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Show NOT OLD ENOUGH FOR HONOR How Nehemiah D. Sperry Missed Being Be-ing Governor of Connecticut Because Be-cause He Was About Six Months Too Young. Nehemiah Day Sperry, the father of the house of representatives that recently re-cently held its final session, is In his 84th year. For fifty-seven years he has been active in the politics of his native state of Connecticut. In 1853, when he was 26 years old, he became a member of New Haven's common council, and the greater part of the time since then he has held office, either elective or appointive. Made posmaster of New Haven by Lincoln in 1861, he filled that post for over twenty-eight years, and he has been in congress since 1894. He retired on March 4, having refused to stand for re-election on account of his advanced aged, though he is in perfect health and is characterized by the mental vigor that was his when he went on Ericsson's bond and thus assured the building of the "little cheese box on a raft" that revolutionized naval war fare. Fifty-four years ago when Mr. Sperry Sper-ry had served a year as secretary of state of Connecticut, his party at that time the Know Nothings met to nominate a candidate for governor. "I was pretty active in politics," said Mr. Sperry, "and I had a good many friends in the organization. I also had a good many friends among the Democrats. Demo-crats. It has always been my idea that a politician should make friends among his political opponents; I have ' always found it a good policy. And noting that I had a large personal following fol-lowing among the opposition, my own party friends began urging the party to nominate me as governor, using the argument that I could poll a large vote among the Democrats. "So well did these friends talk that even before the convention had been called to order I discovered that the delegates were bound to nominate me for governor. I went around among them and told them they must do no such thing, but they paid no attention to me. Indeed, when the convention met the delegates seemed unwilling to wait for the regular order, so 'sot' were they in their desire to name N- D. Sperry for governor. "Well, at last I went out upon the platform, and for a time could not make myself heard. When I had secured se-cured quiet I said to them: 'You mtist not nominate me for governor.' But they would give no heed to me. Then again I said to them: 'You must not nominate me for governor; for I cannot can-not accept. And if you will be quiet long enough I will tell you why.' I coaxed and waited, and at last they became quiet enough for me to explain 'I cannot accept because I could not be governor even were I elected.' I said. 'The constitution of our state says that a man must be 30 years of age to qualify for governor. I shall not be 30 years of age until next summer sum-mer and the governor is sworn in in May. Therefore, you will see that if you nominated and elected me I could not serve. But if you are willing to take my suggestion, I will advise that you renominate Governor William T. Minor.' "Of course, once I had got my explanation ex-planation made, they had to take serious se-rious heed of it. But they were still keen to have me on the ticket, and so, after they had renominated Judge Minor for governor, they chose me again as their candidate for secretary of state. And Judge Minor and I were re-elected, and from then on until I went to congress In 1894 I never again held an elective office. "I wonder," added Mr. Sperry reflectively, re-flectively, "how many other men have missed being governor by being six months or so too young to qualify for that office?" (Copyright, 1910, by E. J. Edwards. All Rights Reserved.) |