St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-06-04


assume the duties of the office of gov
ernor of the state. By profession he is
a lawyer. He was appointed by Gov.
Morton in 1852 colonel of the Fourth
Indiana cavalry. He also raised
and organized the One Hundred and
Forty-Seventh Indiana infantry in 1864 !;
was the candidate of the anti-Julian
party in 1866 for congress-; was elected
state senator in 1868, and in July, 1870,
was appointed by President Grant con-
sui to st. Thomas, and confirmed by the
senate, but declined the appointment.
He was delegate-at-large to the Lib
eral Republican national convention of
1872 at Cincinnati, and was appointed
by the convention member for Indiana
of the national committee. His name
was placed before the Democratic state
convention of 1872 for congressman-at
large, but was withdrawn by his orders.
His name was again plao before the
Democratic state convention of 1874 for
attorney general, and again it was with
drawn by him.
The convention of 1876 nominated him
Tor lieutenant governor on the ticket
with James d. Williams for governor,
and upon the death of Gov. Williams he
served out the remainder of his official
term. The state convention of 1880 NOM
mated him again by reclamation for
lieutenant governor.
The Democratic legislative caucus of
1881 nominated him again for United
States senator. The party being in the
minority, the nomination was simply a
compliment. The state convention of
1884 nominated him for governor, he re-
ceiving on the first ballot two-thirds of
the votes OF the convention. His can
vaSS of the state was very brilliant and
able one, resulting in his election by
nearly 1000 majority more than re-
ceived by the electoral ticket.
On his Republican record, w. r. Hol-
loway, of indianapolis, writes this:
GOV. Gray was an active and Staunch
Republican up to Feb. %, 1872, at which
time he was candidate before the Re
publican state convention for the Office
of lieutenant governor. Gen. Thomas
NJ. Browne, now a prominent member
of congress, and Gov. Gray were both
residents of Randolph county, and the
former was nominated for governor,
which fact prevented the nomination of
Gray for lieutenant governor. In May,
1872, three months after his defeat in a
Republican convention, he attended and
became one of the managers of the
Greeley convention at Cincinnati. No
Well-lnformed man will pretend that
Gov. Gray was not as bitter a Re
publican as he has since been a
Democrat. He was Republican
member of the state senate dur
ing the pending of proceedings to
ratlfy the fourteenth amendment to the
constitution of the United States and
was its presiding officer. Just before
the vote was to be taken it became evil
dent that the Democratic members were
preparing to bolt, and thus leave the
senate without quorum. Gov. Gray
left the chair, went to the door of the
senate chamber, took the key from the
doorkeeper, locked the door and re-
turned to his seat as presiding officer of
the senate. When the Democrats pro-
tested he told them that he had the key
to the door in his pocket, and if any
member desired to retire before the vote
was taken he had better come and try
to get it. He then ordered the vote
taken, and while the Democrats pro-
tested and shouted themselves hOarSe
and refused to vote, Gov. Gray ordered
the secretary of the senate to record the
Democrats as present and not voting
and so the amendment passed"
Gov. Gray'S life has been an active
and labOrious one, not devoid of variety.
He received common-schoOl educa-
of StudiouS habits, he early entered
upon the study of law. His limited in
come, however, compelled him to relin-
quish his chosen profession and accept
clerkShiD in a mercantile house in
New Madison, where his strict integrity
and close application to business were
soon rewarded with partnership, and
in a few years he became the sole pro-
prietOr.
In 1855 he removed to Union CITY,
Ind, and after successfully conducting
the mercantile business for few years
he re-entered the practice of law, in
which he was also successful, his prac-
tice extending to the supreme and
United States courts.
AS a young man Gov. Gray was a
member of the Wing party, but acted
with the Republicans during the war.
He was appointed colonel of the Fourth
Indiana cavalry by Gov. Morton in 1862,
and in 1864 his failing health necessi-
tated his return home, when he re-
cruited and organized the One Hundred
and Twenty-seventh Indiana infantry.
In 1866 he was selected as the candi-
date for congress over George W. Julian,
who had long represented that district
in the house OF representatives, but was
defeated.
The Worlds Washington correspond
ent wrote of him recently: "Gov.
Gray is now about fifty years old. He
weighs about $50 pounds and he stands
we'll built broad-ShOuldered and digni-
fled. AS straight as an arrow, his big
head is covered with good thatch of
wayy dark-brown hair. Gray eyes full
of determination look out from under a
high, broad and full forehead, and his
large mouth and caSt-iron Jaw
show him to be man of
character. He is a man of strong
feelings. remarkable ability and an eX-
traordinary amount of will power. He
at once took leading place in the Dem
Ocratic party. He made splendid fight
for Tilden in 1876, and was elected as
lieutenant governor on the ticket with
Blue Jeans Williams. He ran for the
nomination for governor in 1880, but
after an exciting contest he was de-
feated by close vote by Franklin
Landers. who owned pork house filled
with hogs and money. He was renOm-
mated. however, for lieutenant COVER
and, though the ticket was defeated, he
ran ahead of it.
'.In 1881 the feud between Gov. GRAY
and Senator Joseph E. Mcdonald be-
gan. Mcdonald had been in the United
States senate, and the legislature was
Republican. The Democrats had, how
ever, complimentary vote for senator
to bestow, but instead of giving this to
Senator Mcdonald, as is the CUSTOM.
they gave it to Gov. Gray. l don't
know that Gray had anything to do with
this compliment to himself, but Joe
Mcdonald has never forgiven him,
and the feud between them exists to-day.
Mcdonald has, however, L am told,
to hold all the Democratic cards in his
hands. In 1884 Gray was unanimously
nominated for governor. He made
magnificent campaign for Cleveland
and Hendricks and the state was car
ried Had there NOT been Rennhlican