The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-09-14
Hon. Thaddeus Banks.

As it behooves every Democrat at least in
the district to know what manner of man
our candidate for President Judge is. we
give place to the following brief biographi-
cal sketch of him furnished by the Holidays
burg Standard. Having known Mr.. Banks
from our earliest boyhood we can truthfully
say that he is man among men-an hon
orable, upright and true>hearted gentlemen,
and one who is eminently fitted for the posi-
ton for which he has been named and for
whose election every Democrat ought to con-
slider it not only duty but pleasure to la
Dor with his utmost ability. He is worthy
of the Office and would perform all the du-
ties pertaning thereto with honesty and
ability. Let him therefore be elected.
Mr.. Banks ancestors, who were of the
Scotch Irish stock, settled in this country at
an early day. His father was Hon. Ephraim
Banks, who was the son of Gen. James
Banks. of York county. Ephrarc Banks,
recently deceased, was for mary years one of
the most popular and distinguished citizens
of the State, having at different times filled
high positions of responsibility and trust.
The subject of this sketch was born in Mif-
fiintown. Juniata county, in this State, in
November, 1915 His father being after
wards appointed by Governor Findley Pros
| thouotary, removed to Lewistown, where the
son. under the supervision of DR.. James S.
| Woods, pursued his classical studies for a
number of years, which were finally COM
| pleted at Benjamin Walworth's-- academy at
! Alexandria, ID. G.
! In 1887 he commenced the study of law
in his fathers office, and in the fall of 1889.
| at Lewistown, he was admitted to the bar
under Judge burnside. The following wins
ter he passed at Huntingdon, with the late
| Gen, A. Z. Wilson, who was a warm friend
of the family, and in the spring of 1910 he
came to Hollidaysburg. where he has since
resided. At that time Mr.. Calvin was the
only practising lawyer here. James Craw-
| ford had been Mr.. Calvin's only antagonist,
but being in failing health and dying soon
after, his administrator sold his library to
/ Mr.. Banks, who shortly succeeded to the
princi pal portion of Crawford's practice
Col. McMurtrie came soon afterwards, and
the business was divided among the three.
Since his residence here he has always
been in full practise. and since the erection
of this county, in 1916, he has been retained
on one side or the other of almost every i'm
! portant cause and whether In the courts of
the county. or in the Supreme Court of the
State. he has been remarkably successful.
| OF the numerous and important criminal
cases tried in this county, be has been cen>
cerned in nearly all, and he has generally
been of counsel for the prisoners, except in
certain cases where he was employed by the
county to assist the prosecution.
MIR. Banks, although often spoken of for
office, and presented by his county, never
was candidate before the people until 1861,
when he was elected to the State Legislature
| 1t is a remarkable fact in his history that, in
! 1850, when he had only been a. the bar
about ten years, and was under thirty five
years Of age, the Democrats of this county
nominated and instructed conferees for him
for President Judge. and had he not declined
to allow his name to go before the conference,
he might have been nominated and elected
as many Wings declared their preference for
him over the gentleman who received the
| nomination.
Again, in 1853. this county instructed her
conterees for Mr.. Banks for State Senator.
! Mr.. Banks declined and recommended his
| friend. Col. John Cresswell, Jr, who was
nominated and elected.
In 1858, when S S. Blair was elected to
| Congress. the conferees from Huutin gdou and
/ Blair counties in the congressional conference
voted six votes for Mr.. Banks (the present
Senator, John Scott, among them. } for one
hundred and ten ballots. The conferees of
| Cambria voted three votes for Cyrus l. Perish
ing, and those of Somerset county voted
similar number for Judge Kimmel. Mr..
Banks. finding the minority declined to come
to him. magnanimously withdrew his name
and desired his friends to vote for Mr.. PERISH
| ing, who was at once nominated.
In 1861 the war broke out, and Mr.
Banks at once took side with the cause of
the Union and though we know that un-
scrupuous partisans have been in the habit
OF lndiscrlmlnately charging upon Democrats
reasonable sympathies and practices, no one
can successfully impeach his patriotism or
! his unalterabe devotion to bis country. His
sympathies were constantly with the Union
soldiers in the field. aud. in more times and
ways than one, with their suffering families
at home.
! At the commencement of the war, Mr..
! Banks was a member of the Democratic
| county committee, and on the goth of Au-
| gust, 1861, offered, among others, the follow
ing resolution to said committee
"ResolUed. That the present horrible civil
war was Immediately forced upon as by the
South. and nosc must be fought through
to to that end. we hereby pledge our party in
Blair county. so far as we have power, to
support the government in all constitutional
measures to accomplish its successful and
speedy issue"
THIS resolution he supported by strong
and vigorous speech, and il was uuanimous>
iy adopted. 1t appeared in some of the
county papers OF that time, and Immediate
ly meetings were held all over the county To
raise volunteers. and the friends of the war
and the government invited Mr. Banks, along
ieA6llnO m oil