Legislator; born in
Durham, Me., Feb. 15, 1832; graduated at Dartmouth College in 1855; studied law in
Auburn and was admitted to the bar there in 1856; and in the last mentioned year became editor and proprietor of the Lewiston
Journal, a connection he retained till his death.
From 1861 till 1873 he was a member of the State legislature, and in 1873 and 1875 was elected governor of
Maine.
In 1881 he was elected to Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the election of
William P. Frye to the United States Senate, and by re-elections held the seat till his death.
From the opening of his congressional career he was conspicuous as an advocate of high tariff.
In 1890 he aided in the formulation of the McKinley tariff bill; in 1894 was a strong opponent of the
Wilson bill; and in 1897, as chairman of the committee on ways and means, he brought forward the tariff bill which was adopted under his name.
President McKinley tendered him the post of
Secretary of the Treasury, but he declined it. In 1898 he became a member of the Joint High Commission to negotiate a settlement of existing differences between the
United States and
Canada.
He died in
Washington, D. C., Jan. 13, 1899.
