The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-03

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placed In charge of this ferry. and in two
years he rad saved enough money to try
entered The preparatory department Of
Hanover. but by the time he was ready for
college his savings were exhausted. 1t
seemed that he would have to return to the
ferry, but his uncle, Omen Tousey. came
TO his aid and promised 10 help him through
college. He entered Asbury University, at
Greencastle. and graduated at The age OF
nineteen.
CAME TO INDIANAPOLIS.
He came to indianapolis without money
or influential friends, but secured temper
airy clerical work in the office of the audi
tor Of state, While there he came in con-
tact with Governor Whitcomb and per-
formed some clerical work in his Office.
The strong character of Whitcomb i'm
pressed him very greatly. particularly as
the Governor took something of a fancy
to the young man and gave him much en-
enlargement and advice. After a few
months in Indianapolis he returned to his
home in Lawrenceburg and studied law in
the Office of Philip Spooner, the father of
ex-senator SDooner. of Wisconsin. After 81
year and a half of study he again came to
Indianapolis. to begin the practice of his
profession. Though he had neither money
nor business, he had faith in the future
and married Minerva V. Brown, an estima-
bic young woman he had met here during
his former stay. They settled in life very
modestly and he eked out a slender HVelt-
hood at first, supplementing his work at
law with writing digeSts of the opinions
OF the Supreme Court for the Indianapolis
Journal. He made friends rapidly and
handled such cases as came to him with
conscientious care and not a little ability.
Thus he steadily worked into a fair prac-
tice, and in 1851 was chosen city attorney,
an office he filed with credit for two years.
Just about the close of his term Horace
Carter, the reporter OF the Supreme Court,
died and SO creditable had beer the work of
Porter in writing the digests for the news
papers that the court without solicitation
unanimously recommended him to Gov
ernor Wright. who appointed him to fill
the office until the next election, which
occurred that autumn. The Democratic
party, 10 which he then belonged. nomi-
mated him to fill out the uneXpired term
of two years and he was elected. Return
ing to the practice of law. he formed a
partnership with Judge David Mcdonald.
At this time the anti-slavery agitation
had reached an acute stage and Mr.. Porter
found himself unable longer to act with
compromise. In 1856 the agitation resulted
in the birth of the Republican party and
Porter, with many other Democrats of
prominence. cut loose from the old partv
ties and Joined enthusiastically in the Free
mont campaign. Porter had earned the
at the bar. but on the stump and had ac-
CURED much political strength.
ELECTED TO CONGRESS.
In 1853 he was made the Republican nomi-
nee for Congress and elected by a majority
of over 1000 in a district that had gone
over 5000 Democratic two years before. In
Congress he acquired the respect of his col
leagues and was assigned to important
work on the judiciary committee. He was
renominated and reelected in 1860, but in
1862 the necessity of making some provision
for the future of his family compelled him
to decline a third nomination, and he re-
tired to the practice of law in 1863. He
formed a firm in which Harrison, Hines and
Tishback were memhorc at xro rio,s tipaas
and 1t was one of the few leading law firms
of the State during the next decade. lie
had from the first taken high rank as a
lawyer. He prepared his causes with la
barious care, and had a way of marshaling
evidence and argument that was extremely
convincing. He had a fund of humOr and
pathos, and was not sparing of either in his
arguments before jury cases.
He had d habit of occasionally volunteer
ing IN the cause of the poor or those whom
ne regarded as oppressed, services which
weather clients valued at considerable fig
ures. In one notable instance he came to
the defense of the miners at Brazil, and in
a still more notable case he defended the
striking railroad lsborers of this city in the
legal proceeding growing out of the great
When Senator Sherman became Secretary
or the treasury under President Hayes he
invited Porter to become first comptroller
OF the treasury. a position that involved
heavy judicial responsibilities. He had to
decide upon large claims against the gov
efnment, ana there was no appeal from his
decision. He accepted the office and ad-
ministered 1T three years with distinguished
credit. n
THE GUBERNATORIAL CAMPAIGN.
1t was while at Washington in the dis
charge of his official duties that he was re-
called to Indiana to accept the nomination
of his party for Governor in 1880. General
A. ID. Streight had been a candidate for
the nomination and was opposed by a very
strong element in the party. His opponents
felt that there was but one man in the
State strong enough to wrest the nomina-
ton from him, and Porter was importuned
to permit the use of his name. Streigat.
however, was his friend. and he declined to
consider the matter so long as there was a
possibility of Streight's nomination. The
contest IN the convention was strong end
Dlttef ana threatened a split in the party.
Porter was kept informed by wire of the
progress of events, and, finally becoming
persuaded that Streight could not be NOM
mated, he consented to accept the nominal
ton. The convention did not last long
after this word was received. It came to
his banner with a rush and a scene of wild
enthusiasm followed.
This was but the beginning of the most
remarkable campaign the State has ever
known. indiana was an October State and
a doubtful one, and politicians all over the
country believed that as Indiana went so
the Union would go. Porter's opponent was
FRANKLIN Landers, and the chief issues were
the solld SOUTH. which had not yet lost
prestlge as a political issue, and the tariff.
which was first brought into prominence
IN this campaign by the Democratic dec
Iaration for revenue tariff. Governor Por-
terS part, as the central figure in this
campaign, was one of heavy responsibility
and the amount of personal work he laid
out for himself and accomplished was
something amazing to people who think
politics is play.
5 soon as he returned to the State. after
his nomination, he addressed a personal
letter to each of the ninety-two county
chairman in the State asking that he send
him at once a careful digest of the situa-
ton IN his county by wards and townships
together with a list of all doubtful voters
Nearly all responded promptly and he stud
e led this information thoroughly. As fast as
his route for speech-making was made out
by the state committee he notified each
county chairman when he would arrive and
asked him TO arrange for the full county
committee to meet him at a certain honT-
lie also asked that all doubtful voters be
invited TO meet him, and many OF these who
We're influential among their neighbors re-
ceived personal letters from Porter asking
them 10 attend his meeting at their county
seat and TO call upon him after the speak
ing was over. When ne met with the coun-
~ COMMITTEES, usually Immediately after his
arrival at the county seat, he would 90
over the list of doubtful voters and learn
all the committeeman could tell him about
them ana about the situation. When these
voters called upon him after the speaking
they found that he knew all about each ono
nf hnTn and