The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-07-05

| Die career IN the senate Oh TN
United States-LeVI p. MOrtOn's Ser
vices as a FInancIer and Public
Official.
Sketches of the lives of Gen. Benjamin
Harrison Of Indiana and Hon. Levi p
Morton of New York, the Republican
candidates for the Presidency and Vice
Presidency are given below.
Worthy OF His Ancestry.
HARRISON, THE DESCENDANT OF A REGI-
eide AND OF THE HERO OF TIPPECANoE
No candidate whom great political
party has eyer presented TO the people
of the United States has had a more dis.
tinguished ancestry than General Benja
min Harrison distinguished, too, in the
best sense of the word, for high worth,
solid achievements and the most exalted
patriotism. The first Harrison known
to fame was Major General Thomas Har
rison, one of the Roundhead chIeftains,
and trusted lieutenant of the great
Protector of England. He was mem
Der of theBoard of Commissioners which
tried King Charles l. for treason to Par.
lament, and for singing the death war
rant of that unhappy monarch and con
veying him from Windsor to Whitehall
he, too, was executed when the Royalists
again obtained the upper hand--one of
the earliest martyrs to the Stuart ven
geance. Samuel Pepys, the entertaining
and veraclous chronicler of his stirring
times, under date of the 18th of October,
1860, writes in his famous diary
II went out to Charing Cross TO see
Major General Harrison hanged, drawn
and quartered; which was done there, he
looking as cheerful as any man could do
in that condition. He was presently cut
down and his head and heart shown to
the people, at which there were great
shouts of joy. 1t is said that he said
that he was sure to come shortly at the
right hand of Christ to judge them that
now had judged him, and that his wife
do expect his coming again. Thus it
was my chance to see the King beheaded
at White Hall and to see the first blood
shed in revenge for the King at Charing
Cross"
IL can readily be understood that Eng.
land under Stuart rule was not COM
Portable place for relatives of regicide.
Thomas Harrison's descendants emigra-
ted 10 Virginia in the early colonial days
and when the Revolution came the fam
lily was as ready as it had been In the
great preceding crisis IN lts English
home with noble representative and
champion of liberty. Benjamin Harri-
son, first member of the House of Bur
gesses and afTerward delegate to the
Continental Congress from Virginia,
signed the Declaration Of Independence,
and was subsequently twice Represen
tative and thrice Governor of his ma
tive State. His son, William Henry
Harrison, one of the early settlers OF
Ohio, the hero of Tippecanoe, was Rep
rescntative to Congress, Senator and
Foreign Minister, and died President of
the United States month after his in
auguaIation. President Harrison's son,
John Scott Harrison, was member of
Congress for two terms, and Governor
of the Northwestern Territory. The
son of John Scott Harrison, the living
representative of this long and remark
able line of patriots, statesmen and SOL
diers, is the man whose name the Re
publican party now offers to the voters
of the nation.
GENERAL HARRIsoN's BoYHooD AND
YOUTH.
Benjamin Harrison was born August
Goth, 1888, in the home of his distin-
guished grandfather at North Bend Ohio,
where his father had retired to the life
of farmer after a credilable public ca
reer. Though distinguished, the Harri.
son family was by no means rich.
Young Benjamin's father and grand
father lived In modest style, and all that
the father of the youth could give his
son was such an education as the re-
sources of Ohio then afforded. His early
training was received in the ordinary
country district schools, and at 16 years
of age he entered Miami University at
Oxford, o., graduating two years later.
He then went to Cincinnati to pursue
the study OF law. He had been there
two years when an aunt, dying, left him
a lot of land in Cincinnati, which was
valued at about $500. Young Harrison
determined to sell this lot, marry the
young lady TO whom he had become en-.
gagged, daughter of Principal Scott of
the Female Seminary in Oxford, and
with his wife and his $500 push out into
the West and begin the practice of law.
HIS EARLY CAREER AS A LAWYER.
Harrison settled IN Indianapolis, hung
out modest shingle there, and began
waiting for clients. For year it was
rather discouraging, !, but the price Of that
Cincinnati lot enabled the young couple
to live in comparative comfort in three
rooms in a little old house, which is still
standing, on Vermont street, near Ala
bama street, in indianapolis. Not long
after the opening of second year Har
rsOn was invited by an older practition-
er to assist him in arguing an important
case. and 80 well did he succeed that
when he had concluded his address Gov.
Wallace, the opposing counsel, one of
the foremost members of the Indiana
Bar, warmly and publicly commended
him. The Governor had son who was
lust about establishing himself in the
law in indianapolis, and he brought
about business partnership between
the two young men. Their united eff
torts did not produce very lucrative re-
suits, and in 1860 they entered politics,
Wallace as a candidate for clerk of the
Circuit Court, and Harrison for the re-
portership of the Supreme Court, a posi-
which commanded salary of $780,
bonanza for a young and struggling law
yer. Harrison, then only ~ years oI
age, and boyish in appearance, made &
vigorous canvass of the State. At on'
of the towns which he visited he fell il
with Hendricks, and a joint discussion
was trranged betw cen them, The Dem
Ocratic war horse expected to demolisl
his youthful oppoaent with the utmos
ease, but even Democrats admitted afte
the contest was over that he had Eiet- hi
match. while Republicans maintained
that he was badly worsted.
Hendricks himself was taught lessor
by this encounter which he never foTgo
ard Harrison straightway became &C
knowledged one of the faYorite and mos
effective campaign orators in Indiana.
HOW HARRISON ENTERED THE ARMY.
Harrison was elected to the offic
which he sought, and applied himself +
it's duties with characteristic zeal. Ii
. had begun keeping house in home o
his own for the first time, and was work
ing hard to save enough to pay for
when the war came on. IL seemed i'm
possible for HIM to leave at once, but i
the summer Of 1862 when Preslden
Lincoln issued his call for half a millio
men, young Harrison was invited b
Governor Morton to raise regiment