Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1875-09-22
CYRUS Il. PERSHING.

9, CYRUS Il. PERSHING.
n The Democratic nominee for Go,
"a ernor, was born in Youngstown, Wcst
morelsnd county, Pa, in the year 1921
k and is consequently about so years {
q age. His father moved to johnston
'. in the year 1880, and died in Apri
"a 1886. A business connection which b
K had formed proved unfortunate, an
n the property which he had accumula,
h ed in a life of energy And industry wa
d sold under the hammer to pay partner
a ship debts. The mother and her thre
! sons, Of whom our c,pdidate was th
i. eldest were thus tin destitute cir
|. cumstances, but w not one 0
r those to repine uni y ows of ad
0 vorsity. Possess9 energy o
!. character which ~ > erior to mis-
|. fortunes, she, VI It'd assistance o
friends, establis nall business
and thus suppoz bel Ifand family
While attefiiE 4 iIl|l ocsry'stOrr,
Mr. Pcrshing was made sistant a
the Johnstown weigh-lock at a salary
I of $40 per month, during the navigabl,
, season; and subsequently,, in 1923
was appointed by General Potts one O
his clerks in the collectors office in
T that place. From these employment.
our candidate derived the funds which
enable him to enter Jefferson college
at Canonsburg, Pa. At this institution
he prosecuted his studies during the
winter term of each year, clerking OF
teaching during the summer.
On this subject, cotcmporary has
truthfully said; at is evidence of the
energy of character possessed by Mr..
Pershing, that, though poor boy,
without the assistance of friends, he
made his own way through college,
and graduated with honor to himself
and professors This was in 1913.
In 1S49, Mr. Pershing entered the Of
fee of jeremiah S. Black, then in
Somerset, Pa, and together with Hon.
A. II. Coffroth, OF Somerset, and s. B.
Wilson, of Beaver, Pa, read law under
that distinguished statesman and jurist
After a thorough examination by n
committee of four of the leading law
yers of the Somerset bar, in which
Judge Gilmore, of Fayettc, then hold
ing court in Somerset, also participated,
Messrs. Pershing and Wilson were ad-
mitted to the bar, in November, 1850.
Gen. Cofiroth having been admitted at
the previous term. He at once entered
upon the practice of his profes-
sion which he pursued with great sue
cess. In 1856 Mr. Pershing was NOM
mated as the Democratic candidate for
Congress in the district composed of
the counties of Somerset Cam
bria, Blair and Huntingdon. This
district, prior to that time, was CON
sidered certain for majority of $500
against the Democratic party, and in
1854, Col. John X. Edie, the compel.
itor of Mr.. Pershing, had been elected
by much larger majority. Mr.. PERISH
ing was nominated late in the cam
paign, but went to work at once to
canvass his large district, and address.
cd many public meetings up to the
October election. Notwithstanding tho
excitement of Presidential contest
and the closeness with which party
lines were drawn. Mr. persbing ran
far ahead OF his ticket, and was defeat
ed by the meagrc majority Of 2S4
votes. In 1858, Mr.. Pershing was
again nominated for Congress, but the
unfortunate dissensions of that year
brought disaster to the Democratic
ticket, State and Constitutional and
Mr.. Pershing was defeated, Hon. S. S.
Blair being the successful candidate.
In 1861 Mr. Pershing was nominated
and elected to the Legislature. He
was unanimously re-nominated and re-
elected by large majorities in 1862,
1868, 1864 and 1865, serving for five
successive terms. During the whole
of his service at Harrisburg he was
member of the committee Of ways and
means, the judiciary, and other i'm
portant committees. At the, session of
1863, the only one In which the Dem
ocrats were in majority, Mr.. Persh-
ing was chairman of the committee on
federal relations, and at the succeeding
session was the Democratic nominee
for speaker Of the House
In the Legislature Mr.. Pershing was
an acknowledged leader, and enjoyed,
in a rare degree, the confidence and
personal esteem of his fellow-members
without distinction of party. As
legislator Mr.. Pershing attended to
every interest OF bis constituents,
whether in the Legislature or the
departments, with scrupulous fidelity,
and without the least reference to the
political sentiments of those whose
business he was called upon to trans
act. On all the great party issues of
the day he was then, as he is now,
and where he has always been, with
the Democratic party, but he has
never been known in any instance to
allow bis partisan predictions to in
tcriere with his sense of right and his
CONSCIENTIOUS discharge of duty.
In 1872 James Ryon was nominated
for president judge Of Schuylkill county,
and his nomination was very distaste-
ial to large and respectable element
of the party, who begged Mr.. Pershing,
then practising law in Johnstown, but
known all over the State as a success
fhl and highly honorable lawyer to
allow his name to be used as the choice
of an independent political movement.
lie consented and though he refused
TO enter into personal canvass or
even TO visit the county, he was tri-
umphantly elected by over 5000 ma
jority, and so completely has he con-
quered every political prejudice, which
the circumstances of his election might
have created, that today some of his
most earnest friends are those who OPP
posed him bitterly in 1872, Indeed,
so completely has he won the esteem
Of the public by his judicial fairness
and fearless ability, that all classes
there delight to do him honor, and at
the last Democratic County Conven-
ton the following resolution was
adopted without a single dissenting
voice
Reso'psd, That since Hon. Cyrus l.. pershing
has ofhciated as the president judge Of this judi
cial district he has more than confirmed the most
sanguine expectations Of our people. IIls spot
less integrity, legal learning, extreme cautious
ness to avoid error, and absolute love Of justice
have 40 endcared him to the bar and the masses
Of our people Of all parties, that the sacrifice Of
yielding him TO Gil higher and more enlarged
held Of usefulness, has hitherto kept in restraint
the expression Of our fullest conviction Of his
superior availability and fitness as the guberna-
toriai siandard-bearer in the coming contest.
Such high encomiums upon his
private and public character are con-
currcd in bv all who know him buf