Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 May 1892 — GOVERNOR. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

GOVERNOR.

Claude fffatthews, candidate for governor, who at this time fills most acceptably the office of secretary of state for Indiana, was born in Bethel, Bath county, Ky.,Dec, 14, 1845. His father, Thomas A. Matthews, was a farmer, and also for a time a commission merchant at Maysville. His paternal grandfather, George Matthews, commanded'a company of soldiers at the battle of the River Thames, in the war of 1812. On his mother’s side, Mr. Matthews traces his origin to the Fletcher family, one of the most worthy names in the commonwealth, and his maternal grandfather, Jefferson Fletcher represented the Bath district in the national house of representatives in the days of Henry Clay. Mr. Matthews was educated at Center college, Danville, Ky., where he graduated in 1867. January 1,1868, he married Miss Martha Renick Witcomb, only daughter of James Witcomb, one of the honored governors of this state. The young people moved to Vermillion county, in this state, in 1869, where Mr. Matthews settled down to the occupation he had chosen for his life work—the useful and honest calling of farming. His capacity for public affairs and the evidence he gave of sensible ideas as to public needs, led to his selection by the Democrats of Vermillion county in 1877 as their candidate for representative in the legislature. That he was well appreciated by his neighbors was shown by some 500 Republicans of his county votingforhim, and he had the honor of being the first Democrat elected from that county of heavy adverse majorities. His record in the legislature was a fine one, and in 1880 he had a strong following for lieutenant governor. In 1882 Mr. Matthews was a candidate for state senator in his district, and cut down the Republican majority of 900 to 300. In 1890 he was nominated by his party for secretary of state and elected by a plurality of nearly 20,000. He has always been a Democrat, and never engaged in any other business than that of farming. He is a member of the. Farmers’ Mutual Benefit Association and was president of the Vermillion county association up to the time of his election as secretary of state. He still retains his membership. Mr. Matthews, while faitfully attending to his duties as state officer, still keeps up his interest in farming and the class of workers to which he belongs. He has done much in improving the breeds of cattle and domestic animals by importing valuable specimens, and was the founder* of 1 the Short Hom Breeders’ Association of Indiana, the first association of the kind ever organized in the United States. He was also originator of the American Short Horn Association of the United States and Canada. While his business is that of farming, he is, nevertheless, a fluent speaker and withal a man of fine address and genial I manners. Mr. Matthews has three children; the oldest, Mary, is the wife of Senator Cortez 1 Ewing, of Greensburg; Renick C. Matthews and Mjss Helen, a school girl, aged fourteen.

CLAUDE MATTHEWS.