The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-06-20
DEATH OF EX-SENATOR PRATT.

Daniel Darwin Pratt, late United States
senator from Indiana, and more recently
commissioner of internal revenue, died at
his residence in Logansport yesterday morn
ing, and will be buried tomorrow.
Mr.. Pratt was no ordinary man. He was
born on the 26th day of October, 1913, in the
state of Maine, and emigrated to Indiana
when but a youth. He first located in Ris
ing Sun, where he taught school for some
time, and then came to this city. While
here he served as deputy secretary of state,
as private secretary to Governor Noble, and
at the same time studied law under the
tuition of the late Calvin Fletcher. After be-
ing admitted to the bar he left Indianapolis
and located at Logansport, where he resided
until his death. He soon obtained large
practice, and became one of the ablest and
most successful lawyers in northern Indiana
He loved his profession and was an honor to
it. He never sought political preferment
being content with the honors and emolu-
ments his profession gave him; but like
most men of his profession, he occasionally
consented to serve the people in a public
capacity. He was member of the state leg
islature in 1851 and 1888, the latter year be
ing chairman of the judiciary committee. In
1868 he was elected to congress from his dis
trict but did not take his seat, resigning it
to accept the United States senatorship,
which was given him by the legislature in
January, 1869.
As United States senator Mr. Pratt did not
meet the anticipations of his friends. His
ability was such as TO justify the expectation
that he would take rank among the abest
members of the senate, but this he did not
do. He was made chairman of the commit
tees of pensions and claims, and did large
amount of laborious work in filling those
positions, but the character of it was such as
not to bring him into public notice. We
believe he never made a regular set speech
during his term as senator, being content to
let his public reputation rest upon the work
he did in the committee room. 1t is known
that public life at Washington was at
first distasteful to him, and that he
sought to abandon it and return
to the practice of his profession,
Dut ne was peISuducu lIOH buiS ny pOAltic~ii
friends for the reason that had he resigned
democrat would have been chosen to succeed
him. Time seemed to work change in him,
for after his term of senator expired he ac-
cepted the appointment of commissioner of
internal revenue and remained at Washing
ton until about year ago, when he resigned
the Office at the request of the president.
His trouble with General Grant grew out of
the dismissal of Yaryan from the detective
force, an act which he condemned, and sig
fed his condemnation by writing a strong
Endorsement of the deposed official This
act OF insubordination could not be toll
Grated by the military executive, and
Mr.. Pratt was invited to resign his
office, which he did, not, however, until
he had given the president a piece of his
mind for his course toward those officers
who had incurred his displeasure by their
activity in bringing to light the enormous
frauds of the whisky ring. 4s1ss tst
When Mr.. Pratt resigned the Office of in
ternal revenue commissioner he returned TO
Logansport and resumed the practice o Z his
profession. He was engaged actively in this
work until he died. Indiana honored him
with her confidence. and he repaid her for
that confidence by discharging with fidelity
the trusts she committed to his care.
= n n LII a. :