he was an unsuccessful candidate for governor of maine in 1886. he was elected a member of the maine house of representatives from 1909 to 1912. he served in the maine senate from 1913 to 1916 and was president of that body in 1915 and 1916. he was elected as a republican to the sixty-fifth and to the five succeeding congresses, serving from march 4, 1917 to march 3, 1929. he was chairman of the u.s. house committee on expenditures on public buildings in the sixty-sixth congress, and was one of the managers appointed by the house of representatives in 1926 to conduct the impeachment proceedings against george w. english, judge of the united states district court for the eastern district of illinois. he was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1928 to the seventy-first congress.