▁of ▁the ▁General ▁Assembly ▁in ▁Senate , ▁House , ▁and ▁joint ▁convention . ▁He ▁was ▁re - elect ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 0 ▁and ▁served ▁from ▁March ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 8 9 5 ▁to ▁March ▁ 3 , ▁ 1 9 0 7 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 7 , ▁he ▁was ▁challeng ed ▁for ▁his ▁seat ▁by ▁another ▁Republican , ▁industrial ist ▁Samuel ▁P . ▁Col t . ▁The ▁three - way ▁contest ▁between ▁W et more , ▁Col t ▁and ▁Dem ocrat ▁Robert ▁H ale ▁I ves ▁God d ard ▁resulted ▁in ▁months ▁of ▁dead locked ▁ball ots ▁and ▁a ▁vac ant ▁seat ▁in ▁Rh ode ▁Island ' s ▁deleg ation ▁to ▁the ▁ 6 0 th ▁Congress ▁beginning ▁on ▁March ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 9 0 7 . ▁ ▁Event ually ▁Col t ▁with d rew , ▁and ▁W et more ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁Senate ▁on ▁January ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 1 9 0 8 ▁and ▁served ▁until ▁March ▁ 3 , ▁ 1 9 1 3 . ▁ ▁Col t ' s ▁brother , ▁Le Bar on ▁B . ▁Col t , ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁succeed ▁W et more ▁upon ▁W et more ' s ▁ret irement ▁from ▁the ▁Senate . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Senate , ▁W et more ▁was , ▁first , ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁Committee ▁on ▁Man ufact ures , ▁and ▁then ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁J oint ▁Committee ▁on ▁the ▁Library ▁for ▁six teen ▁years . ▁He ▁was ▁also