Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-02-27

seiFco WIN aDiilty. Among his ASST
ciates in that body, was the late Wn,.
Pitt Fessenden. These two men were
intimate personal friends in after life
in the higher Legislative body to which
each one was called in the fall of
the year 1s45, Mr.. Howe, who had in
formed himself of the growing pros
poets OF the great west, made up his
mind to try his fortunes in new
country, and settled in Green Bay, in
this State, which place has been his
residence ever since. The country
was then new the population of the
territory small and scattered, the prac-
tice of the law was limited and fees
not large but the ability of Mr.
Howe was soon recognized, and he re-
ceived his full share of the practice,
and rose rapidly in his profession, as
an able and skillful lawyer, and as a
man of stern integrity Of character
On the admission Of .he State into
the Union, in lS4S, Mr. Howe was
nominated as Whig candidate for
Congress, (having always been an ac-
tive member of that party), but was
defeated, his party being largely in the
minority. An election was not expect
ed by hi.aself or by his friends
In 1S49 he was a candidate Of the
same party for Lieut.. Governor, and for
the same reason, was defeated. in
1850, he was elected Judge of the Cir
cult Court, in which position he served
with distinguished ability and faithful
ness till 1855, when he resigned.
During a portion of this time the Su-
preme Court of the State was compos-
ed of several Circuit Judges, and for
part Of term Judge Howe ranked
very high. No man in the State had
a better reputation, both as regards le-
gal attainmcnts and purity Of charac-
ter. AS practitioner at the Bar, af-
ter he left the Bench, he also stood
among the first lawyers in the State.
In the great State case between Bash
| ford and Barstow, in the contest of the
| Executive Chair of the State, he was a
leading counsel for the contestant. and
exhibited zeal and an ability in the
prosecution of this important trial,
that greatly widened his reputation as
lawyer. The case was the first in
the country, where a man who had re-
ceiyed the certificate of election had
been qualified as Governor, was remov-
ed from that position by legal process.
Being such, it attracted national atten-
ton, and the prominent actors in the
contest, and succeeded in ousting the
sitting Governor.
| We have thus glanced at some of
the leading events in the life Of Mr.
Howe, previous to his election as
United States Senator. We now pro-
pose to review briefly his several con-
tests for thav position.
The Republican party was organized
in Wisconsin, In 1884, and in the fall
of that year, it elected majority Of
the Legislature, which, iii the winter
Of 1855, made choice 70 Hon. Charles
Durkce, as Senator. Mr.. Howe un-
tied cordially with the Republican or
ganization IL sympathy, from the start,
and so expressed himself in letter,
but being a judge on the bench. did
not take active part in the first cam
paign. In the fall Of 1855, State
officers were chosen, and the Demo
cratic party was mainly successful, Sc
curing the Legislature Of that year.
The Republican Governor was elected,
but received his seat by contest, as be-
fore noted In the fall of 1e56,-the
Fremont campaign, n,-the Republicans
carried the State by a large majority,
making clean sweep Of both branches
of the Legislature. Judge Howe hav-
ing resigned bis position on the bench,
took an active part in the contest, and
performed excellent and efficient ser
vice on the stump. \ Senator was to
be chosen the next winter, and during
the campaign the name of Judge Howe
was prominently mentioned in connec-
ton with that high office. Indeed, at
the close of the election there seemed
to be no doubt but what he would be
the choice of large majority Of the
members of his party in the Legisla-
ture. Such was the impression till af
ter the meeting of that body. But
lust prior to the nomination caucus, he
was assailed as being unsound Oh the
question Of State rights he had not
sustained the decision of the court in
the Booth and Ryecraft cases. la the
exciting scenes growing out of the
Glover rescue case, this decision OF the
court was popular with the masses, aud
Judge Howe was assailed very bitter
", and charged with being an old
Hunk whig, and even more
Objectionable than democrat Judge
Howe insisted that he wa as much op-
posed to slavery and the Fugitive
Slave Act, as any other man but he
could not endorse the doctrine that a
State Court could defeat the execu-
ton of law of the United States, by
pronouncing it unconstitutional The
caucus was held, ana the first ballot
stood as follows Howe 25; Doolittle
IS; Holton %; jackson g; scatter
inc II. In the meantime, the causus
had adopted a series of State sover-
eighty resolutions, based on the Ken
tuchy resolutions Of 1898, and the can
| &oI %o