Year: 1869

! L lie senatorial contest mas terminated
in the nomination of Matt H. Carpenter
Esq. of Milwaukee


The contest has been without parallel
in the State, in the amount of personal
interest it has excited, and the nomina-
ton was reached much earlier than was
generally supposed would be the case.


The prevailing opinion was that it
would be impossible to determine the
result at the first caucus, and that proba-
/ bly, two or three caucusses would be re-
qulred. Only SIX formal ballots, however
were necessary. Mr. Carpenter received
the nomination on the sixth ballot by a
vote Of A against 43 for other candidates
| The canvass as we have already re-
marked has been an unusual one 1t
opened as far as Mr. Carpenter is con-
cerned, early in the summer General
WaShburn was also early in the field, and
the two gentleman were from the first
understood to be the leading candidates
The other gentleman who received votes
were spoken Of in the press and elsewhere
as likely to hold the balance of power
slUiy to prevent the nomination OF either.
Both Messrs. Carpenter and Washburn
had lobby present, working in their
interest. The outside pressure for the
former was quite unexampled, and
doubtless decided the contest in his
favor Milwaukee, Chicago, Janesyille,
Beloit, and almost every city and village
in the State contributed to swell their
numbers. Every hotelin the citywas crowd
ed to its utmost capacity; the boarding
houses were filled; and some even slept
in the capitol for want of other accomo-
dations. Under such circumstances it is
not perhaps surprising that an early So
luton of the question was pressed with
rcmarkahle vigor.


From .tiiiim4ukee there was also a
strong lobby present urging the claims
of Mr. Waldo


Mr. Carpenter, the nominee of the
caucus is a native of Vermont He is
not graduate, we believe of any collegi-
ate institution, but after receiving good
education in common branches, began
the study Of law For time he studied
in the office Of B. t. Butler, of Massa-
chusetts, and afterwards with Rufus
Choate, in Boston. On being admitted
to the bar, he removed to this State
| nearly twenty years ago and settled at
Beloit. lie early attracted notice as
giving promise of his eminence in his
profession. His name first came promi-
nently before the people of the State by
the argument he made before the Su
preme Court in 1855 as one of the coun-
sci for Gov Barstow in the quo acarranto
case brought by Gov. Bashford to deter
mine who was properly elected Governor.
His argument attracted attention by the
ease and finish of its style. He continu-
ed to acquire prominence IN his profession
and In the several political canvasses up
to and including that of 1860. he took
more or less part as stump-speaker in
support Of the Democratic party He
removed to Milwaukee about nine years
since. Upon the breaking out of the
war, he promptly took the side of the
country against It's enemies, and during
the continuance of the struggle. acting
as war Democrat. spoke and wrote in
favor of a vigorous prosecution OF the
war In 1868, when the Repn bllcars
dropped their party name and invited
the war democrats to unite with them on
terms of equality on the platform OF
supporting the Government putting
down the rebellion, he declined to
come into the new organization but
with Colonel Charles D. Robinson,
Judge Arthur Macarthur, A. Hyatt
Smith, j. r. Arnold and Others formed
an organization of the war Democrats
at a convention in Janesville, and subse-
quently supported the nominations of
the Union party, doing valuable service
in the canvas as a speaker In 1864, after
the Chicago convention adopted plat
form in favor of discontinuing the war
and relying on concessions to the rebels
as a means of restoring peace, he
supported Mr. Lincoln, and took an
active part in the canvass. After
the war terminated. he continued
to stand aloof from both parties not
wholly satisfied with the Republican, but
utterly opposing the policy Of the Demo
cratic leaders in seeking to restore the
rebels CT the South to the ascen9ancy in
that section. In 1867 having become
satisfied that the Democracy were fatally
infected with the virus of rebel sympathy
and fully approving of the position of the
Republicans on the subjects of recon
struction and suffrage. he gave his full
adhesion to the Republican State Con
ventl0n in the early autumn of that year
as a delegate Last winter he acted
with Hon. Lymon Trumbull as counsel
before the Supreme Court of the United
States in the famous McArdle case, and
his argument in that case was widely
commended for it's ability and eloquence
at the East as we'll as the West. During
the late Presidential canvass, he took a
leading part as a speaker in this State
and his speech at Chicago was printed
by the National Committee, and
widely circulated througouht the country
as a campaign document


Mr.. Carpenter is in the prime of life,
between forty and forty-fve years of age.
He possesses all the qualities essential to
success as an orator: fine phisque, an
engaging presence, voice of unusual
flexibility and sweetness, ready com
mand of clear and forcible words,
and the impressible temperament and
personal magnetism so essential to sway
popular audience He is also
gentleman of fine literary taste, and
of extensive reading outside of his
profession In the Senate, he can
hardly fail to exercise a large influence
and, in debate, to take position among
the leading members of that body.