres ident Roosevelt sppointed him member of l'e Interstate Commerce Commission there wti a common understanding that while the appointment was Justmed by reason of Senator Cockrell's ability, vet l e wm picked out for the place chiefly because 1t was deemed proper to provide lor him In his old age. his long service in Conaress having made it well-nigh Im possible for him properly to accumulate a competency in civil life. Two other Impressive Illustrations of the danger of serving too .long In Con gress In either branch, so far as acquir ing a competency or the securing of good professional practice Is concerned, are dis covered In the careers of James O. Bialns and George Frlsbie Hoar. Aa every follower of the "Plumed Knight s" career knows. Hlalne was a member of Congress for 20 years, serv ing both In the House of Representa tives and the Senate. He was gifted with Intellectual powers which un doubtedly would have brought him great successes had he entered busi ness life; at one time It was seriously proposed to urge upon him the accept ance of a proprietary Interest In and the editorship of one of the more Im portant newspapers of the metropolis. But Mr. Blaine was averse to livlng the political field, and so when lie re tired from President Arthur's Cabinet the only money he had laid aside was that which lie had been fortunate enough to secure in certain real estate Investments In Washington. Lmublless because he realized that this small fortune was not sufficient to meet the wants of himself and his fam ily and leave anything over for the rainy day. he set about collecting data for a history of hla 20 years' service In Congress; but not until he was seen day after day busy amid the alcoves of the old Congressional Library, whither he went to collect much of his data, did he confess that he contem plated writing such a history. This work was In progress at the time of his campaign for the Presi dency in 1S84. On the morning after the election, when It was announced that Grover Cleveland had defeated him. Mr. Blaine took up his pen and completed this work. According to the understanding at the time, it yield ed him a little more than ... and that constituted the chief part of his estate. But for it Mr. Blaine, notwith standing his pre-eminent Influence In Ills own party, would have retired from public life a comparatively poor man. Senhtor Hoar served as a member of the lower house eight years and as a member of the Senate 25 years, a grand total of 35 yeara of patriotic labor. It was said bv so distinguished a lawyer as Sidney Webster that if George Fria ble Hoar had remained In practice, he probably would have ranked with his cousin. William M. Kvart. and would have been universally recognized as the leader of the New Kngland bar. In stead, however, of devoting himself to a professional career. Mr. Hoar gave the best of his powers and yeara to his country; and. though he had a small fortune when he entered Congress, he nevertheless was dependent upon his GOVERNOR of rnn.ippi-M KAILS FOR fMTtB sTATtD. James F. Kasitk. WASHINGTON. D. C. May TZ. Special Jama F. Smith. Covtrnor of th Philippines, has Juat aalled from Manila, on b:. mty t Wash ington. II cornea Tor a conference with the Serratary or War and tn Prealdar.t. and It Is th fc;if Washington that a will not raivrn to Manila, but will tx eocceeda-i br Camaroa Forbes, who la Acting Gov raor In his ebaenea. Governor Smith was a r.etnbar of tha voluntsr foeee hlh made part of tha Brat expe dition to thaMMitltpniaea He -w a oed d-a! "f ftchttnc there Ha hat been Governor ainra i tampsr. loe J Insists HUM I Ml III.JSI II :! - n : ? r ; ' ' .. . - : c. - j i: I ;! : : ; : ' f - - - - - - - - 1 I e" V VlvJLTT - -fc-Jtzjt. salary first as a Representative and then aa a Senator, for his dally bread. So necessary. Indeed, waa bta salary for his dally support that the Senator was not able to gratify his ambition of many years' standing to take a consid erable Kuropean tour until within two or three years before his death. At that tlma a proposition waa made to him that he should write his reminis cences of public men and events. The offer waa accompanied with a stipula tion for money payment which the Sen ator regarded as an amazingly hand some rtninnrsuion. In fact. It repre sented the largest return for a single undertaking that he ever had received, and the willingness with which he ac cepted the proposition only emphasized the fact that, after brilliant service of more than 34 years In Congress, this statesman was relolred at the pros pect of being able to secure a little ex tra money against the appearance of the rainy day. And with a part of the proceeds of his pen he at last was able to take his long-dreamed-of F-iro-pean trip. Hard to Ilcgin All Orer Again. The post-Congress careers of two famous Speakers of the House Thomas B. Reed and John J. Carllsle Illustrate only too well the difficulties thst lie In the path of the man who. after Ions; service In CongTess. re-enters prliate life either through business or a pro fession. Mr. Carlisle was a member ef the lower housa of Congress for 13 years, and for half of these years he was Ita Sneaker. He was Senator from Ken tucky for tliree years, resigning from that exalted office to become Secretary of the Treasurv In President Cleve land second administration. Hla pub lic life as Representative. Senator and Secretary lasted for I'O years, and he was o years old when he waa com pelled to resume the practice of law. his first love, tn order that he might live. On the advice of friends. Mr. Carlisle opened a law omce in New York, but he speedilv discovered that, notwith standing his wide reputation aa a law. yer. he would have greater difficulty In building up a law practice than would hare been the ce had he hung out his shingle In New Tork while still a young man. or after serving a term or two In Congress. He found, too. that his National political reputation was of no very great service to him In secur ing a -clientele, and his first profitable retainer came te him nearly four years sfter he had begun tie practice of law In the metropolis. This retainer was connected with the question which Mr. Csrllsle brought before the Supreme Court tnvolvlng determlnstlon of the citizenship of the people of Porto Rico under the Tnlrd Ststes flag, and when It wss learned that Mr. Carlisle had been retained In this case an es-Attor-ney-Oeneral of the Cnlted 8tatas said to the writer: "I am very glad and all of Mr. Car lisle's friends are rejoiced, that this litigation si last gives him sn oppor tunity of gaining In New York a profit able law practice." And It also was said that had Mr. ii ti., n' i ' aw Carlisle remained In the practice of law In Cincinnati or Covington. K -. or had he resumed the practice of law after a brief service In the lower bouse of Congress, ha undoubtedly would have gained a position which would hava ranked him among the leaders of the bar of the Middle Wast. " w"a In New York. also, that Mr. Reed located for the practice of hla profession after he had declined to serve any longer In Congress. Hla na tional reputation waa second to that of no one in public life; but what looked like an excellent opening had been offered him In the metropolis, and for these and other reasons It waa expected by his friends snd foes alike that Mr. Reed's reputation and univer sally acknowledged ability would at tract to him a large and profitable clientele. It Is true that there mas consider able demand for Mr. Reeds services, and his auccess aa a lawver In New York City could be termed good. Nev ertheless. It did not meet his own ex pectations or those of his friends, and he .la reported In have said that It srould hava been much better for him. troin t"ie vlen point of sir ess In civil life, had he retlied from Congress ! yeara earlier. Hoy Representative's CHII bucrrv. Thus the question: "Is Congress a career or an Incident for a young m an 7" la partly answered. But what about the chances of entering Congress In early life and remaining In that pub lic service until higher atlreess cornea McKlnley and General OarO-M are ine conspicuous exceptions of Representa tives so favored, on the other hand, there are many rases telling of ttrr ressea which followed the putting aside of the temptation to remain In ion. reea after a service ef one or two terms In thst body Some time In the month of April there appeared before a committee of the New York Legislature at Albany Joseph II. Choate and George A. Post. Their purpose waa to make argument In opposition to certain proposed legislation relating to metropol itan rapid transit aad other railway regulations. Of routse Mr. Choate needed no Introduction. On the other hand. George A. Post wss unknown, excepting that he had been Identified aa the organiser of the National Rail way Men's Business Association. He appeared before the committee not as a paid lobbyist, but aa the representa tive of this association. He spoke wltb a plain, businesslike bluntness and empbasla. which reminded aome of those who had heard Mark lianca apeak of tha letters earneetneaa and practical e very-day znaaner of appeal ing by argument to a company of lis teners. And so there were Inquiries for further Information) respecting this man. la tha early loa a political conven tion waa held In ana ef the counties of Northern Pennsylvsnla for the pur pee of nominating a candidate for Congress. The delasates were mem -bera of a party which waa in a mi nority la that district. Tha nomine-. MAY 23. IfrOp. 3 cam incident? i - r tlon of candldatea for Congress mas looked upon as a mere perfunctory honor. It was erfered to" several rill. sens, and declined, and than, with soma sense ef humor, the cootsaiioa narnod aa tta cardldat a young man who would be )tst of age to juai:fr as member of Congress la rase he was elected George Post. There came of a sudden a cyclonic factional dis turbance which completely demoralized the dominant party and was followed by the nomination of a candidate bv each of ine factions. Aa one result, when the votes were rout.t en elee. tlon night It was discovered that the boy candidate. George A. Post, bad bee elected. When Mr. Post a; pear. d before Gen. era Keifer. who had 1 n chosen Speaker of that House of Repreeenta tlvee. to take the oath, so youthful, sophomorlc. jolly. faced and out of place did the ouag I'ennsj Ivanian appear that he at once became a conspicuous member uponlks floor of the House, and when the time came for nomina tions fr members of the nez( Congress Mr. Post's party urged him again to be a candidate. Put tn young man had bean, a close observer. studina tie careers of some of tils veterans of Congreaa. learning what the temptations to poi.n. al life were, and how mix h ef risk to a suc cessful career they offered. He there fore decided that one term In Congress was enough for a young man who bad bis csreer snd hla fortune to make. H reslixrd that after a second term, if a member of Conaress yielded to temp tation to serve a third term, then be was lost, at least so far aa a bualnesa or profeaaional ra.-ear that would bring a competence waa concerned. Mr. f'oel. however, was satisfied thst one term in Congress Was worth while for a ouag man. whether l.e contemplated business or a professional career. After his term expired he entered business life, be came successful In his rhoeea ton. tlon snd Is now conspicuous smong the railway suthortllee or the I rlted Slates From t'ongrcee tv te Ilcctch. There appeared before Samuel J. Randall, the last time he. as Speaker, swore In members of Congress, a slen der. dark-eeJ. quiet-mannered tours man who. until he stood before tha Speaker to lake the oatu. was pre sunned to be the clerk ef a committee. He was the youegest cnetnbe- of Con gress elected In November, lite. Some of his friends were of the opinion thai ha qualified for service ss a represent ative by only two or three months la other words, he was not. ii years or sge when elected, but wss of leal age when aworn In. Thla -voting. ter was Philip Henry Pugro, fsmtliarlv called lUrrr . had bees a member of the bar ef New York Ct t x only three years when elected to congress. Inherited wealth, sad hla father waa In Intimate relations wirh the Tammany Hall leaders of that day He ceo Id rave contemplated a csreer as a Representative without anxiety as te his peeanlar-v lnnetene:enee stji before Mr. tugre had finished hla first rr Js'.vjyv tersn he came te the cenclusloa that Congress offered co possibilities of a career for a young man ur.lees he r"s -e.aeed the pea.u;iar and distinctly gifts for the kind of public lite which service n the loeer hcuss ef tVtfim fefW-ts. II qualified thla opinion br saying thst f-r a young maa representing one of Ih new district of the felted States In the tontots Vet or some perls of the ftouth. long continued service tn Congress raigat be ea ac-cr pta4. ! ca reer, but this could not be true of a young maa (epreeentlng nay district in tt o.ote populous par' a of the toiinlr'. The young New Yorker.therefore.de. terralned to put behind him eny temp, letlon for renllnue4 sen Ice In the low. er hosie esf I'onztTM It. Vurred to New -York cite .and before Is waa S ware old snisM hate been nominated for Mayor wltn In rettalnlv or lec lion had not hla frl.nda advls.d bins the! e permanent and blghlr dignified end Influential career waa possible for l.lm through acceptance of a nomine, tlon as Justice of the Supreme Court Nominated and elected, and having had long service upon the bench, jar. lugro feels that hia judgment that a career la Congress Is a mistake for a young sua a ha a been perfectly vindicated. KxiOTrrnrw of Krnalor'a f'altvrr. Frank It Mrandegee, now juaior Sen ator frora Connecticut, had served 1st terms In the lower house of Congress while still a young man. when, by one of the accldebta of politics, he wss transferred lo the Senate to serve tha unexpired term of Senator V H. Piatt. In all probability, but for thla tranerer. Senator ltrand.ee. at the expiration of hla second tersn. would have quit Congress on the advlc of his veer abie father, now In It. ta. who waa persuaded by his own experience that U la a mistake for young n. an to serve longer :hn twa term In the lower bouse of Congree. Augustue llrandeg, the father, wsa elected a member of Congress when onlr a little past a H went to the lower house with a brilliant reputation aa an orator, possessing both natural and acquired gifts. He waa a member of that Congress la which llosrot Conk llng served hla second term aa Repre sentative, and It wss of him thst Conkllng spoke, sating that Hrande gee possessed high gifts set ora tor as any member of thst b-odv. In the middle or Mr. Rrsndegee a sec ond term It waa impress, d upon hlsn. bv Information that came to him ef the poverty of one who long bad eerved In Congress, and who had returned to private It Ct through one of the whirli gigs of politics, thst there wss grsv danger for a young man In the temp tation to make a prolonged career In trtJo MA Keats. I. IX TWR TV 1 lH ARMY. 4 t-beel Meek tec rseiss. M YORK. Mar 3J. IS Cihsal Wssktar Pease 1 a Fieid Marssel la the Tsrkisa srssr These a cexns ever frees the last regime, b he bees asad. br IS. peeeael Sal tan. Ms semssaiss aad be a l seers aw see Soiuxa ea all rerssal er r a sloes. M a raeseesiMllty fee th safety ef th r:.r is net nrtasi st preeeat. wt.e tbere t rsrlrl sas!CB!tr ssserg tba peep: ef Coo. s-.a'Tesp a tbest is s.e r'e w.t a bs a 1ia:r urn ns.ad corgreea This led bins te delects! thst st ths end ef his second itm re would return te his peofeselonsl prac tice end devote Mmself to eecnrlng sn Inr-ome snd a remretsnrs for his a'd Is tola determination Is wss Justi fied political honors came to l.lm; he wss elected sister of bis native My ef xw Undos; he wss a delegate to poll, tlcsl conventions sad he represent 4 the I'nlted ttes st sa Imports! con ference st S her brook. Canada, where la made a brilliant address which bcam traditional throughout Csnads. Mare. or. he amassed a competence la 1 1 practice of t.'.e tsw end sleea I. 1 tbsu bad h yielded te th temptation ' serve a third tersn In th lower siouee of Congress, his career weald hsve been wrecked, at least so rsr aa gain ing professional auccess and pecuniary Independence waa concerned Kxaruplea of Utlleficld and lllsck. la tared Congress bringing with him a more brilliant repntatlon for the higher Intellectual gift and finer powera ef oratory than Charles ; jt lief ..id. H waa elected from the State ef Mam o fill the eaexpired term ef Nelson lMoal.y. Tbi. or Iteelf wss sufficient to concentrate National attention upon Mr. Uttierield. but be It said In Us behslf thst his career In Congress jutt eed his reps ta l ton and be becssrr one af the prominent mem her or the House Hut of a sudden Mr. I.ittlefleid deter mined ta quit Con ere. mnd .Sando politics. He waa In hla fourth full terra when there came to Mm a full rea:ira tloa of l lie fact mat for a so a without a fortune, wltb a fsmlly dependent upon him for support, snd with a pro fessional reparation to male, it Is a fstal mistake to remain in Congress longer than two or tl.ie terms. Us Immediately resigned, sought and o t . talned admittance to the bar of New York Slate, entered Into practice and has been able to count tn a single year a larger income than the crr.is's salaries ha bad received In all his put service. Including his terra of four rears ss Attorn, -c.eneral of tha Mate of Maine. Mr. I.ittlefleid la of the opinion lht be did not ! up public life a day uo soon When he Was elected to Congress from New Tork. Frank S.. Rlsck hoi gsined whst promised to be ss remu nerative a legal practice sa any !awee of Northern Nw York bad secured. Th first eio of Congress lo whlcn be wss elected wss not ended before Mr. IDsrk perceived thst there wou d s-restTlsk to his professions! ad. ancmnt if be were tempted to re main In Congress tor a longer period t'-.sn a second term, snd he decided t-t fca would guard against this temptation by refusing a second nomination In case one were offere-d him ' 'f sudden, however, and bv reason of a peculiar political complication. I a as nominated f.rr Governor of New York Jut about the time of the ter mination of the Congress to which, le had been elected. Hut hla success !n the prsctlce ef lew since his retirement from public life has been so grest folly te lustily his Keller thst he wou:f hsvs tnsde a grievous mistake bed to been overeom bv ambit ton to s.rve continuously in the lewr hous ef Congress Two other prominent men vl saw this earn dngr end s voided tt. snd wbe are stow extremely surcesXul in prlvst llf. a re John ti. Wis snd tVat W'lll'.sna Mr Ado w he wss Assistant Secretery of the Nsvy under Cleveland end later police Commissioner ef Nee York City. Mr. Wise, who wss one of the youngest members of the Confed eral army, decided te put aside Con gressional smbltlon even wl.lie be we serving bis first term: Mr. McAdao. e r v wss elected four time te Congress sl wsvs Itl been of the opinion thst. from the standpoint of success la pri vets life, be mouid have been much leer bad h declined re-election after t-e expiration of Ma second term. When be did shsndon his Const-. am Ml loss, he likewise determined to leave pubilo life altogether before it was too late to save his professions 1 practice, and he later bees me connected with th New and th Police J r rt -ment of New York City, largely throushr toe re 1 1. t Ion er the fact that experi ence tn these two nelds would give Mm Information which would be exceed ingly valuable In th practice of his profession. tCepyrlght- by the Associated Ut- rsry Press I The r.nd Is Marriage. Fxcbat.g Vev ycairur people snd s er old teer's see ahused a -much for gettmg znarrted aa a widowsr. irm io7.o