The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-07-13
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.
Editorial Opinions of the LeadlnE jour Journals
naS for the Evening Telegraph.
crTRERT G. WALKER, GOVERNOR
NAAA ELECT OF VIRGINIA.

GILBERT G. WALKER, GOVERNORS
ELECT OF VIRGINIA.
T7yo,n the NJ Y. Times =,
We are assured by one who has personally
80, Governor Walker for many years, that
tho notice of him which we published III a
snoant issue from the Troy Times is in many
resnects inaccurate, and in some particulars
coiculated to do the Governor injustice.
After graduating at Hamilton Oohe8e MI
Walker studied law IN Bln8hahtohi WneIe le
.'.os admitted TO the bar in 1854. In 1898 he
,.on,oved mSro to Owego, Tioga county, New York,
ond entered upon the practice OF his profes-
c. Ue belonged to the Democratic party,
Ga in 1916 and not in 1853, and after he had
~ IAao,, = resident of the county upwards of
,yoor instead of less than four months, as
SSfoted bv the Troy Itmes he became the
Democratic candidate for District Attorney.
A vounp man of but twenty-four or twenty,
five years of age, oil genlal manners anu
with n remarkably fine presence he was
yerv popular with all who knew him. But
tbe' Republican candidate, who was Mr..
T,roov. the present United States District
Attorney for the Eastern District and not
MIR. Hancock. as the Troy Times enormously
ennnoses while he lacked many of the per-
sonal qualities which added so much to
Walkers popularity possessed many adyan-
topes over him which told heavily against
Waller in the canvass. lie was native OF
tLe county, knew its people well, and had
host of personal friends III the Democratic
,--,fv Three years previous he had been
! ia to the same office as a Wing, while on
A., tate ticket the county gave seven hun
. Democratic majority. The point to be
m. bv the Democrats was to select candl-
dat, no could poll the entire Democratic
vote spainst Tracy. This Walker did, and
m,.c running slightly ahead Of his ticket.
lie county, however, unexpectedly went
s,I, ~clv for Fremont, and Walker was, of
t,@lsc, defeated.
'.the defeat was a grievous disappoint-
me- to the ambitious young lawyer, ne
cert. .nly did not manifest it by soon after
bidding his friends in Oswego good-by, and
removing to Chicago, as the Times intimates,
for shortly after the election the political
riy'ls for Office became partners in business,
and for three years did what in the country
was deemed large and successful business.
But the amount of legal business 10 be trans
acted in rural county like Tioga was too
limited to satisfy the ambition OF MIR. Walker,
who, in 1860, removed to Chicago. From
1855 to 1860 Mr. Walker always acted and
voted with the Democratic party OF Iloga
county, and if he ever felt he made mistake
in uniting his fortunes with that party,we are
sure he never said so to a Republican friend
nor to any one else. Nor is IL true Jnau III
settling in Chicago he declared himself a Re
publican.
In the Presidential contest of that year he
was Douglas Democrat. On the breaking
out of the war in 1861, he still followed
Douglas and gave his earnest support to the
administration. He confined himself, how
ever, to the practice of his profession unit
1864, when he removed to Norfolk, Va, where
he has since resided. Soon after settling il
Norfolk he united with others in organizing
national bank, of which he became Presi
dent. A Democrat, he was among the yer,
first men in the country to insist upon th
duty of the General Government to extenC
suffrage to the negroes Of the South. Al
just as he is magnanimous, the freed
man can have no truer friend, and thu
adherent of the 'lost cause" no more con
siderate and kindly Governor, than Gilbert
Walker