Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-01-22
FROM PAGE TO SENATOR.
INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF MR.. ARTHUR
=. GoRxAN, NARvLASD's NEW sENA.
TuRIAL NOMINEE.

Ertm
Arthur p. German was nominated
hy the Democratic legislative caucus.
at Annapolis last evening to succeed
William Pinkney Whyte as United
States Senator from Maryland. In
going to the United States Senate Mr..
91iorman will have the triumph of re-
turning to that august body rs mem
her which he once served as a page, a
thing which never occurred before in
the history of the Senate. He was
horn in Howard county-which he
now represents in the State Senate
March II, 1889. He does not belong
to any one of the old Maryland fami-
lies, for it was not till the year 1900
that his grandfather, John German,
came from Ireland to America, settling
first in Pennsylvania, near Harrisburg,
but afterwards removing to Baltimore.
On his mothers side he is decended
from the family of Samuel Brown, of
English blood, who settled in this
country before the Revolution, and
took part in that war Mr.. Germans
father, Peter German, was a farmer
and large contractor on the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad when it was
building; was, moreover, an active
politician and had a large acquain-
lance with public men. The Senator
elect when a boy enjoyed only such
educational advantages as the public
schools of Howard County can sup
ply, and at the early age of thirteen
he was appointed page in the Senate
through the influence of Judge Ed
ward Hammond, then member of
the House of Representatives. The
youth was bright, active and obliging,
and attracted the notice of Stephen \.
Douglas, of Illinois, who eventually
made him his secretary and confden-
tal friend. Young German lived in
the great Senator's house and accom-
panied him on all his electioneering
tours, including the famous stumping
tour against Lincoln when they were
contesting the Illinois Senatorship.
Mr.. German was familiar with all
the political intrigues OF that day his
"reminiscences of the secret history of
the split between Douglas and Breck-
inridge would make an interesting
contribution to the history of national
politics. At the outbreak of the war
Mr.. German wavered little and it is
stated that he once went TO Jefferson
Davis and asked him his OPT ion of
what he ought to do. Follow your
State" said the secessionist leader, and
SO he did. When the firing on Fort
Sumpter took place he, like Douglass
followers generally, supported the for
chile suppression of the rebellion. He
remained in the service of the Senate,
advancing from one post to another,
until he held the position of Post
master. When President johnson
broke with the Republican party he
followed his lead aud made himself so
active in opposing the impeachment
that the majority of the Senate dis
missed him from his office. Reverdy
johnson, Thomas A. Hendricks aud
other Democratic members of the Sem
ate together with Montgomery Blair,
procured from President johnson
Germans appointment as Collector of
Internal Revenue of the Fifth District,
which comprises Southern Maryland.
1t was very difficult collection dis
trict, but Mr.. German addressed him
self to its duties with such energy and
ability that he cleared away its ar
rearages, and in less than six months
after he left the office his accounts
were closed up, which was the first
time such a thing had been done in
the history of that collection district.
He held the Office until April, 1869,
when he resigned il to his successor,
appointed by General Grant, and re-
turned to his farm in Howard county.
lie had previously been active in the
politics of his section, and in the fall
Of 1869 he was elected to the House
of Delegates. He was just thirty at
that time, and belonged to the Hamil-
ton wing of that party, which had been
defeated by Bowie in the struggle over
The Governorship two years before.
When the Legislature met in 1870
General Latrobe, our present Mayor,
was elected Speaker, and German
found himself shelved when the Com
mlttee on Appropriations was made.
Although Indifferent to display, and
never indulging in rhetorical effects,
he made himself a reputation as
quick-witted parliamentarian and
shrewd and energetic worker. He
was active in the party contests of
1871, when Mr. Whyte was a candi-
date for the Gubernatorial nomination,
supported by Mr.. Hamilton, who was
then in the United States Senate. Mr..
Gorman participated in the canvass as
a lieutenant of Hamilton's and his