The Washington herald., 1916-06-11
FAIRBANKS Won
POVERTY BATTLE
Had Hard Struggle to Gain
Success as Lawyer and
Politician.

idrIn near UnlonVlle center, Union
County, Ohio, the son Of Lorison M. and
Mary Smith Fairbanks. His birth
place was a log cabin.
The history of Mr.. Fairbanks life is
put by one biographer in this terse form:
"An industrious and toiling farmers
boy; hardworkng college student; an
industrious press reporter; successful
lawyer; a safe and popular politician;
an able and distinguished Senator;
wise and conscientious statesman; the
unanimous choice of a great political
party for the second office in the nation
Mr.. Fairbanks traces his ancestry to
the Fayerbanckes of England. who
served with honor under Cromwell His
progenttors also were among the later
Pilgrims. Jonathan Fayerbancke coming
| from England to Dedham, Mass, in
1886.
The elder Fairbanks, Vermont
Yankee, moved to Ohio in 1895 with other
pioneers and was a leader among those
rugged citizens who reclaimed the Buck
eye State from a wilderness.
Parents Rather Poor.
Fairbanks parents were comparatively
poor; the family was large, and on the
pioneer farm, life was not the most
I
to dark But Charles Warren Fair
banks had ambition. Though he worked
arduously on the farm during the day
light hours, he spent long hours at night
on his studies, He wanted to be a
/ lawyer, perhaps a politician.
With an indomitable spirit, he finally
set out for Delaware, Ohio, the seat of
matriculated at the age of l6, His father
and mother sympathized with and en-
couraged him. but so many were their
children that their financial help was
slight
Fairbanks roommate was neighbor
hoy. They lived upon the small sum of
$50 a week, which they earned by chop
ping wood and serving as carpenters as
sistants. Never brilliant scholar, yet so
grasping was Fairbanks mind and so
wide his knowledge, with his strength
and perseverance, that he WIS among
the leaders of his classes. He early
made a reputation for himself as
speaker and acted as spokesman for the
students before their faculty.
Life of Unendins Toll.
His life at college was one of unend-
ing toll He was forced to be economi-
cal, which accounts for story that Is
told of him today.
It seems that in a wrestling match
damaged, irreparably. There were but
two clothiers in the town. One refused
to extend him credit, the other did. This
creditor was still in business in Della
ware, Ohio, when Mr.. Fairbanks was
Vice President. and the story about his
debtor, who later became so distinguish
ed. was the merchants topic for unend-
| ing repetition
\ Mr.. Fairbanks was graduated from
Wesleyan in 1871 Two years later he
married Cornelia Cole. a student at Wes-
leyan, and daughter of Judge P. B. Cole,
of Marysville, Ohio. In the meantime,
Fairbanks went to Cleveland. where he
worked for a year for a news associa-
ton. He studied law at the same time.
| for a year. and in 1874 was admitted to
the bar of the State Supreme Court.
| In the same year he moved with his
bride to indianapolis, Ind, where he took
UP the practice of his profession. His
residence has been in Indianapolis since.
Il Settles in Indianapolis.
Indianapolis was chosen by the young
lawyer after he had studied many of the
| growing towns of the West. He selected
indianapolis because it was the capital Of
a State and was, as well, a manufactur-
ing and business town.
He found competition keen in his pro-
fession, and for years struggled for rec
ognition. His early practice almost en-
tirely was in the State and Federal
courts, where he opposed lawyers famous
to this day.
Among the early and influential friends
he made was Judge Walter Q. Gresham.
whose campaign for the Republican Pres
idential nomination some years later he
directed. The two were fast friends
throughout Judge Gresham's life.
During all of his early years as a men,
ber Of the bar, Fairbanks was often
tempted to enter politics. a game which
fascinated him. He had made his first
political speech before he attained his
majority. Knowing he would gain
greater success If he made a name as a
lawyer first, however, he kept to his pro-
fession, though always he was a keen
student of political problems.
State Campaign Manager.
His first big political undertaking was
in 1855, when he became State campaign
manager for Judge Gresham, who was
in the race for the Presidential nomina-
ton. Fairbanks was a fiend Of both
Gresham and Gen. Harrison. A choice
between the two came hard, but when he
had decided, he was frank enough to
write his intentions to Gen. Harrison.
Fairbanks took charge of the cam
paign in Indiana for delegates to the
party leaders and their machinery were
lined UP with Gen. Harrison, who finally
got the State delegation. Gresham de-
termined to contest for the nomination.
Opposing him were Sherman, Allison.
Depew, Alger, and Harrison, with Blaine
overshadowing all.
With the Chicago papers behind him,
Fairbanks undertook to lead Judge
Gresham's fight for the nomination, but
he lost. Harrison won on the eighth bal
lot.
| Fairbanks was chairman of the Indiana
Republican State conventions in 1892. In
1888 he was unanimously chosen as nomi-
nee for the United States Senate by the
| Republican caucus in the Indiana legis-
lature, and subsequently received his
entire party's vote in the legislature,
but was defeated by David Turpie, Dem
| ocrat.
| Elected to Senate.
He was delegate at large to the Re-
publican national convention in st. Louis
in 1896 and was chosen temporary chair
man of the convention by Mckinley.
] For the first time in his life, Fair
| banks held public office when he was
elected to the United States Senate in
! 1887 A year later he was appointed to
| the United States and British joint high
commission to adjust Canadian ques-