Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 July 1884 — Hen. William H. Caikins. [ARTICLE]

Hen. William H. Caikins.

New Twk Ornphic, (Dem.) / This brilliant young Who has just received the Republican, nomination for Governor bis was born in O.. in Iffß). He was educated at the commoq schools and had with drflteulty just fitted himself to enter college wnen the oN flag was fired on and he at once enlisted as a private soldier to fight the battles of thgyrepublic. 1 He was then nineteen. The college course he had so longed lor patriotism, did not permit him to pursue. His liberal education began gloriously at Fort Henry and Eqyjt Donaldson. At bloody Shilon, while fighting at close quarters, he was taken prisoner. But Libby prison could not long hold him. He was back again in time for the decisive battle of Nashville, and shared the whole Atlanta campaign. In the siege of Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely he continued l his military education, and while marching through Mississippi the Confederacy collapsed and lie graduated with honors. His diploma was a commission as Brevet Ijeutenaut Colonel The war over, and all the male members of Colonel Calkin's family and that of his wife having died or Deen killed during the continuance of it, he suddenly found himself with two families to support and no profession. Then came the struggle with poverty and the fates which all successful men must pass through else they would not be successful. The law was mastered. Those who honor a brave man struggling with adversity threw business in his way. At twenty-four he was elected State’s Attorney and served four years? At twenty-nine he was sent to the State Legislature of Indiana. In 187.6 he was first elected to Congress and has been an honored member ot that body ever since. During his first term he made a special study of Puriimentary law. During the next ha was kept busy as a member of the Committee on Elections. In the Forty Seventh Congress as Chairman of this important Committee he made a national reputation through his able handling of the Lynch-Chalmers, Mackey-O' Connor, Campbell- Cannon and’ other famous contested election cases. Out of twenty-two such cases Chairman Calkins carried Congress with him in twenty-one. He has discussed also the army, the navy, the currency and the tariff. He was nominated for Governor by a majority of eighty votes over Colonel Ducley, h : s chief competitor. The Republican candidate is six feet three inches in freight, weighs 245 pounds and is as handsome and as symmetrical a specimen of manhood as the American Congress contains.