Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1864-04-21
mr.. coifax and Mr.. Mcpherson.


with interest by all who know Mr.. Colfax.
Congress fingers indolently over the
business before it. 1t is extremely diff.
cult to obtain quorum in either house
Oh important occasions. The House could
not pass the National Currency bill on
Friday for want of a quorum. and two
hours were spent in arraigning members
at its bar. and listening to their excuses
for absence. During the present week the
Supplementary Tax bill will be reported
in the House from the Ways an MeaAs
Committee, and it is expected that serious
work will commence. $50 mo re.f
In Congress, in politics. AMI in m military
affairs, there is lnll which, doubtless,
portends storm at hand. Gen. Grant is
dismissing and removing from the army
Of the Potomac the men who should long
ago have been sent to peaceful pursuits
The work OF reorganization is FIRST in or
der--fghting comes next.
Meantime, as there is little doing here. /
propose to say few things this week re.
specting two yonng men connected with
this Congress, and particularly this House
Of Representatives, which | should have
said in December. The yonng men al
lude to occupy important positions in con-
nection with the House, for they are its
Speaker and Clerk
Both are young. have been printers and
newspaper men. are slight and active men.
have made themselves what they are, and
are extremely popular wherever they are
personally known. do not propose to
bore the reader with biographical sketch
es, bnt will content myself with writing a
few facts, perhaps not generally known,
respecting Messrs. Colfax and Mcpherson
Mr.. Coliax is about forty years of age,
and was born in the city of New York.
His grandfather, General William Colfax,
OF New Jersey. commanded Washington's s
Life Guards through the Revolutionary
War, end was an intimate companion OF
the Father Ct his Country during the clos.
ing years of the war. sitting daily at his
tabl,. Miss Collax, whose pleasant face
and manners are familiar to all who have
frequented the Colfax receptions this win
ter. frequently wears begemmed belt
buckle. worn by Washington during the
Revolution, and presented by him to Mr..
Colfax's grandfather. After the war was
over Genera! Colfax married Miss Hester
Schuyler. cousin Of General Philip Schuy-
Ter, and from this source comes the
given name of Schuyler. In 1912 Gener-
al Colfax commanded at Sandy Hook.
and had the rank of Brigadier General
Schuyler Colfax's father was teller in the
Mechanics Bank of New Yo:k at the age
Of thirty, and about that time married the
present Mrs. Mathews, who was but fifteen
years old. Four months after the death
of his father, Schuyler Colfax was born,
inheriting nothing from his father but his
name. He obtained all his education In
the common schools Of New York and
the high school then kept in Crosby street.
AT zen years he left school altogether, and
at thirteen emigrated to Indiana, with his
mother and her second husband, Mr.. Math-
ews, who are now part o. MIR. Colfax's
family in Washington. Mr.. Colfax has
lived in but two couuties-the. county Of
New York and St. Jnseph county, India.
ma. AT twenty -one he established the
Register. at South Bend. which he still
publishes. At the end of the first year he
was 1875 in debt, but in few years it
became productive property-and was
then burned out with but little insurance.
Air. Collax began anew, and was more
successful. His political course is known
to all, and l need not refer to it here
When first nominated to the Senate Of In
diana. he declined. because he could not
afford to leave his business Mr.. Coliax
was never plaintiff or. defendant in o
court of justice. never drank liquor or
wine. but is an excessive smoker. lie has
banished liquor from the House wing OF
the Capitol. in spite Of many protests
has given, though poor man, nearly g.
900 to sick and wounded soldiers, and to
volunteering.
Mr.. Colfax has slight figure. gray
eyes. and brown hair, and though he has
been in Congress many years, he still
looks young. His district has already
intimated to him that they will not permit
him to retite at the present Congress. = Z
The Speaker is a self made man. and so
is the Clerk of the House, Edward Nc
Pherson. who was born at Gettysburg.
Pas-in 1880. AT eleven years, he began
to learn the printing bnsiness-altcrnating
between school aud printing office. He
was good practical printer aud clever
scholar; graduated at Pennsylvania Col
lege, Gettysburg, in 1S4S. with the hon
ors Of the class, and spent the winter in
Harrisburg in reporting and writing for the
newspapers. During the gubernatorial
campaign of 1851, he edited the Daily
american, Harrisburg, and SUBSEQUENTLY
edited other papers in Pennsylvanis. In
1878 he first attracted attention through
out the State by an able series Of articles
upon the proposed sale Of the Public I'm
provements of the State No attempt
was made to reply to his arguments. or to
overthrow his facts. and the Democracy
reluctantly consented to the measure. Mr.
Mcpherson by this time had secured .
State reputation, and in the fall of 1858
he was elected to Congress. He, was re-
elected in 1860. and defeated in 1862. ow-
ing to S.uart's raid, which prevented a
full vote from being poIIed. Mr..
Chase appointed him Deputy Commission
Of Internal Revenue, and last December he
was detected Clerk Of the House. vo4oe.
Mr. Mcpherson, like Mr.. Colfax, has a
Il. q - - 4 u. !. L. .,,.xl.,