Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-05
HENRY G. PAYNE.
Sketch Of the AID Postmaster General
Of the United States.

HENRY u. FAYNE.
"a - e
Of the United States
Henry c. Payne, fortytthird Postmaster
General of the United States, succeeded
Charles Emory Smith Of Pennsylvania, TAX
ing the oath of office January Is, 1902, from
Melville w. Fuller Chief Justice of the
United States. in the presence of Presf-
dent Roosevelt, the members Of the cabinet
and other distinguished men. who had gath
cred at the White House for the occasion.
The ceremony was an unusual one for
many reasons, chief among them being the
fact that the President of the United States
was in attendance. The induction into Of
fee as the head of one of the most trying
Of governmental departments was thus be-
gun most auspiciously.=
Four Postmasters General have been ac-
credited to Observation-Disclosures w Ran
dali. appointed by President Johnson July
70. 1896: Timothy O.. Howe, appointed by
President Arthur, January s. 1882; William
F. Villas appointed by President Cleveland,
March Z, 1856. and Henry C. Payne, ap-
pointed by President Roosevelt, January 9,
1902.
But one Of those who preceded Mr. Payne
died in Office. Postmaster General Howe,
who died March Is, 1888, while visiting his
home in Wisconsin.
Mr. Payne had long been a prominent
SIidI dCtcT III the IulQQie west IN DOLl DOLL
tics and business. In Milwaukee, where he
had established his home, he had risen to
high places by virtue of his keen business
acumen and power of Judgment. HIS per-
sonality dominated, at many times, the ac-
tions of the local republican party, and I'M
der his later guidance as Wisconsins rep
resentatfve on the national republican COM
mittee, which office he held for twenty
years. the banners of his party were time
and again in the forefront of victory and
advancement.
Native Of Massachusetts,.
He was the son of Orrin p. and Eliza
(Ames) Payne, and was born in Ashfield.
Franklin county, Mass, November %. 1843.
At that place he received a common school
and afterward an academic education at the
academy of Shelburne Falls. His ancestors
on both sides were Of the old Puritan stock,
and their names are to be found on the
Massachusetts far back the days i'm
mediately following the landing Of the May
flower. His business life began at North
ampton, Mass, but the spirit of the west
took hold of the young man In 1868 and he
moved to Milwaukee, where he afterward
lived.
His first venture in the western city was
in the dry goods business. and he began his
career as politician in the Grant and
Greeley campaign of 1872, in which year he
took an active part in organizing the
Young Mems Republican Club and became
its first secretary. From that day ne never
left the service of tie republican party, and
there was not year or campaign with
which his name was not prominently 1den-
titled Following his selection as secretary
of the Young Mems Club he became secre-
committee of Milwaukee county. and seere-
tary and chairman Of the republican state
central committee of Wisconsin.
Campaign Manager at Chicago.
In 1880 he was elected a. member Of the
national republican committee and contin-
uously held that position. during which ten
ure he participated insfive presidential cam
paigns AMI for the last three was MEM
Der of the executive committee of the ma
tional committee. Chicago in 1896 was a
hotbed of political discussion. the forces of
Mckinley and Bryan being arrayed against
Zach other as has been seldom witnessed In
campaigns even in this land of strong po-
litical Affiliations. It was Ito Chicago. there
fore, that the leaders Of the republican
forces deemed 1t Test te send Mr.. Payne, and
his work while in charge OF the head
quarters there stamped him not only as an
unusually efficient lieutenant, but as an ex-
coptionally fine organizer and commander
Of men. Though quiet, his forceful argu-
ments found their way into the councils OF
the leaders and impressed their strength to
the advancement of the party to which he
had given his allegiance.
Prior to that work he had been a dele
gate-at-large from Wisconsin to the ma
tional republican convention at Chicago,
" hich nominated Benjamin Harrison Tor
the presidency, and to the one at Mime
apolis in 1892. His first political office OF
large consequence was the postmastersnip
of Milwaukee, to which he was appointed
by President Grant in 1875. in recognition
of his services to the party in many neos
Of effort against it's opponents. This once
he held until 1885. being succeeded by a
democrat when Mr. Cleveland became
President. .-
Business Connections.
1t was in that year that he became presi-
dent Of the Wisconsin Telephone Company,
and In 1888 he was chosen for the presi-
dency of the Cream City Railway Com
pany, and also of the Milwaukee City Rail
road Company Later he organized the
Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light
Company, of which he became the vice
president, by the consolidation of all the
street railways in the city OF milwaukee,.
There are nearly 200 miles of track under
the control Of this company, which also
has the control OF the franchise for the en-
tire electric lighting of the city.
In addition to these enterprises. he was
president of the Fox River Valley Electric
Railway Company, the active head OF the
Milwaukee Light. Heat and Traction Com
pany, which built and has since operated
the suburban railways extending from MIL
waukee, he was president OF the MllWau-
kee and Northern Railroad Company, con-
tinuing in that position until the consolida-
ton of that road with the Chicago. Mil
waukee and ST. Paul Railroad Company
In 1898 he was appointed receiver of the
Northern Pacific Railroad Company and
has always been known as railroad man
of the higher class of directing and organ
izing ability.
Vice Chairman of National Committee.
During the craftsmanship of the late Sem
ator NJ. A. Hanna as the head Of the re-
publican national committee Mr. Payne
was vice chairman, and in that capacity did
a tremendous amount of work. many of his
intimate associates attributing to this ac-
tivitV by naturally delicate man his sub
sequent illness in the spring of 1904, which
was counteracted only by a long sea voyage
in southern climes. He swas an indefatiga-
BILE worker, and seldom left his office in the
Post Office Department until long after all
Of his clerks had gone to their homes. He
undertook to administer fthat department
as Well as it had ever, before been handled.
and he acquitted himself With credit to his
powers of direction. " ~
The scandals which were unearthed in
the department in 1903 came to him
such shock as to almost upset his health
completely for the time being. but when
he had been convinced that the crooked
ness charged existed he was the foremost