Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-01-12

Will say / hat [ have been wise.
SECRETARY BRIsTow who has man.
aged the affairs of the Treasury De-
partment with such rare executive
ability, was a short time ago COM
paratively unknown to the American
people. When he was called to take a
position In President Grants cabinet,
as Secretary Of the Treasury, almost
all that was known Of him, was that
he was from Kentucky, and had been
General in the Union army. Mr..
Brls.ow's fearl less and vigorous prose
cution of whisky ring has brought
him prominently before the
people Of the nation. and for the last
six months his management Of the af-
fairs Of the Department has wen the
admiration of opponents as well as sup
porters. The result of his determina-
ton to reform bis Department, has ma
turally given great satisfaction. We
give below a few particulars of the
Secretary's life, taken from Louisville
correspondence:
Secretary Bristow is Kentuckian
by birth, and is now in his 44th year.
Although not politician in the ac-
cepted sense of the term, be has been
prominent in the politics Of his native
State since 1859, when one of the
most exciting political contests known
in the history OF Kentucky politics oc-
CURED. The Democratic candidate tor
Governor at that time was the Hon.
Berian Magof6n. The Wing, or anti
Democratic candidate was the Hon.
Joshua f. Bell, the "sllver tongued
orator." whose superior as popular
stump-speaker, was not to be found in
any State. Takiag advantage Of every
possible opportunity to gain the pubic
favor, and to thwart the movement Of
the Democrats in the sectional strife
then raging, Bell took bis position as
an advocate of adherence to the bred
Scott decision and Congressional pro-
lection to slavery in the Territories.
|. Although Wing in principle, Mr..
Bris,ow was not. among the supporters
Of Mr.. Bell. He declined to vote for
the Wing candidate of his party, oe-
cause of his extreme pro-slayery views.
Two years latter, at the breaking
out of the War of the Rebellion, Brls-
tow again came into public notice.
Without hesitating he promptly took
sides for the Union, and at once enter.
ed the service as Lieutenant-C Colonel Of
Kentucky regiment. His record
while in the army was an excellent Que.
He was engaged in the siege Of Fort
Donaldson and the battle Of Shiloh,
and distinguished himself in both en-
gagements. While in active service
he was elected by the Union people of
his district to the Kentucky Senate,
and as member of that body he fear
lessly defended the cause of the Union,
never for an instant showing the least
indication of faltering. After bis term
of service in the State Senate he was
appointed Colonel of cavalry regi.
ment, and was with the troops who
captured Morgan in Ohio. In 1866.
without solicitation on his part, he was
made District Attorney Of the United
States. While in this Office, he be.
came distinguished for the zeal and
ability displayed in the enforcement Of
the revenue laws and the provisions of
the Civil Rights bill, which was passed
for the protection of the colored peo-
pie against the numberless wrongs per-
petrated upon them by Ku-Klux ma
RAIDERS. When the Office of Solicitor
General Was created, he was selected
tor the position by the President, and
the ability shown by him in that Office
is we'll known.
Alter retiring from the Office of So
llcitor-General, he gave his attention
to his private law business as mem
Der of the firm of Harlan & Bristow.
until he was again called into public
service as Secretary of the Treasurer