The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1881-03-23
SKETCHES OF THE NEW CABINET.
New York World

Pennsylyania, January 81, 1880. being tat
great-grandson of Ephraim Blaine. Wash
ington.s Commissary General. who did SC
much to save the army during the 'darl
winter at Valley Forge. He studied frs
at an Ohio school, then at Washington Pres
byterian College, from which he wa grad
uated about 1917, head of his class. Coins
West to X kentucky, he taught school at G Gorge
town, and was Professor at the Western Mil
itary Academy. There he married his wife
being Miss Harriet Stanwood. In 1853 he
turned eastward, and going to Augusta, Me-
became editor of the Kennebec Journal
and for brief interval of the Portland
Advertiser. he was elected to the State Leg
islature in 1857, and served five years, dur.
| ing two of which he was Speaker In 1866
he was sent to Congress, becoming Speaker
in 1863, on Mr.. COlfax's elevation to the Vice
Presidency. He held the Speakership unit
! the Democrats obtained control of the
House in 1915, and in 1877 was elected to the
Senate AT the Republican National Con
vention of 1876 Mr.. Blaine was the most
formidable candidate for the Presidential
nomination: he would have received il
but for the preliminary laundering OF
his friends in Pennsylvania and
the action of the opposition in the Conven-
ton in securing a postponement by tamper-
inc with the gas pipes and next day uniting
on Hayes. Again in 1880 he was one of the
leading aspirants, and by uniting his
strength with Sherman's succeeded in de
feating Grant and nominating Garfield.
During these campaigns the ex-Speaker suf-
fered not little from the Mulligan charges
concerning the Little Rock and Fort Smith
Railway transactions. He favored the bill
restricting Chinese immigration, vigorously
denounced the abandonment Of Packard's
government in 1873 and later, in the debate
over Mr. Jefferson Davis, made himself the
spokesman of the Stalwarts. On the silver
question, in February. 1873, he, to say the
least, 'temporized," and on the resumption
bill declared, May %, 1878, that he had no
at the date fixed, and that il was not COM
PEELED to do so by any existing law.
SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY WINDOW.
William Window, the new Secretary of
the Treasury, was born in Belmont County
Ohio, May 10, 1897, received an academic
education and studied law at Mount Yer
non, where he practiced until his removal
to Minnesota, in 1855, being elected Prose-
cutting Attorney for Knox County in 1852
He was elected from Minnesota to the Thir-
ty-siXth Congress- and served in the House
of Representatives five terms, being APP
pointed to the Senate in July, 1870, to fill
the unexpired term of Daniel 5. Norton, de-
ceased. He was elected to the Senate in
1871 and reelected in 1877. Mr.. Window
is a man of moderate ability and very pro-
nounced Republicanism. He attracted
some attention year ago by the active in
terest which he took in the negro exodus,
and in March, 1880, introduced bill for
National Savings Banks, the principle of
which the World alluded to at the time as
worthy of serious consideration. He last
came prominently before the public at the
Autobiography League meeting, on the 2lst
ult., 10 which he contributed a vehement
letter on the railroad question.
POSTMASTER GENERAL JAMES.
Thomas /. James, of New York, the new
Postmaster General was born at Utica in
this State, in 1881, educated at the Utica
Academy, and at the age of fifteen was APP
prenticed to Mr.. Wesley Bailey, editor of
the Liberty Press. In 1851 he purchased the
Madison County Journal, which he edited
for ten years, first in partnership with Mr..
F. b. Fisher, afterward as its sole proprietor.
Originally Wing, he joined the Republican
party at its first organization, and took
leading part in local politics He was for
short term Collector of Canal Tolls at Ham
ilton. but in 1861 came to New York, becom-
ing Inspector OF Customs under Collector
Hiram Barney in 1861, and in 1864 Weigher.
In 1869 Mr.. James was appointed Deputy
Collector in charge of the Third Division,
embracing the Ware House Department.
Upon the Inauguration of Civil Service Re-
form he held the position of President
of the Board of Examiners for
the Custom House. After serving
three years as Deputy, vacancies occurring
in offices of Survey or of the Port, by the
resignation of Mr.. Cornell, and of Postmaster
of New York, by the resignation of General
p. H. Jones, the friends of Mr.. James urged
upon the President his appointment to the
former position, but General Grant, appreci-
ating the importance of the office of Post
master and made acquainted with the in
tegrity and ability which characterized Mr..
James's public career, appointed him to the
latter position. The regulations OF the De-
partment required the execution of bond
to the Government in the sum of $780, OeO,
with sureties to justify in double that
amount Although Mr.. James was not
possessed of pecuniary means, he found
no difficulty in procuring bondsmen
in the persons of Thurlow Weed,
A b. Cornell, Thomas Murphy. Z. ID.
ing, Abram Wakeman and others, who
gladly volunteered to assume the response
bility. The success which has attended
Mr. James administration of the affairs of
the New York Postoffice is known 10 every
reader of the metropolitan press. In May
last, on the resignation of Postmaster-Gen-
eral Key, he was offered the Postmaster
Generalship. an Office which, however, he
declined in consequence of the pressure
placed upon him by the mercantile COM
munity.
SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR KIRKwooD.
Samuel ]. Kirkwood, the new Secretary
of the Interior, was born in Hartford COun-
ty, Maryland, December 20, 1873 received
an academic education in Washington
City. and from his fourteenth year was en-
ployed as druggists clerk till, in 1885, he
removed to Richland County, Ohio, where
he studied law, being admitted to the Bar
in 1S43 He was for four years Prosecuting
Attorney of the County, and in 1880 served
in the Constitutional Convention, being
member of the Judiciary Committee.
Removing to Iowa in 1855, Mr.. Kirkwood
engaged in business at Iowa City as a
farmer and miller. In 1856 he was elected
to the State Senate, and in 1859 chosen Gov
ernor, defeating A. c. Dodge, Democrat, by
small majority, being twice reelected. In
! 1866 he was elected to the United States
Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the APP
pointment of Senator James Harlan to the
Department of the Interior, serving single
term. In 1875 he was again elected TO the
Governorship, and on the 4th of March,
1877. began his term in the United States
Senate, where he succeeded Senator George
G.. Wright He is a man of fair but by nc
means brilliant ability. In Iowa he has
been repeatedly assailed for. taking some
81, 600 back-pay when first elected to the Sen
ate In June last Senator Kirkwood dis
tinguished himself by lacking an amend