The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-07-19
SENATOR
An Artistic Picture for the White
House Gallery.

An Artistic Picture for the White
House Gallery.
H. W. Grady. in Philadelphia I'M
Judge Thurman is a Virginian of
Virginians. He was born in Lunch.
burg in 1873, In the sixth generation
of VirgiDia.bOrn ancestors. For over
two hundred years the Thurmans
had held stout places in he Old Do
miniOn, discussing for more than a
century with the sturdiness of well
TODD farmers the rights of the young
colony, and urging the causes Ol
complaint that led to the revolution.
Judge Thurman's grandfather fought
in the revolution, and his mother
came of q distinguished revolutionary
stock. Judge Thurman, however.
as one of the characteristics of the
irginian. He left the state of his
irth when he was only six years OF
age, and growing up in the West,
has become a perfect type of the
straightforward, strong hearted
clear headed Westerner. unlike
Pendleton, who has retained much
of the polish and daintiness of the
East, Judge Thurman is plain in
dress and manner almost to the point
of c~arelessness. A fine contrast is
often afforded in the senate when he
and Ro,coe Conkling take huff from
tie same snffbox-twO civilizations
meeting, as it were, in a common
sneeze. Barring the red bandanna
handkerchief, which has become a
part of American history. there is
nothing about Judge Thurman to
break the monotony of the darkish,
loosely-fittiDg suit in which he is all
ways attifed. Met on the avenue he
would be taken for the shOp-keeper
or 'Sqire of a small Western town, or
q farmer OF q rural district of Ohio.
1t must not be imagined, however,
that Judge Thurman lacks culture.
On the contrary, he is one of the most
thorough scholars in public life in
this country. Always a student, he
became early in LIFE a great lawyer,
and since then has devoted much
time to lighter study. He is a fine
French scholar, and his favOrite
books are the works of the earlier |
French dramatists, which he reads
in the original. He has an unusually
large and w~ell-selected library, both
in Washington and in Ohio, and
there are few books in the range of
polite literature that he is not ia
familiar with. He has a literal genius
for mathematics, and frequently oc.
cupies himielf IN working out the
most abstruse and intricate problems.
He says that he is prOuder of his
knowledge of mathematics than he
is of anything else. He bad no col
legiate training and has no diploma
save the certificate of a grammar
school.
BUSY LIFE.
Judge Humans life has been
busy and devoted one. While his
tastes have never led him to public
life, he has nevertheless been forced
into position almost constantly. He
studied law with Ex-Governor Allen
and Judge Swayne, and appears to
have bad no ambition except to be a
good lawyer with a fair practice. He
was nominated, however, over his
protest for the Twenty-ninth Con-
gress, and was elected after a quiet
CANVASS, in which there was nothing
on his side but his wise and hOmely
speechts, reversing an adverse ma
jOrity by over 900 votes. He Was put
on the judiciary committee Of the
House, and soon became distin-
guished as a great lawyer. He de.
ciined reelection at the close of his
term aud retired, as he thought, to
private life for good and all.
But in 1851, wien the new consti-
tuition Of Ohio was adopted, he was
pressed into the race tor a Supreme
c0urtjudgeship and was elected, lead
sat upon the bench for four years, the
last two years serving as cblefjustice.
In 1867, after a season of rest, he was
put forward as the Democratic candi.
date for the gOvernOrship. There was
clearly no chance for a Democratic
victory, the Republican majority the
year before having been 43, 900 Under
Judge Thurman's sledge-hammer
blows, however, this enormous ma
jOrits was beaten down to a trifle less
than 3 600, and the Legislature was
CAPTURED by a decisive majority, in
surfing the defeat of Ben Wade.
Judge Thurman was elected in Mr..
Wade's stead and took his seat in the
Senate in 1869.
Then tegan the most remarkable
term of service ever rendered, per-
maps, in this country by any man to
any party.
A CANDIDATE FOE TWELVE YEARS. a..
Judge Thurman has been Tor I
twelve years a formidable candidate
for the presidential nomination OF his 1
party, and there is little doubt that ;
If he had ever employed the ordinary J;
electioneering expedients he would .
received the nomination before =
now. There is, however, nothing of .
the politician about him. His entire !
campaigning in the direction of the '
White House, rests IN the somewhat &
fussy but entirely sincere efforts of {
John G. Thompson. He makes no {
great or brilliant speeches for the oc- ]
caslOn, as do so many Of his rivals. 8
All that he does is great-be-speaking t
him q grave, decOrOus, wise states
man. No man is so careless of facti- I
tious reputation. He is unable to i;
Icy his hand on a single sketch of 9
his life and only knew Of one place =
in which his picture was printed. =
Of this he said ut amt my picture :
at all. I wouldn't pay the fellow =
$500 for 1t, and he just put in the :
ugliest thing he could find" His I
position in regard to the Presidency G
is the same that he has held all his v
the nomination should not q
be lndecorously sought for and could a
not in honor be declined. His +
by the Democratic 6
party would appeal to The better a
sense of the American people and t
election would restore the repub- f
lie to its ancient purity and glory. r
Judge Thurman is not a rich man, a
bis fortune ranging from $5O,OOO to !;
6 10000. He lives quietly in Wash -
ington, bis house being furnished :
without ostentation and with an eye Z
to comfort. His wife is q
most admirable woman, devoted TO
her home and husband, and heartily
n1a6 thuf thoro 10 u pnSSililitx 1f bic