Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1899-01-18

of the physicians who had been attending
him through his illness, and the two
! nurses.
To within few hours before his death
the family firmly believed, as it has
| throughout his illness, that Mr. Dingley
would recover, and it was only when it
became apparent tina. he was dying that
| Its members gathered at his bedside.
Sketch of His Life.
Nelson Dingfey, Jr., Governor of Maine
| 1S74-5 and member Of Congress from the
Second congressional district of Maine
since 1881, was born in Durham, Andros-
coggin County, Me-, Feb. Is, 1882. En-
tering Waterville college (now Colby uni
versity) i'll 1851, he remained there year
and a half and then became student at
Dartmouth college, from which institution
he was graduated in 1855 with high rank
| as scholar, debater and writer.
| After leaving college Mr. Dingley
studied law in 1866 with Merrill & Fes-
| senden, in Auburn to which city his par
ents had removed while he was In col
| lege, and i'll the latter year he was admit
TED to the bar. Instead of entering upon
the practice Of law he decided to become
a journalist, for which profession he al
ways manifested decided taste In Sep
| tember, 1856, he purchased the Lewiston
Journal, of which he had been practically
the editor while studying law and to
which in 1861 he added a daily edition.
| The paper rapidly increased in circulation
and influence under his management.
| In 1861, at the age of 20, he was elect
ed Representative from Auburn to the
State Legislature, in which body he at
| once took high rank; was reelected in
1862 and chosen Speaker of the House at
| the session of 1868. In 1868 he removed
to Lewiston, where few months after
he was elected to the Legislature, and
| with the opening of the legislative session
of 1864 was unanimously reelected
| Speaker.
| In 1873 sir. Dingley was nomil.G ted as
the Republican candidate for Governor Of
| Maine by vote of two to one against two
popular opponents and was elected by
about 10000 majority. In 1874 he was
reelected by over 1000 majority, declin-
| ing third nomination in 1875. He was
| one of the deleg9tes-at-large from Maine
| to the Republican national convention in
1876 and served on the committee on reso-
lutions and was one of the sub-commit-
W
He actively participated in the presi-
| dental campaign of 1876 and in the State
| conventions of 1S77-S-9. In 1S79-SO he
was chairman of the Republican execu-
| tive committee. In 1881 Mr.. Dngley was
nominated by the Republicans of the Sec
ond congressional district of Maine to
fill the vacancy in Congress caused by
the resignation of William 7. Frye. He
uoe oil Nv nil Of
nearly twice as large as ever before given
to any candidate in that district. During
his early terms in the House Mr.. Dingley
| was active in work for the revival of
American shipping.
In June, 1886, Mr.. Dingley was re-elect-
ed to the Fiftieth Congress and again
elected to the Fifty-first Congress in 1888,
to the Fifty-second in 1890, the FIT >
third in 1893, the Fifty-fourth in 1871
and the Fifty-ffth in 1896 by large and
increased majorities. In the Fifty-sec-
ond and Fifty-third Congresses he was
an active member of the Committee on
Appropriations.
In forming his cabinet prior to entering
| on the duties of chief executive March 1,
1897, President Mckinley rendered the
position of Secretary of the Treasury to
Mr.. Dingley, but he declined the offer,
prcferring to remain in his position as
chairman Of the Ways and Means Com
mittee and floor leader of the Republican
majority of the House.
Under his lead the House within sixteen
days after the Fifty-ffth Congress was
convened in extraordinary session on the
18th of March, 1897, by President Nc
Kiuley, passed bill revising the tariff.
Mr.. Dingley was a Congregationalist in
religion. He was married June IL, 1857,
to Miss Salome McKenney of Auburn,
Me. They have had six chiidren-Henry
NJ, Charles l.. (deceasedl, Edward N,
Arthur H., Albert G.. and Edith Dingiey.