The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-03-29
Death Of the Postmaster General


Hon. Timothy o, Howe. Post Master
General, died at Kenosho, Wis, on the 25th.
of pneumonia. He left Washington about
ten days previous to his death, for Green
Bay, to attend to some private business
When he departed from the capital he was
in unusually good health but at Green
Bay he was attacked by cold, which grew
worse and finally developed into fatal
type of pneumonia Gen. Howe was a
man of rounded character, intellectually
and morally. While not classed properly
with the great men of the nation, he was
a safe, conscientious statesman, broad in
his grasp and tenacious in his convictions,
and enjoyed the conf hence and esteem of
political friend and foe. He was a native
of Maine, where he was born in the little.
backwoods town of Livermore, February
ID, 1916. After receiving such scanty
schooling as the village was able to provide,
he studied law, and at the age of twenty
three was admitted to the bar. With a
natural prediction for politics, he took an
elected to the State Legislature as a Whfg
in 1916. DESTROYS of a broader field, how
ever, he quilted his native State the same
year andsettled in Green Bay. Wis. There
he rose rapidly, being elected Judge of
the Circuit Court in 1850, then of the SUI
preme Court, and finally Chief Justice of
the State.
Resigning from the bench in 1866, he
resumed his law practice, and in 1857 be-
came candidate for the Senate. He I'm.
doubtedly would have been elected had he
not refused to subscribe to a resolution of
the Republican caucus that each State was
the final Judge of the constitutionality OF
the laws of the Union. Mr.. Howes posi-
ton on this question was afterwards
adopted by the party, and in 1861, when he
was again candidate for the Senate, he
was easily elected. He was twice re-
elected, finally retiring from Office in 1879.
During his eighteen years service Mr..
Howe served as Chairman of the Commit
tee on Claims and on some other unimpor-
tant committees, but he can hardly be said
to have played an important part in legis.
lation.
MIR. Howe's failure to secure reelection
in 1879 was largely due to his bitter attacks
upon the Hayes administration, of which
he was vigorous enemy, which caused
much dissatisfaction in Wisconsin. He was
opposed by ex-senator Matt Carpenter and
BOSS Keyes, the former of whom secured
the position after long and bitter strug-
gle. Mr.. Howe was then out of office un-
til March, 1881, when he was appointed by
President Garfield one of the three Amer
can delegates to the monetary conference
at Paris il. the summer of that year. In
December, 1881, President Arthur appoint
ed him Postmaster General of the United
States, to succeed Postmaster General
James, who had resigned. In politics Mr..
Howe was decided stalwart. He was noted
for certain biting epigrammatic way Of say
ing things, and two or three years ago at
tracted considerable attention by appearing
as the author OF some stalwart articles in
the North American Review advocating
Gen. Grant for third term.
The following order was issued by act
ing Postmaster General Frank Hatton
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.,
OFFICE OF THE P. NJ. GENERAL,
WASHINGTON, d. c., Mar. 90, 1888.
ORDER No. 525.
1t is my painful duty TO announce to the of.
ficers and employees Of this Department the
death of Hon. Timothy o. Howe, Postmaster