Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-06-12
HENRY B. PAYNE OFOHIO
HIS Public and Private Character as
SEetched on an Intimate Friend-A
Democrat Who Is "No Man's Man -
IN. Y. Star. 9Th.


| CINoINNATI, June From time to time
have observed in the Washington CORE
spondence of the Star reference made to
Hon. Henry B. Payne. of this State. AS
the Star is Democratic journal, frank and
outspoken, trust to its sense of justice to
give space to the following, which may
serve to correct statements hitherto publish
ed with reference to that distinguished
gentleman which otherwise might be liable
to mislead your readers:
am in no position to know whether or
not Mr.. Tilden prefers or promotes the can
didacy of Mr.. Payne; on the contrary, in
my humble opinion, he favors no one but
himself but do know that no sagacious
or patriotic political leader could suggest a
more available and worthy nominee for the
great office of President.
| Of spotless personal character, Mr.. Payne
will certainly attract the esteem and conf
dence of all who examine the records of
either his private or public career; the closer
the scrutiny, the more definitely and posi-
lively will appear the grounds of his extra
| ordinary hold upon the confidence of the
community in which he dwells.
Educated to the profession of law mot
| spondent was enormously informed) Mr..
Payne was from 1888 to 1916 easily the
| leader of the bar of northern Ohio and 1t
may be doubted whether his equal in pro-
fessional practice or prominence was to be
| found in the whole State. In the year last
| named he contended successfully in behalf
| of private client in notable test case of
great public importance, in which the
| 50 cd hu
the combined legal forces of northern Ohio
and western Pennsylvania, sought to en-
force an oppressive construction of the
| Ohio laws relating to banking. This single
handed struggle and triumph of Mr.. Payne
| protected his client and the public against
oppressive exactions from the banking cor
porations but only at the expense of his own
health. 1t was the eliminating point in a
professional practice which, for some time,
| had been too laborious and exacting, and
was succeeded by prostrating illness which
obliged him to forsake the, field of his loren
sic triumphs and address himself to occu-
pations in which his active intellect could
express itself otherwise than by oratorical
speech.
Upon only one .ther subsequent OCCASION
did he appear at the bar. l was at the time
law student in Cleveland and attended the
trial and was witness of his triumph. In
cendiarism threatened practically the
destruction of the city. One building after
another had been burned, special citizen
police had been organized and the whole
community was in state of constant ter
ror. Slight circumstances had led to the
arrest of man who was we'll connected
and backed by influence and money. All of
the ablest counsel then at the bar had been
employed in his defense. At the call of the
State Henry B. Payne undertook to sift the
evidence and, if satisfied with the guilt OF
the accused, to resume professional labor
long laid down and conduct the prosecu-
ton. It was a memorable occasion when
the long trial came to an end. l have pre-
served a newspaper account of the trial and
you will pardon me for giving its closing
words as authority better than my recollec-
ton.
"We never saw so great jam as at the
court house on Saturday night to hear the
closing argument of Fl. B. Payne, ESQ.,, in
the arson case. The ladies occupied the
galleries exclusively and about one fourth of
the body of the court room. The speech
was logical, sound and eloquent throughout,
and Notwithstanding its length of three
and half hours and the standing crowd
present, no one was weary. The effort WAS
triumphant one, and fully answered all the
expectations of an admiring audience"
He secnred the conviction of the accused,
who thereupon confessed and exposed band
of desperadoes, whose apprehension restored
security to the community. Moving from
that locality soon after, I have rarely seen
Mr.. Payne from that day to this, but l I'M
dertake to say that, without pretending to
oratorioal display, he was the most persua-
sive talker ever heard at the bar.
Upon recovering his health his public
spirit led him first to an active participation
in the two enterprises then being under
taken by the citizens of his locality, viz:
The construction of railway to Columbus,
the capital of the State, and another along
the lake shore, both of which have ever
since remained largely contributary to the
prosperity of Cleveland. He was the main
spirit and first president of the former, now
| the Cleveland & Columbus railroad, and the
most important factor In the latter, now a
part of the Lake Shore railroad, in which
| from the beginning he has been director
But neither the engrossing character of
| his duties nor his success in private occupa-
| tions (which was such that it is not singular
your correspondent supposed he must have
been trained to mercantile pursults) diverted
| him from attention to public affairs. The
political history of his State and community
presents his name on every page as the fear
less, cultivated upright leader of the Democ-
racy in the midst of the overwhelming
adverse political majority of the Western re-
serve.
In his own city he was first called IN l848
by an adverse political majority to sit upon
| the financial board of the city at the time
when its finances had become greatly
deranged; later, to be a member of its
| water works board, and still later was
made, in 1862, and has since remained presl-
dent Of its board of sinking fund COM
missioners. In all these positions his
sound Judgment, executive and financial
ability were most conspicuously displayed.
| Under his judicous management sinking
| fund, which at that time consisted solely of
about 100000 of railway stocks owned by
| the city, has, by judicious handling, been
made to pay off about 100000 of the debt
of the city and reaches now, in addition,
about $2,O00,O00.
He was delegate to the national Demo-
cratic convention in 1856, 1860 and 1872.
At Charleston, in 1860, he presented the
minority report of the committee on reso-
lutions and by speech of lofty and pa
triotic eloquence compelled its substitution
for the majority report by vote of 233 to
TO- This result showed that Stephen A.
Douolas had not mistaken his man when he