Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-10-22
HON. UHAs. F. THOMPSON.
The Question "Who 70 sAis Thompsenf AHs
wesed--A skesch Of hts Past History.

The editor Of the Darlington Rs'
publican recently took trip through
ile IN county, visiting Brodbead, the
aome of Hon. Chas. F. Thompson
Reform candidate for congress, and
N the lsst issue of his paper, gives
bis readers q lengthy aud interesting
account of what he saw and heard
IN bis tip. Az the question, "Who
il this Thompson 2" is one which ID
very frequently asked IN this county,
nowadays, we make the following
extracts from the articls in question;
The impression among considers
bic number of peoll, that "CnalliS''
Thompson is farmer, is incorrect
He earns his bread and butter in q
way which does not require tie bro "
TO discharge any considerable amount
CT sweat, "a We have above indicate.
About Twelve years ago Mr.. Thomp-
son abandoned the Ibw and sickls.
For several years he bad tried sgr.s
cultural pursuits, bnt without much
success. His old farmer neighb0ra
10 not speak OF him as an energetic
aud successful husbandman in fac4,
they admit that he was not = good
farmer aud it 10 said that he mada
little or no money on his farm.
When he abandoned the farm h5
went to the northern part of this
state and with gen l,man now re-
siding in Broadhead went into some
lumber specnl Ations which Melted
quite a sum If money, and probably
laid the foundation of his present
wealth.
POLITICAL HISTORY.
As before stated, Mr.. Thompson
was ore of the original Republicans
of this state, and we believe was u
member of the first Republican con
vention ever held. This fact, doubt
less, had considerable infuenoe on
nis subsequent political career. Nat
urally, he likes to be known and to
occupy q considerable sha, of public
attention. He likes 10 be regarded
as leader 10 whatever he under
takes. Therefore, being an ambi-
tious man, aud one of the founders
of the Republican party, it is not
strange that he has frequently
sought positions of trust and honor
at the hands of his ftlllw Republic
cans. That no has been so unsuc-
cessful is no fault of bis. He has
ever stood ready to accept anything
in the shape of Office, from a school
trusteeship to seat in the United
States Senate. He has frequently
held village and town Offices, and
has been q member of the county
board of supervisors several Zines.
La 1857 he was q member of the
lower house of our state legi-l lture,
and, so far as we know, discharged
mis- duties without creating any
special Dissatisfaction among his con-
.tituents. Hs was candidate for
before the Republican
of nis Assembly district
in the following year, but failed to
obtain tho nomination. A few days
after, the Repu hlican county c,n.
vention met, and, Mr.. c. +. Thomp
aon was q candidate for the nomina-
ton of Safe Senator.
We might cite other instances of
. similar character, but these are
sufficient to establish the fact that
The "Reform" candidate for Congress
is an inveterate office-seeker. We
will now pass over u period of sew
sral years, and come down to the
CAMPAIGN OF 1872.
It is we'll known that General
Grant was The almost unanimous
choice of the masses of the Reputl :
can party for the Presidency. Tnere
was no thought of opposing his re-
among the r 'puolicans
Of this section. aud especially those
Of Green county. 1t is known that
Mr. Thompson was in accord with
the Republicans OF his county on the
Presidential question. And because
Of that fact, he was elected q dole
gate to the county convention which
chose delegates to the state conveD-
ton, the latter electing representa-
tives to the national Republican con-
vention. The county convention
elected Mr.. Thompson q delegate to
the State convention, which he at
tended. Here, then, we have him in
two Republican conventions, and
one Republican caucus in the spring
Of the year 1872. From all these po-
iitical gatherings Mr. Thompson's
Rspubl can associates underst God and
that be was a true RepubIi
can. There was no remote nor indl-
rect intimstion from him to the con-
trary until after the adjournment of
the state convention. It then be-
came known that he WAS dissatisfied
with the administration. Subsequent
~ it became well known 10 Green
county that Mr.. Thompson arden1y
wished TO be one of the delegates to
the national Republican convention.
Mr.. LuCbw was chosen, and doubt
less this added envy to disappcint-
ment.
Mr.. Thompson joined the Liberals
and fought Tor Greeley. L Ike all dis
soreheaded Republicans,
he became q bitter opponent of the
party, and spared no eff 1rt to accom-
plish its defeat. Lat f. Il he became
a rampant "Rsformer," and is now
resping bis reward.
When men attempt to influence
their fellows the arguments they use
may be taken as q reliatl indication
of the motives that influence their
own actions. If that be true. Chss
F. Thompson abandoned the Repub'
llcsn party because be thought the
"signs of the times" indicated that
the Liberal party would supercede it,
He argued with mere than one of bis
former political friends on that pre-
sumption, aud said to some of them,
in effect. that the Republican party
would be vanquished; that if you
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