Evening star., 1909-06-07
,GQl MCCLURE DEAD
Striking Figure in Newspaper
World Passes Away.
ONCE A POWER IN POLITICS
Predicted the Civil War and Urged
Preparation.
ADJUTANT GENERAL OF STATE
Served in the Senate and the Legis-
lature Of Pennsylvania-Aut
of Note.
ONCE A POWER IN POLITICS
ADJUTANT GENERAL OF STATE

| ander K. Mcclure died at his home in
Wallingford. Pa. For many years he was
one of the best known editors in America.
From an early age until few years
ago he labored hard in the journalistic
field and met with signal success. Dur
| ing the active years of his life he was
power in politics. state and national
He attained the age of eighty-one years.
For several months Col. Mcclure had
| been in Ill health, and Of late had been
confined to his bed Yesterday he felt
better and proceeded to the front porch
| of his house to sit in the sunshine He
soon grew tired, however. and asked his
brother-in-law, Alfred Gratz, to assist
him to a couch. A few minutes after he
lay down the enfeebled man passed away.
Alexander Kelley Mcclure was born in
Shermans Valley, Perry county, Pa, jan
uary Q. 1928. What little schooling he
had was obtained in the public schools at
such times as he could spare from work
on his fathers farm. When eighteen
| years old he went to Philadelphia and
began work in a tannery. Business was
bad, however. and he decided to go west.
He proceeded to Iowa, but finding condi-
tions no better there returned to Perry
county.
Interest in Newspaper Work.
| While at work in tannery he be-
| came interested in newspaper work and
| paid frequent visits to the Office Of the
| Perry Freeman learned to ct type
and absorbed general idea of newspaper
methods as they existed then. He wrote
| little and soon earned reputation
for force and Individuality. which won
| for him the management of the Juanita
Sentinel. whig paper that had just
| been started. He was only nineteen
years old, but soon made his influ-
ence felt He took an active part in
politics. and allied himself with the in
| terests of Andrew G.-Curtin, candidate
for Congress about that time. Such
was the beginning Of lifelong friend
ship between Curtis and Mcclure.
Mcclure in 1s49 worked hard for w. F.
Johnson. the whig nominee for governor.
When Johnson was elected he appointed
| Mcclure to a position on his staff, and
year later used his influence to have
Mcclure appointed deputy United States
marshal for Juanita county. At that
time Mcclure took up the study Of law,
/ but he soon returned to journalism and
became the editor Of the Chembersburg
Repositry. half interest in which
was presented to him by John NJ. Pom
| eroy.
The whig convention of 1888 nominated
| him for auditor general by reclamation,
but as ne was only twenty-five years old
and the youngest man who had ever been
1 nominated for a state office up to that
| time he was defeated
Elected to the House.
| In 1857 he was elected a member of
the house of representatives. from
Franklin county and was reelected In
1858. He attained considerable prom
inence as a legislator and in 1850 he was
nominated by the republicans of his dis
trict for the state senate. Warning fac
| tions and rival leaders had created dis
sensons in the old Whig party which
was just merging into the republican
S1,>
republicans looked to Mcclure to unite
the party and to get into trim for the
national contest of that year. The dis
rict was strongly democratic and Mcclure
| fully realized the responsibility of the
task and was reluctant to undertake it.
| When he did take charge of the fight he
waged it with vigor. He spoke by night
and by day He organized every town
was counted it was found he had been
| elected by a majority of 400.
! When the slavery question became
acute Col. Mcclure urged the necessity
| :he south would fight to the last and said
| so. Later his speech was circulated as q
/ campaign document.
Aided Abraham Lincoln.
In the republican national convention
Of 1850. when the whig party was grow
ing into the republican party. Col. Nc
Clure played a prominent part In the
movement which resulted in the |nomi-
nation of Abraham Lincoln.
During the first years Of the war Nc
/ Clure served chairman of the COM
mittee on military affairs and such
had important duties in connection with
the war policy Of the state, we'll as
Of the general government. Into the
discharge of the duties OF his position
he carried his aggressive notions. and.
being the close friend and adviser Of
Gov. Curtin. he was naturally closely
identified with his war policy. At q
very early day he formed close rela-
tions with President Lincoln and his
cabinet, and began playing a broad hand
in national politics. When his senatorial
term was at an end. Mr.. Mcclure was
appointed adjutant general and super
intended the drafting of the Pennsyl-
vania troops. In 1854 he was again
delegate to the republican national con-
vention and favored the denomination
Of Lincoln. In the same year he was
once more elected a member OF the leg
/ islature.
i Lost All His Savings.
i When the southern troops burned
Chambersburg, Mr.. Mcclure lost all he
had saved and in 1865 he was without
dollar, and his health was shattered.