New-York tribune., 1891-01-30
SKETCH OF HIS CAREER.
HIS SPLENDID WORK n CONGRESS AND As
SECRETARY OF TIE TREASURY.

HIS SPLENDID WORK IN CONGRESS AND A.
SECRETARY OF TIE TREASURY.
william Window born in Belmont County. Ohio
on May 10, l,27. Ill, parents were from NirsiIIi'
and belonged 10 that hardy entcrpr,ing race who first
carried the civilization Of the Atlantic Coast beyond
the Alcchancs. III, fathers people were fom No:tA
Carolina hi, mother whose maiden name wa Spencer.
came from good old Pennsylvania Quaker stock. Iii-
father was one Of the farmer pioneers of OhIo VINO
lullt Inf, cabin in the unbrokcn forest. William spent
hs early life I'm the I1lde toll incident TO pioneer farm
lie. II wa, not until he had almost reached his
majority that The future statesman became Inspired
with thoughts above his surroundings. lie hal been
apprcutic,d to the tao'', trade In Fredcricht)wn,
Ohio but soon abandoned it in disgust with his i'll
,uccrs, and turned hi, attention Ia ;hc study Of law
This was a Of anxiety aid grief TO his parents
IGezckiah and Mercy who belonged to the owl Crck
Meeting Of lchsite QuakerS. and looked upon Ba'k-
stone > prime source of worldly n,Iuity. The young
mans ambition ard force of character bore him rapids
onward however, and al the age of twentj-ti ne
admitted TO the bar lie established himself NJ
Mount Vernon ohio, and two year, later in 1892, he
elected Prosecuting Attorney for Knox County as
Whig by a majority Of 300. although the usual Demo
cratic majortty I'm the county was over lOOO lie was
candidate for Attorney General OF ONO at the ilst
Republican convention held in the State. at which
salmon p Chase nominated for Governor, but
failed to receive The nomination.
IN INDO MI NINuoHl E'lHVNti W "'Hoho' 'i'''''''
which he afcrwart made his home. About this time
he married a Massachusetts, lady. who blessed him
with three chldrcna son, who Is about thirty years
DID, and two daughters, twenty three and twenty
wears old respectively. Mr. Window coon acquired
great popularity among his neighborS. and IN lo1O
lie wa, elected to the XXXNIth Congress a. Kepub-
ncan. lie was reelected TO the XXXVlth. XXXNllth.
XXXIXth and XLth Congresses, in which he became
conspcrou, by his services various committees, In
cluding those on Public Lands. Public Expenditures.
Indian Affairs and several others. He was also an able
member r!lc floor of the House. lie was member
Of the special Peace Committee Of thirty which was
formed after the election OF Lincoln. At the end of
his NTH term he declined further service in the House
although lie strongly urged to accept rciomlna-
ton. But he was not permitted TO retro from public
life Almost Immediately July, ls7Ol he was ap
pointed by the Governor OF Minnesota 10 I'LL the uncX
plrc,i term Of senator Daniel :. Norton, deceased
soon after lie elected for the term ending In 1877.
when lie was elected for another term by the unani
nous vote Of the Republican members Of the Lesi>ltufc
In March, 1851, hc resigned his seat in the senate to
become secretary Of the Treasury in General Gar
field, Cabinet. The vacancy filled during the
called session Of that year by Alonzo j. EdGeron under
Executive appointment In october of the same year.
after Mr.. Windows withdrawal from the Treasury. on
the death OF President Garfield, lie was elected by the
Minnesota Legislature to ill the vacancy caused bv his
resignation early IN the year and he served uhUI tie
close of the term In 1883.
From carly life MIR. Window vas close ahhereht
70 the doctrines Of Henry Clay. and devoted himself to
a treatment from that standpoint of all questions reiat
irc To the material interests of the public. lie was
actively identified with the Homestead law OF l-01
He WAS always in favor OF protective tarln ana de
voted especial attention II the problems OF interstate
commerce. cheap transportation and the advancement
Of agricultural Interests. lie also strongly favored cN
tending liberal encouragement to manufacturing ana
commercial Interests. lie always voted f9r pro
tectivc tarf and a sound financial poiry. lie always
held that commercial dcpreosons IN this country were
chiefly due 70 lack Of means 70: distributing lis aE
cultural products. and for TIL, reason he favored e
announcement of ocean commerce by direct mail SUP
,idics Mr. Window wa, not brilliant or SNOWY
man In Congress lie made no parade. but lie was re
marabe for his hard sense. range OF ideas ana won
derf,il mental endurance
In 1873 Mr. Window was chairman OF speciai sell
ate Committee on Transportation. OF which senators
sherman Conkling, Mitchell and Others wcro members
The report Of this committee. written by Mr. "hdoh
and covering several hundred pages, regarded as
standard work on the subject of ansportation one
resuIt of this report was the deepening of the month
Of the Mississippi River the most important improve
ment i'm the Interests OF the West aud South ever a'
comnIished by legislation. A bill had passed the
House for the building Of canal, but at NT' "iuo
suggestion II tabled by the Senate ana 'oht'ec
was oppolnted 10 inquire into the Jcty system Inc
committee made favorable report. which was auopuo
and a contract was made with Captain Eads. Inc |
vorl, was completed at about half the estnaed cost
NJ the proposed canal. While chairman OF the Com-
mittee on ansportaon, Mr.. Window was so com |
nletelv devoted 10 his work that he declined tho |
workmanship Of several standing committees lncud
,r those OIL Public Lands and Patents. When senator
81 Morrill, entered the Cabinet in 1876 as Secretary
of the Treasury, Mr.. Window consented TO take MS
place as chairman OF the Committee on APProp'i"
ons-the most important and aborlons In the senate
This was at u time OF unprecedented dlhcn''es an"
perpe1ities but Mr.. Window was nnreinitths IN ms
iabor, There was deadlock between the Two
nors.s on the subject appropriations. and Mr. WIN
dom had charge Of the five OF SIX conference coi''
mittess In which place he performed VIVA, were per
hans the most herculean labors OF his ire onc VI
Mr. WINDOWS projects while In the senate was the
.s,ahushm.nt Of a Bureau Of Commerce. under the
Of the Secretary of the Treasury lhs
hnrean IL was proposed should furnish accurate st
ttics Iool, arer aud study the various industries oI
the eonntry and suggest such legislation a. might be
rcort,o for the business interests. lie thought 10
extensive country shonld be able to vie with Euro.
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