The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1868-06-06
The Hon. Schuyler COlfaX.


of the National Union Republican party fol
the Office of Vice President, is "a native OF
New York City. He was boru in North
Moore street, March %, 1898, his father
having died but Il short time previous. With
but limited means, his widowed mother
could afford TO keep him at school but u
short time, and al the age of 10 he was
placed III u mercantile establishment where
he remained for two years, contributing ma
terialy lrom his small salary TO the support
of both himself aud mother. In 1896, he
aud his mother, IN company with others,
left their home i'll this city and settled Ill st.
Joseph County, Indiana. Shortly after his
arrival i'll the West he was appointed Deputy
County Auditor for ST. Joseph County, and
employed his leisure hours in the study OF
State law, in which he is said soon to have
become an acknowledged expounder. He
! read law pretty thoroughly during these leis
ure hours, but not with view 10 adopting
it as profession. He had but little idea OF
what great benefit the information he was
then gaining would prove to him i'll after
years. In 1915 he started a weekly journal
at South Bend, the county seat of ST. Joseph
county, called The 81. Joseph Valley RegiS.
ter, becoming its sole proprietor and editor.
A writer in The Indianapolis Journal cor
reefs u mistake into which the public has
fallen relative to Mr.. Colfax's connection
with the printing business. Mr.. Lanman,
in his Dictionary of Congress, says: He
was bred a printer" He never was appren-
ticed to the printing business. and knew
nothing of the practical part of the art
preservative of all arts" until after he had
commenced the publication of The Register.
however, and great anxiety to economist,
for his means were yet very limited, he soon
mastered the art sufficiently to help out OF
the drag" but he never attained to any
great proficiency in the business, his edito.
rial labors, the business of the Office and
other duties soon claiming his entire atten-
ton. THE Register prospered, and soon
became a source of profit to its proprietor.
1t was ably edited, and was model of cour-
tesy and dignity. Every paragraph, how
ever small, seemed to have passed under the
supervision of and to reflect the mind and
elevated thoughts of its editor. He contin.
ned his connection with this paper until
three or four years ago, writing regular
weekly letter for its columns during his first
two terms in Congress. 1t was during the
early days of The Register that Mr. Colfax
was laying the foundation for the reputation
he has since attained as a debater. A de-
batting club was formed, which held regular
and it was rare occurrence indeed to find
Mr.. Colfax absent from one Of these stated
gatherings. Politics, the temperance re.
form, and other subjects We're often :,a ably
debated in this society as kindred questions
are in many deliberate bodies of much great.
er pretensions of the present day. The
Hon. John ID. Defrees, now Superintendent
of Government Printing, and for many years
editor and proprietor of THE IndiandpoiiS
Jouraai, to which Mr.. Coltax was also at,
tached as Senate Reporter for some time af,
ter he commenced the publication Of The
Register. was also u participant in these de.
bates. They were both Wings, both ardent
and sincere advocates OF, and believers III
the temperance reform, and were conSc-
quently seldom ptted against each other in
these debates. The attachment formed at
this early day between those gentlemen still
continues with undated irrvor. Ia 1915.
Mr.. ColtnX was chosen As u delegate and
elected as Secretary Of the Convention which
nominated Gen. Taylor for the Presidency.
In 1850 he represented st. Joseph Comfy
in the Convention which framed Tie present
Constitution of Indiana. IN this tnnvcl,-
ton he opposed with all his ability, the
adoption Of the clause prohibiting free cod
orcd men from settling i'll the State. liz
opposition Ia this measure was the caueC ut
his defeat the following wear when nominated
for CONGRESS. in nrrositinn To DR., L,lrh,-
Rn,, viii all lhe ability, tact, and shrowd
ness of this old political wire worker, he
only d;s,anceL his younr connection 200
votes. in district which bad been strongly
Democratic for years. In 1862 be was agali,
=, drlcrn,clo The Whiy National rnuyenli,,,
lie ,nnL nm active narl in The ramnnign
which followed, rakinc often and wri,;ng
mich In 1884 when he . creat deeni =,
Jndana Democracy was ,br,len ma, and ,ho
nld HunL ors laid IN i, crave from which il !.
h,nea thcy NAV never he rosurrorted he
w.s rennminated and elected to CONGRESS
and w,y ,.nn.,mcn,lv mare ,ri;vo than eve,
hafors lis ayna,;cnr ,s = dah.tar and
Familiarity with Nate and National nnli,irs,
r.ndnred h;,, a, nvern,a,rh far hi. ,,,nn,
nonIs ,vLnm he was ALWAYS nm ~inus in nnnt
!, nm o,,on and r,;r d;scues;nn hntnre The
nsn,,l, where he was ,lwavs certain ,r ,
p patn' In is5G he was aga;,, nominated
f,r Cn,,orsss and 70. elected Lv ;, L.ndsnna
n,,;orlS lis entrance inlo congress w,s
j., H., ,',;d,, 81 ,ha araot sirr,-Is nrnr ,ha
i, oenun,nn s,y;ndlc 4 wriIcr saw Of HE
,naiJ@nP ' Sneech IN the House "II;s frs,
nraooL j., Tnnnro,s wont forth ,o ronaI ,ho
Pr '.c ,orrnr u,h;oL uas sweo,;n,, ova,
s ,.n',o, III K.n.n. and ,lnarlv Showed
s aL. $50 ,,, chan ha u,, onn nf' thu hos,
tnI. H., H. , n II ~. nnnr 90
"on 49, ~. - lis ,naonb ,voro I'D
w." 'o ;ronla ed ,!rnn,,l;mont naorhan,
.inu -" naoo;rod ~. a",, - ph
uo'ei pe'oie rSeo'su " ",y "'e,n"S' VI