The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1890-09-04
OUR REPREsENTATIvEs
In oongreaa--.ie47 20 ieba---samuel
Lahm and David X Cartier
sEyINru PAPER,

LAhtn anu bhNlA ~ N''FfN''
SEVENTH PArEh
Samuel Lahm was born In LeIteraburg,
Washington county, Maryland, April y,
1871, After receiving all the educational
advantages the aehoola OF his native town
afforded, hp was sent TO Washington Col
leps. Pa, where he graduated, Henry A.
Wise and James G, Blaine, aa well ~
many other distinguished men, are grad
yates Of this institutions
Jefferson College, located at Cannons'
burqh, seven miles from Washington, was
the first incorporated institution OF learn
ing west Of the mountains A washing
ton and Jefferson both originated la the
same church, q movement was lnaugu'
rated al the close Of the civil war 70 con-
aolldate the two, and then commenced u
struggle which one should be sustained
Jefferson was tho older and had the pres
tlge Of success, Her alumni proud OF
hor reputation, and cherlahing hcr mem
ory as "A child would that Of q parent, la'
bored for the survival Of the ilttcsi but
Washlnglon had the material aid that
controls dynastlea, and the courts decided
the matter In favor Of Washington, and
ehrIstened the institution Washington
and jefferson College. The writer OF
thls was d Jefferson College student
and had frequent controversies with
Mfr. Lahm on the comparative merits
OF the rival Institutions, which ls The
apology for this irrelevant paragraph,
MIR. Lnhm mudod law In llagcrstown,
, The county seat ~ hia native county,
formulating the usual course Of study, lac
came 10 Canton In the year lsil, A the
law of Ohio required that ho be a rcai'
dent Of the State one year before lac could
be admitted to practice, hc entered the
law Office Of Almon SortwelL ana en-.
pioyed much Of that time In the study OF
iho statutes OF the state,
Attic time Mr., Lahm became citizen OF
Canton. IA debating society known as the
Lyceuu, was In active operation There
bcionurd 10 IL the most intellectual men
of tho town The society met once "A week
In a room OF the old Academy situated on
tho around now occupied by the High
School, The oxerciaoa consisted chiefly
OF debating, aud the quchiona solicited
for discussion, were those Ia when lho
public tooNNn intorehl -poilu rouRlouH
or acleptlnc, The proceedings we're con-
dueted according 10 strict parliamentary
ruloa, A censor was selected for Zach ovo'
ming who passed upon the performances
Of tho mcmbCra, their pronunciation, de-
ilvory. etc, always with conadcrntc tccl'
INC for lie pcrforinora. There has mover
been "A literary society IN Canton from
that day 10 the present. in winch ine town
felt ns much Interest, or from when the
citizens Of all glasses derived ~ mueh BEN
oft, Among the prominent momborA
mny bo mentioned Hiram Griawold, Geo,
M, Brlden, n 9. Stownll, Almon Sortwoll,
Josoph Whitney, j, d, Brown, &. O. Had
dock u. a, Schneider, VIM, CASTOR,
Thomas Goodman, R0v, Taylor Madison
Raynolda, Dwight Jarvis, /, NJ Whiting,
WIN, Ramsey, and Sornphim Meyer Judge
Goo. Rex, John McSwocney Louis
Schnefor, an Of whom are now dead with
the exception OF Goodman Ahd Meyer
Mr. Lnhm united with thin society soon
after he cnmo 20 Canton, and In due time
was naaIRncd disputnnt in a discussions.
The ouogtion wnai "Wcro the removal
OF povcrnment deposits from the U, y,
Hank matlnAhlc?n II was the exciting
poiillcal question OF the day. The writcr
ofthia,thon school boy hasa very distinct
remembrance oi the impression made
upon the audience by Mr. Lahm IN liis
maiden effort. His tone Of voice, easy do
livery, clear cut propositions and the hp'
forced, seemed 10 carry conviction TO nll
There was but one expression with the
crowd on leaving the room, aud that was,
TINT the new mombcr was decidedly In
advance OF any OF the older members.
polltica al that timo, ran high botwcon the
wings and democrats, and when Mr. Lahm
avowod himself an adhcrcnt OF the latter
party, thcro was great rejoicing among
the democrats,
der very favorable auspices, aud soon had
all the business ho could reasonably covot.
IL was not long before ho was guro 20 bo
Engaged on one sido or the other OF oyory
important case In court IL was about
this time, that the following Incident oc-
currod that received such n wide circula.
tlon In the papers, A witness was called
10 testify. ON presenting himself NJ the
bar, the clork propounded ~ usual quos'
ton. "How do you swear 2n--moaning
do you swear or alllrm-upon which the
witness promptly replied, ~ swear for
Snr Lahm.u He was twice elected Pros
cpuunR Attorney OF Stark county serving
from 1887 20 1917.
Militia training was at that time In
vogue, and as Mr.. Lnhm cyincod u taste
for military display, he was elected Briga-
dior General, from which, ho ever after
ward enjoyed the tito OF Gonornl
TIC WIS lWlNN NliiNNh w Wv NAAlN t1lhNNN
serving from iSl2 10 1874, While n
member OF the Senate, tho question OF
State bank reform was an engroaeing sub
iectof legislation, General Lahm'e course
on this question did not exactly meet the
approval OF some Of the leaders OF the
party az home, and when q candidate for
tho third term, he was defeated by the
treachery Of pretended political friends,
The Congressional district had n tecid.
ed Democratic majority, and ~ the Wings
had no hope OF success with candidate
OF their own, they were quite willing 10
form coalition with the friends OF Con.
Lahm and support him for Congress. He
was accordingly announced as an indie
pendent candidate ngainst Mr.. Stark
weather, the regularly nominated candl-
date. Though under some obligations 10
tho Whig party for his success, he In no
way compromised his political principles,
but In ovcry party measure Identified him.
aolf with tho Democracy. During his
career IN Congress he made speech that
was adopted by the National Democratic
committee as q campaign document, and
was said 60 have had great influence over
the country,
General Lahm was o candidate for
second torn IN Congress regularly nomi-
nnted by Democratic convention In 1866,
but Il was The year that know-nothinRism
nwopt the country and he was defeated.
In hle day, General Lahm WAS tho most
popular siump-oraior In tho diasrict He