The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-29
JOHN WESLEY DAVIS.
A Once Prominent Indianian Now
Scarcely Remembered.

A striking illustration OF the completeness
with which man once in the public eye
can drop into oblivion even before his gen
Grafton has fairly passed away, is the in
stance Of John Wesley Davis. once we'll
known politician in Indiana, now scarcely
memory. Breach his name among the
politicians Of to-day, and he is as little
known to them as is the obscurest citizen;
even among the older men, who have been
more or less familiar with his times not
one in hundred can tell you who John w.
Davis was. The somewhat bulky history OF
Sullivan county (where he lived and is bur-
ied) with the customary quantity of COM
mercial biographical matter, scarcely men
tons his name-certainly fails to acknowl-
edge the debt that locality owes him. And
vet for thirty years this man was prom
inent among those who shaped the history
of Indiana. He served in the Legislature
of this State six terms, and was three
times speaker of the House; was sent to
Congress four times, and was the first of
three Indianians who served as speaker of
the national House Cdichael C. Kerr and
Schuyler Colfax being the other two); was
commissioner to China, Governor of Oregon
and judge of the Probate Court besides
serving in other capacities. In the words
of Oliver H. Smith, few men in this or
any other State have held so many promi-
nent positions or discharged their duties
with greater ability"
Mr. William Wesley Woollen, of Indian
apolis is now the best authority on Davis,
his information being derived from manu-
script autobiography that is or was in his
hands According to this he was born in
Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in 1779 was
graduated as a medical student from the
University of Maryland, Baltimore in 1921,
and came to Carlisle, Sullivan county, In
diana, in 1923, arriving there with just three
cents in his pocket, a wife to support and
life in the wild West before him. For five
years he practiced as a country doctor, now
at Carlisle now at Terre Haute and finally
setting in the former place. which continued
to be his home through life and his resting
place in death. In 1923 he entered politics,
running for the State Senate against VIII
liam {. Linton, and narrowly missed cleo
ton. Undismayed by his defeat he went to
indianapolis when the Legislature opened to
Try for the office of the clerk of the House,
Dul was again unsuccessful The Hon.
oliver II. Smith tells an anecdote of him at
TINS time: AS the votes were being an
nounced for the clerkshp Smith noticed a
man standing by the wall, pencil in hand,
ready to keep tally there, and as the name
John w. Davis was called off he made
his mark. Out of one hundred votes there
We're only eleven votes for him. To quote
Mr.. Smith: Il saw his disappointment.
l stepped UP to- him with smiling
countenance-you are yet to be a great
man. What do you means? I mean that
you got eleven votes for clerk, precisely the
number l got at Corydon for the same Of
flee. Mr.. Davis laughed and we soon be-
came acquainted" The persevering Office
seeker next ran for sergeant-at-arms of the
Senate, was elected, and that was the be-
| ginning of his long series of official posi-
| tons. On the heels of 1t he was a. success
f ra,,u candidate qI for judge of the Probate
he turned toward the legislative halls once
more; this time arrived and the follow
ing session was reelected without opposi-
1928 that he first served in the
capacity OF speaker. Before the con-
Jackson appointed him, conformity with JON
athan Jennings and one NJ Crume, to ne
gotiate with the Indians in the north part
of the State for the transfer of their lands
| q success in this office, if an anecdote re-
ported is authentic. According to this story,
Davis somehow offended Aubbeenaubbee, a
leading Pottawatomie chief, and the indig
nant red man thus addressed Jennings:
Does our Great Father intend to insult
US Dy sending such men to treat with us?
You good man. He" meaning Crume
Clipped beef for the squaws at Wabash"
(Crume was beef contractor at a previous
man and damn fool" The chief and his
followers then left the council house and
could only be induced to return through
the great influence of Mr.. Jennings.
Davis's first attempt to reach Congress, in
1893, resulted in his defeat by two votes but
nothing daunted, he ran again two years
later, against the same opponent-John Ew-
ing-and beat him by nearly a thousand
votes. One of the great elements of his sue
cess was undoubtedly the logged persist
ence with which he followed up his ambi-
tons. In lS4l he was pitted against Richard
w. Thompson for election to called ses-
sion or Congress, and was again beaten
Whereupon he turned around tried for the
State LegiSla ture once more and went in
being again chosen speaker of the House
q xxyqC ROT "a RI he
and the year after that re-entered the con-
gressional race, this time against George c.
Dunn, winning the goal. Two years later
he was returned to Congress over Eli p
Farmer, and during this, the twenty-ninth
session, he was the speaker. Among other
functions during this congressional service
he was chairman of the committee on public
lands.
In 1877 President Polk appointed him COM
missioner to China which office he filled
about two years. Returning he was again
elected to the Legislature and again made
speaker. During this session an incident oc-
cured which throws a side light on Mr..
Davis's character. This was the resigna-
ton of the speaker because of a disagree
ment between him and the House The
question was as to the speakers preroga-
tive TO appoint members on a joint COM
mittee. There was a division of opinion as
TO his rights, but a resolution was passed
authorizing him to make the appointments,
which he did. Then the House reconsidered
its vote, ignored his appointments and re-
solved to elect its committee. The speaker
decided that this resolution was lost be-
cause carried by less than a tWO-thirdS
vote, and his decision was appealed from.
Without further delay or contention Mr..
Davis wrote out his resignation, called VIII
liam II. English to the chair and descended
to the floor To occupy ii a moment longer,
he said, would be TO show himself ''wanting
in every element Of Self-respect," since the
action of the House. as he construed it,
was vote Of censure, either for ignorance
or a willful violation of his trust. Sundry
members among them Robert Dale Owen,
earnestly protested against such constituting,
and his friend, in caucus assembled, urged
him to resume the Office, but he refused TO
do so. Mr.. English was elected to sue
coed him.
Mr. Davis was chairman of the national
convention that nominated Franklin Pierce
for the presidency. and a year or so later
this executive appointed him Governor of
the Territory of oregon, which Office he
held about year. After this he was elect
ed TO the Legislature for the sixth time by
the most tattering vote, 10 use his own
words, II ever received from the good peo-
pie of Sullivan county" His last public
appointment was by the secretary of war as
one of a board of visitors TO the West Point
Military Academy, and he served as presi-
dent OF this board. He died in Carlisle Aug.
%, 1883, aged sixty years.
Those who remember Mr.. Davis uniformly
report him as plain. substantial man, not
Of extraordinary mental calibre but of good
sound judgment. and unusually qualified as
a presiding officer. las a safe and prudent
legislator" 10 quote Mr. Woollen The was
the equal Of any nah in the State in his
day. Moreover, no one ever doubted his
honesty He kept his hands clean. With