The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1859-01-20
From the Lansing State Republican.
Election of United States Senator.

The wishes of the people of Michi-
gan have been gratifed. Kinsley S.
Bingham was elected to the Senate of
the United States, by the Legislature
of Michigan in Joint Convention, on
Saturday morning, January eighth,
1859, at eleven o'clock, being the Cau-
Gus candidate of the Republican MEM
bers of the Legislature, duly nomina-
ted at eleven o'clock of the evening
previous, after spirited contest.
The utmost harmony prevailed after
the nomination, and cordial feeling
supervened upon whatever of discord
had sprung up, in the heat of the
struggle for the nomination.
The hopes of the Locofoco minority
were blasted, for every Republican
member stood staunch to his caucus
nominee, and each and every one of
them, set a face of flint, against any
movement, which might give the slight
est opportunity for Locofoco inter-
ference.
Thus without the outlay of dollar,
and without any attempt at intrigue or
political maneuvre, faithful exponent
of sound principle of Government,
dear to the people, has been placed by
the peoples servants in the seat chosen
for him.
Gov. Bingham was born in Onondaga
county, n. Y, in December, 1908, of
humble parentage, and grew up on a
farm. He received a fair acadamic ed
ucation, studied law but never practiced,
having determined to make farming his
business, which he has done to advan-
tage. He married in the Spring of
1888, and the next day started for
Michigan. He fixed upon a place to
commence farming in what is now the
township of Green Oak, Livingston
county, then unorganized, a point about
equi-distant (about twenty milesl from
the nearest settlements, Ann Arbor and
Pontiac, and thirty-six miles N. w.
from Detroit. Here, having purchased
from Government half a section of
land, lsair. Bingham commenced clear
ing it, with his own hands, and in pro-
cess of time, made around him, his
pleasant home. The nearest Post Office
was Ann Arbor, which being inconve-
nient, in 1884, Mr.. Bingham procured
the establishment of a small mail route
from Pontiac to Ann Arbor, and was
appointed Post Master, which office he
held till ls41. Mr.. Bingham was ap-
pointed Justice of the Peace for the
county of Livingston, by Gov. Porter,
and was the only person whoever held
that Office in the county, until Michigan
became a State. He was elected a
member of the State Legislature in the
fall of 1886, and of course was men,
ber when Michigan was admitted. as
State into the Union, in January, 1887.
He was elected member of five suc-
cessive Legislatures, and was elected
Speaker of the House of Representa-
tives in 1888, '39, and in AZ, being the
only man in theS ever twice elected
Speaker. He held the Office of Prose-
cutting Attorney, to which he was ap-
pointed by Gov. Mason, was member
of the first Board of Supervisors of
the county of Livingston, and was
elected the first Judge of Probate of
that county.
In November, 1916, Governor Bing-
ham was elected to Congress, in what
was then the Third Congressional Dis
trict, comprising the whole northeast
ern portion of the Lower, and the
whole of the Upper Peninsula, after a
very sharp and close canvass against
the late Hon. George w. Wisner, elder
brother of the present Governor.
While holding seat in Congress, Gov.
Bingham was repeatedly advised by
resolutions of the Legislature of Michi-
gan, passed in 1847, ls48, and in 1S49,
to vote against the further extension of
human Slavery, and to sustain what
was called the Wilmot Proviso" reso-
lutions to the same effect, having been
passed by the Convention which gave
his nomination in 184s. In accordance
with these resolutions, as we'll as with
the convictions of his own conscience,