Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 38, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 January 1906 — THE MAN FROM JAY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE MAN FROM JAY

A*ks Recognition For His County In the Coming Republican State Convention. * ■■■ •'- ——^ r-. : ~ j i THE COUNTY f S FIRST CANDIDATE *V * • Mr. Ed. V. Fitzpatrick, Who la Seeking the Nomination for Clerk of the *5 "V-.-ryn.- — —rr —-•—■ ' Supreme CoOrt, Backs Up Hia Application for.Jhe Suffrage of the Del~~.egates With a Show of Reason and a Cogency of Argument That Must Appeal to the -Thoughtful Reader . of Things Political—He has a Wide Acquaintance in Ail Parts of the S--i State, and Poq&eases Qualities Eminently Fitting Him for the Position to Which He Now Modestly Aspires.

After eighty-three years without recognition so far as state office is concerned, Jay connty will present at the next State Republican convention the name of E. V. Fitzpatrick of Portland for the nomination for clerk of the Supreme Court. Few men hare entered a race for state office with as wide an acquaintance and with as many personal friends, these friendships extending to practically every one of the ninetytwo counties In Indiana. He comes before the Republican party as one who was an aggressive worker long before he had any personal interest at stake. In the precinct meeting and at the polls on election day, for many years, he has made himself felt to the advancement of the party's interests, and consequently can be brought before the next state convention by the people of his home county as one worthy of recognition. This same race was made b 7 Mr. Fitzpatrick four years ago, and he then proved himself a runner built for political speed. The race was then a five-cornered one and it took several ballots to decide, the Jay county candidate never falling below second place In the race and finishing within seventy votes of a break-even with his lucky opponent. Mr. Fitzpatrick was then handicapped by having another candidate for the same office from the same district, James C. Hatfield of Bluffton receiving a portion of the district’s vote. He lost hut came up smiling, content to know that he had played fair with all his opponents and that he was still of such years as to he able to try for the place another time. He is not only Jay county's first candidate for a nomination to state office, hut comes also frAm a district which, although the most populous Id Indiana, has had hilt four men to occupy state office; / Eld V. Fitzpatrick Is a native of Wells county, born in 1866, Ute son of Dr. J. D. Fitzpatrick of Vera Cruz. Mr. Fitzpatrick removed from Wells to Jay county in 188Z> settling at Dunkirk, where he engaged for several years both in school teaching and mercantile lines. As a school teacher he was a success, even as he was as a merchant He was recognized as a keen-sighted business man, his foresight judgment honesty and sociability Impressing whomsoever came In contact with him. At the same time he never forgot his duty to hU party, rendering the best of service In season and out M season. Jay county was the closest county, politically, In Indiana when In 1894 the Republicans, looking tor a man both with the abll-

Ity tp mapage the county** a (Taira properly as wall as having the ability to win, chose him to make the race for clerk of 'the circuit court. He wa* elected; by the largest majority ever given, before or since to a candidate for the office in Jay county, and hi* services were so eminently satisfatttory that he was renominated withont opposition and again elected fey ant overwhelming majority when the county was conceded to hang ‘Democraticward. To his own energy is due much of the credit for more re* cent successes of the Republican party in Jay county. Four years agt* when defeated for the nomination for clerk of the Supreme Court by Robert A. nAiwn, which, by the way, was his first defeat, Mr. Fitzpatrick did not forget that the obligation was the same as if\he himself were the candidate. Fearing that some of his warm personal friends in Jay county might feel disgruntled over his defeat, he made a careful canvass of the local situation, seeing to it that Robert A. Brown received no iq=s votes from Jay

county than any other candidate on the state-ticket. So thorough waa this canvass that when the votes were counted it was found that Mr. Brown had received a plurality of several more votes than any other man on the state ticket. Mr. Fitzpatrick was married to Miss Ollie J. Gordon Jan. 21, 1886, and they have three children —two sons and a daughter. The oldest son, Durvln, is now a student of Indiana University, while the second son Is In the Portland high schooL The candidate’s domestic life has been Ideal, his duty to those of his own fireside being first with him, and his duty to his party second. He Is a man of vigor, a good mixer and one who recognizes the right of every honorable man to aspire to office. He is never found decrying the ability or intentions of his Ofh ponent, but instead forges ahead, undertaking to win solely on his own merit. It is claimed and can hardly be disputed, that no other man who has ever entered a race for political preferment In Indian has placed as much confidence In the power of the newspapers to “do things" as has Mr. Fitzpatrick. He knows every Republican newspaper man in Indiana at sight and knows the name—whether it be Jim, Dick, George or Pete—he knows them all. On the other hand they know him, and not one Is there who fails to say a kindly word now and then for him, whether or not they sre so situated as to be able to take off their coats and labor in the Interests of his candidacy. Whether he loses or wins, the Jay county man will always be found in the harness, ready and willing at any hour to do what he can for the Republican party, not waiting to be told where his services are needed most. The same intuition which has guided him so successfully In years past will tell him how and what to do. During his present campaign Mr. Fitzpatrick has headquarters at the Claypool, Rooms 318-320, where he is always pleased to receive his friend with extended band. - > A Minnesota statesman declares •that federal supervision has been a failure wherever It has been attempted.; At the same titme he says be believes In the efficacy of state laws. The pith of this argument is that the state can do what the national government can’t do. So far as revenues are concernt 1 the government started In well In December. showing a considerable g+\ over last December. And the expendltilrea for the first two weeks were half a mi Utah less than during the same time In last December.

E. V. FITZPATRICK.