The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-28
JAMES ROOD DOOLITTLE
ONCE PROMINENT AS a MEMBER OF
UNITED STATES SENATE, DEAD.
Represented Wisconsin During the
Civil War and Was One of President
LincOln's Strongest Supporters.

PROVIDENCE, r; L. July 27:-lEx-sena-
O'Clock this morning q, the home of mis-
Brights disease. The funeral arrange
mentS have not yet been announced, other
than that the body will be taken to RAJ
cine, WIS, the late home of Judge Doc
little.
During period of forty-five years James
Rood Doolittle occupied a prominent place
among the legal fraternity in Wiscon-
sin. He was born in Hampton, Washington
county, New York, jan g. 1915, and attend
ed Middlebury Academy in New York
where he took preparatory course and
entered Geneva College in 1880, graduating
in 1884. He studied law in Rochester and
was admitted to the bar in 1897. He began
his practice in Wyoming county, New York,
and became very active in politics as a
Democrat-Republican of the Andrew jack
son school, but was elected district at
torney in a Wing county. Mr.. Doolittle be-
came a resident of the State of Wisconsin
in 1851, and he Immediately assumed a po-
sition in the new State az the head of the
bar and prominent in politics. He had been
affiliated in New York with the barn burn
er" and "free-sol'' faction of the Demo-
cratic party in that State. He carried with
him to Wisconsin these affiliations, and
there was prominent in that portion of the
Democratic party which vigorously opposed
the extension OF slavery into new States
and Territories. He was elected judge of
the First judicial circuit and served on the
bench for several years.
In 1856 while he was resident at Racine
the Democratic congressional district con-
Vention assembled at that place and ten
dered him the nomination for Congress. He
declined to accept the nomination unless
resolution should be adopted declaring that
the convention was opposed to the Kansas
Nebraska bill and to any measure which
should Of 81
into free Territories of the United States
The convention nominated another candi-
date, who was defeated at the polls. Soon
after that time the question of the consti-
tutionality of the fugitiVe-slave act OF 1851
became burning question in Wisconsin
through the rescue of the fugitive slave
named Glover from the custody of the
United States marshal at Milwaukee. This
was the Booth case. People in Wisconsin
became arrayed on this issue. and Judge
Doolittle assumed the side that the fugitive
slave act was unconstitutional, and he was
sustained by the opinion of the Supreme
Court Of Wisconsin to that effect. This
brought him into sympathy with the Re
publicans Of Wisconsin, and he was elected
senator by that party in 1856 and again 1858
He supported the war measures of Presi-
dent Lincoln, and was regarded as prom
inent pillar of the loyal sentiment in
Gus measures for the prosecution of the
war. In his last term as senator, Judge
Doolittle forfeited his standing as a Re
publican by contesting the Impeachment of
President Johnson. other Republican sena-
tors who took like position being William
Pitt Fessenden, of Maine, and Lyman
Trumbull of Illinois. After retiring from
the Senate Judge Doolittle made the race
for Governor of Wisconsin on the Demo-
cratic ticket but was defeated Subsequent
ly he engaged in the practice of law in
Chicago. Judge Doolittle's death occurred
on the siXtieth anniversary of his mar
riage. Mr. Doclittle was president of the
Philadelphia National Union convention of
1866 and also of the Baltimore National
Democratic convention of 1872, which nom
mated Horace Greeley for the presidency.