The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-02-01
DAVID DAVIS.
Biographical Sketch of the New Illinois
Senator.

Biographical Sketch of the New Illinois
/ Senator.
Judge David Davis. says the Chicago
Times, was born March 9, 1916, in Ceci
county, Md, where his father, whose
brother was the father of Henry Winter
Davis, resided. Judge Davis lost his
father when he was very young, but this
did not prevent his receiving thorough
education. He prepared for college in
the vicinity of his own home, and
then entered Kenyon College, at
Gambler, Ohio, of which Bishop Chase
was then President. He graduated at
this college in 1882 with Edwin M. Stan
ton. Directly after graduating he went
to New Haven, Conn, and passed
through the regular curriculum of the
law school in that city. At the COM
pletion of his course he entered the law
Office of Judge Henry W. Bishop, at
Lenox, Mass, the father of Mr.. Henry
W. Bishop, OF Chicago, where he pur-
sued his studies till he was admitted to
the bar. Soon after this event he re-
moved to Pekin, ILL.,, and began the prac-
U1c0 OF the law there In 1856.
Four years later he returned to Lenox,
Mass, to marry the daughter of Judge
William P. Walker, of that town. He
then removed his residence from Pekin
to Bloomington, in Illinois, where he
practiced law till he left the bar for the
bench. AS a lawyer he took high rank,
and obtained large practice.
In 1914 he was elected to the Illinois
House of Representatives and in 1848
he was member of the convention that
framed the constitution under which the
State existed till 1870.
In 1849 he was elected Judge of the
Eighth Judicial Circuit of Illinois to
succeed Judge Treat, who had been ap-
pointed United States District Judge
for the Southern District of Illinois.
Judge Davis was twice reelected, and
held court as Circuit Judge till 1862,
when President Lincoln appointed him
an Associate Justice of the United
States Supreme Court. This position
ne has held continuously since his ap-
pointment.
Judge Davis was for many years an
intimate personal friend and warm DO
itical adherent of Abraham Lincoln.
He exerted himself in behalf of Mr..
Lincoln in the Senatorial contests of
1854, when Judge Trumbull was elected.
and again in 1858 when Stephen A.
Douglas carried off the prize. He was
a member of the Chicago Convention in
1860, and Mr.. Lincoln s nomination was
due to the zeal and energy of Judge
Davis more than to the efforts of any
other one man.
Politically Judge Davis was Wing
till the organization of the Republican
party in 1854, when he attached himself
to it, and remained in harmony with it
till the close of the war. He has never
formally left that party, but he is man
of too much independence of character
to care much about party organizations
Or platforms.
Judge Davis friends were numerous
at the Liberal Republican Convention
held at Cincinnati, in May, 1872. On
the first ballot he received 921 votes,
against ITO for Trumbull, LAT for Gree
ley, 205 for Adams, and 95 for Brown.
In June Judge Davis notified the Labor
Reformers that he absolutely withdrew
from the Presidential contest.
Last June he was urged for the Presi-
Dental nomination at st. Louis by many
Democrats, who thought it the part of
wisdom to put up candidate who would
be entirely acceptable to the Liberal Re-
publicans. He was not voted for, how
ever.
Judge Davis private life has always
been pure and above reproach. He pos
sesses large wealth, being worth from
81, 900, 900 TO So, 100000