The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-03-05
GOV. GREENHALGE IS DEAD
HE WAS THREE TIMES ELECTED
GOPERNOR OF FMASSACH US ETTS.


While Member of the Fifty first Congress
He Took a High Rank as Debater and
Won Praise by His Conduct of Contested
Election Cases-His Feariessness In Ac-
iion Surprised Even Members of His
Party.
Lowell March 5.-Governor Green
halge died at 1890 this morning. Ex-
pressions of sorrow and esteem have
been heard on every hand, and nature
seems to wish to pay it's tribute of
mourning. Leaden skies devoid of sun
shine and pouring down a drenchinS
rain at intervals have prevailed since
the governors first serious attack on
Saturday, followed to-day by a light
fall of snow.
While the governors death was not
unexpected, it's announcement was in
the nature of a shock to near friends
and neighbors. Men who have been his
lifelong friends and neighbors pay low
ing tribute to the memory of the dead
governor.
Frederic Thomas Greenhalge was
born in Cliteree. England July 10, 1912.
He came to this country with his faith
er, William Greenhalge. who went to
Lowell, Mass, in 1874 He passed
through the grammar and high schools
of that city and entered Harvard col
nhnrp in biS cnnh0Donra hn
became a member of the Institute of
1770."
He was appointed orator and Stevens
poet of the institute at the close of his
sophomore year, and was also one of
the editors of the old Harvard Maga-
zine
Mr.. Greenhalge did not complete his
college course; he, however, received his
degree in 1870. In March, 1868, he be-
gan the study Of law. Later he tried
to enter the army, but his delicate
health was bar to his enlistment in
the regular service. He served in the
commissary department and in 1864 had
charge of a company of colored men in
defence of the commissary stores at
Newberne. Despite his earnest desire
he was neither an enlisted man nor
commissioned officer, though he would
have undoubtedly received a commits
sion if he had not contracted malaria
and been ordered home. After recov-
ering from his illness he resumed his
law studies and was admitted to the
Middlesex bar in 1865. In 1868 he was
elected to the common council of Low
ell, and reelected in 1859. In II he
was elected to the school committee,
serving till 1873 In IA he was appoint
ed special justice of the Lowell police
court. In 1880 and 81 he was elected
mayor of Lowell by large majorities. In
'S4 he was sent as a delegate to the re-
publican national convention, and in S5
he was elected to the legislature in
democratic district.
In 1888 he was made city solicitor of
Lowell and in the same year was cho
sen as a member of the Fifty first con-
gress.
In congress Mr.. Greenhalge at once
took high rank as debater, and won
high praise from his party associates
by his conduct of contested election
cases.
He was elected governor of Massa-
chusetts to succeed Governor Russell
in 1898, and was reelected in '94 and
'95.
The history of Governor Greenhalge's
administration contains some elements
Of exceptional interest, and which serv-
ed to give it a distinctly courageous
and disinterested character but per-
haps the most portentous thing in it,
in view of what has now happened, is
the fact that the governors engage
ments averaged 300 a year; they reach
ed so high figure as $50 the first year
that he was in office.
These engagements We're of divers de-
scriptions, and they represented but
small fraction of the invitations which
it was his penalty as chief magistrate
to receive from all sorts of persons to
visit all sorts of places.
In addition to his public extra official
appearances within the Commonwealth,
Governor Greenhalge represented the
state at Chattanooga in September, and
at Atlanta in November, 1896; he gave
an address on John Winthrop before
the New England society at Brooklyn,
n. Y, in 1894, having previously deliv-
cred a special address before the Lin
coin club at Delmonico's in New York
In search of rest, once to Maine and
once to Washington and Fortress Mon
roe.
He was about to make another trip
to the south, to Kittrell, n. c., when his
illness suddenly assumed a serious
character.
From the moment that the governor
entered upon his duties at the state
house he displayed a fearlessness in
action which surprised the members of
his party even as much as it did his po-
liticaI opponents.
What he thought was right, he pro-
ceeded to do regardless of consequences
to his party or himself.
In 1894 he interposed his veto to the
enactment of the original bill to author
ize the Bell Telephone company to in
crease its capital stock
In his second year he exercised his
prerogative with still greater freedom,
and in no case did he show greater
courage and independence than in his
refusal to sign the veterans preference
bill, which, however, was passed.
Several other acts were passed over
the executive in 1895, and several yetoes
were sustained.
There is a pathetic significance in
the fact that the last official act of
Governor Greenhalge was his message
to the legislature on the oath of Feb