Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 May 1888 — OUR CANDIDATES. [ARTICLE]

OUR CANDIDATES.

The Hon. C. C. Matson, Candidate for Governor, is widely known by his record in congress, where at present he occupie s th* important position of chairman of the house committee on pensions. Mr. Matson was born in Brookville, Indiana, on the 25th of April, 1841, and consequently passed his 47th birthday the day before he received the nomination for Governor. After graduating at the common schools he entered Indiana Asbury (now DePauw) university, and finished the four years’ course with ’’onors. The outbreak of the war at the time of his graduation fired the patriotism of the students, and almost depleted the university. Young Matson answered to the call for troops, and went to the front as a member of the Sixth Indiana.— After a year’s service he was transferred to the Sixth Indiana cavalry (Seventy-first regiment of volunteers), and for his intrepidity and gallant conduc* in battle ,finally became its colonel, having risen to that position from a private through all the gradations of rank. At the close of the war he studied law with his father, the Hon John A. Matson, at Greencastle, and was three times elected county prosecutor. He engaged actively in politics and bee.ime a leader among the democrats of Putnam county. He was elected to the Forty-fifth, Forty-eighth and For-ty-ninth Congresses, and was reelected over Chase, republican, to the fiftieth cot gross two voars aijo. His services in congress have reflected credit upon himself and the democratic party. Capt. W. R. Myers, Candidate for Lieutenant Governor is a native of Ohio, having been born in the Buckeye stat ; fifty-two years ago. His par nts movedj to Indiana when he was quite young, and settled in Madison county. He received a common school education and afterward studied law. He had scarcely begun the practice of his profession when the war broke out, and he enlisted as a member of Co. G., Fourth Indiana regiment, lie saw four years of a tive service, particij ating in all the engagements of his regiment and rising from private to captain. At the close of the war he returned to Anderson and resumed the practice of his profession. He began taking part in politics early in the 70s, his popularity at his home and his al ility as a public speaker at onee pushing him to th? front In 1878 he made his first race for office, being nominated for congress by the democrats ©f the old Sixth district His competitor was Gen. William Grose, of Henry county, and the district usually gave a republican majority of some 1,300; but Capt. Myers mado a gallant race and was triumphantly elected by 600 majority. He was a distinguished member of congress, out owing to a gerrymander of the state his county was placed in a new district, a ,? d ho returned homo to find himself renominated against crodlove S. Orth, then one of the most prominent republicans in Indiana, in a district overwholmingly republican. He again demonstrated Lis ability as a votegetter by running 1,000 ahead of Ins ticket, being defeated by only 400 votes, while, Albert G. Porte corned the district by 1,400. This the captain regards as tho host race he ever m, de. In 1882 he was nominated for secretary of state and lectcd by 10,090 votes, leading the ticket. He was renomia'Acd and -pain elected. Capt. Myer-; is r splendid canvatitpi axid has always be.-ii remarkably ; aoce^ful oa ike stump. His record J-o vs h htu invariably led his Li kct. No man has a wider acquain anco in the state.

Hon. ' . W. Mier's, candidate for s cretary of State, is a native of Indiana, having been born in Decatu county in 1848. He began the pract’ c " ’aw an early age, and soon ’ ecamo prominent in his profession. He was twice elected prosecutor of his county, and became judge of the circuit court on the death of Judge Wilson. He '’as elected to the legislature in 1878 from Monroe county,|and his popularity may be known when it is stated that the republicans were at that time in the majority in th district. He

is a graduate of the state university, and is now serying his third term as trustee of that institution. Charles A. Munson, candidate for auditor of state, was born in Allen county, Indiana, in 1843, and received an education in t e schools of Fort Wayne. During the war he saw service on the gunboat Chilltcothe, which was in the siege of Vickesburg, the battle of Arkansas and the bayou expedition. He was promoted seven times during his service. Returning to Fort Wayne he beeame a commercial traveler, jin 1874 he w s elected alder man in Fort Wayne and was chairman of the finance committee of the body.— In 1876 ne was elected sheriff of Allen county, and was re-elected in 1878. Thomas Byrnes, candidate for treasurer of state, was born in Newark, N. J., in 1844. He came to Indiana in 1862 and located ;n Evansville where he has since resided. He established a branch of a New York tobacco in that ci'y, and Las been quite successful in business. He has never held a public office, but has been a member of the democratic state c mtrul committee. John R. Wilson, candidate for attorney g-neral, was born in Charlotte county, Virginia, in 1850. He graduated at the state university with high honors. His natural bent was for the law, having inherited the tendency from a long line of ancestry which contained many names prominent in the legal profession. Mr. Wilson came to Indianapolis in 1874 and began the practice of law He Mas elected to the legislature in 1882 and was appointed chairman of the judiciarv committee of that body. Four rears ago he became a member of the law firm of Duncan, Smith & Wilson. He has been quite acti < e in politics, and is a most effective stump speaker. He is also prominent in literary circles in that city. John W. Kern, candidate for reporter of the supreme court, was bor n in December, 1849, in Howard county, on a farm. His father was a country physician. He was educated s,t Ann Arbor, graduating when he was nineteen yesrs old, and from that time had been engaged in an active law practice at Kokomo, until his election in 1884 as reporter of the supreme court. In this election he ran ahead of the ticket by about 1,400 votes. As a criminal lawyer Mr. Kern ranks high. He is also particularly noted for his oratory and personal magnetism. He was held in such high esteem at his home in Kokomo th a* the republican council elected him for four successive terms to fill the office of city attorney. Prof. Griffith, candidate for superintendent of public instruction, was born in Switzerland county, Indiana, in 1860, on a farm. He attended the district schools and afterward graduated from the Vevay high school and later frem the stat? university. He was one of the instructors for two years at the Indianapolis high school, and at the present time is superintendent of schools at Frankfort. He has traveled all over Europe and made a special study of the various school systems in the old country. At the last meeting of th® state teachers’ association he was chairmsu of the executive committee. He is a young man and entirely competent Cor ihe position. Of Messrs. Hewk, Niblack and Zollais, renominated for supreme court judges, nothing need be said. They have served the people long and satisfactorily.

Bro. Marshall discourses thusly, with reference to Republicans who exercised their own judgment in voting for Messrs. Day and Simpson: The result of their k ?.ct “is a shame and a disgrace to the Republicans of Rensselaer.” “Repnb ; ean Mugwumps are the lineal deswnndants of the fellows who, in older days, would strain at a Grant and swallow a Grover.” i Complimentary, isn’t he?