The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-06-19
Ex.senator aIcponnlI,s Cnreer.

Joseph Ewing McDonRlQ WIS poFu III
Ohio, But rs his parents brought him
to Indiana when he was seven years
old, as he was educated in Indiana
schools and colleges, learned his trade
with Indiana saddlers, studied with In
diana lawyers, was admitted to the In
diana bar, practiced law in Indiana all
his life, represented the State at differ
ent times In both houses OF Congress,
held two offices OF the State beside these,
and was once candidate for Governor OF
Indiana in addition, there is about as
thorough warrant for calling him an
Indiana man" as nomenclature can
give. Hoosier training and toughening
had good stock to work upon in this
case. On the fathers side it was Scotch,
on the mothers French-H -Huguenot-the
one Americanized through Pennsyl-
vania settlement, the other through
New Jersey.
"Old Saddlebags" was born in Butler
county, o., August 80, 1919, and taken
to Montgomery county, Ind, in 1926
AT the age Of l2, after a brief period In
the village schools, he was apprenticed
ut the saddlers' trade in Lafayette.
While working ut his trade he studied
law, and when he finished his appren-
ticeship he was prepared to enter
Wabash College in the higher classes.
In 1912 he entered the law office OF
Zebulon Beard, at Lafayette. The next
year no was admitted to the bar. Before
he received his license to practice he
was nominated for County Prosecutor
and elected over his Wing competitor.
This was the first election by the peo-
pie OF Prosecuting Attorneys. Later, at
the first election when Attorney-G Gener-
ais of the State were elected by tho
people, he was the choice. AS Prose-
cutting Attorney he served two terms,
and two years after was elected to Con-
gress, serving one term. In 1855 he was
elected Acknowledgement OF the State
and reelected in 1858. Declining for
the third time he resumed his law
practice and the following year moved
to indianapolis.
He stood by his party through the
war, but he was not Gopperhead nor
a. Southern sympathizer. In 1864 he
was his party's candid 2ate for Governor
and canvassed the State in joint de-
bate with Morton. He was defeated,
but there was cast bigger vote than
had been cast the two years previous.
In 1875 he was elected to the United
States Senate. He failed to be his own
successor because of the Republican en-
thusiasm that swept Indiana in 1880.
NTcDonald's career in the Senate was
honorable alike to that body and to
himself, and creditable to his State.
The circumstances that attended his
election were particularly creditable,
The Greenback disease was raging,
After Mcdonald had been chosen by
the caucus delegation of Greenbach-
Inflation-Fiat Democrats waited on him
and threatened him with defeat unless
he swore allegiance to tiatism! He told
them he wouldn't change his hard
money views for "forty Senatorial posi-;
tions.h The Greenbackers changed
their views and voted for Mcdonald.
Mcdonald had opinions and tho cour-
age of them. He was in favor OF tariff
for revenue, the protective feature to
be incidental only. He voted for the
reconciliation OF silver as an mid to re-
sumption, and advocated a bimetalic
currency, but adhered to one standard
In his private life Mr.. Mcdonald was
at the head OF one OF the largest law
firms in indianapolis. Mcdonald was
engaged n q good many prominent
cases which have been tests as to the
Constitutionality OF thela%. Personally
he was genial, kindly, and winning. In
speech he was forceful without passion.
There was no deceit in his composition.
He was well known all over the country,
and familiars spoke OF him as "Joe" or
"Uncle Joseph" Hewas married three
times, two sons surviving OF the four
children OF the first marriage. The
great part OF McDonald's life was his
home life, for he was erninently home
man.