MAGAZINE OF HISTORY

VOL. XXVI DECEMBER, 1930 NUMBER4

Governor By H. S. K. BARTHOLOMEW The State campaign of 1890 in Indiana was one of the most notable for an off year campaign in the last quarter of the nine- teenth century. Long before either State concention was held the leaders of both major political parties were looking for- ward to the contest as a preliminary skirmish for the guberna- torial campaign which was to come two years later. Each party was looking over the field to find the strongest man to head its ticket. The highest State office to be filled in 1890 was that of Secretary of State. The Republicans held their State convention first and nomi- nated Hon. Milton Trusler,l a Fayette County farmer and a fine type of Indiana manhood. Mr. Trusler was Master of the Indiana State Grange, a position which he was filling capably and conscientiously. He was deservedly popular among the members of that great order. It can be said truth- fully that he was in every sense worthy of the honor of being chosen as the leader of a great political party in a contest in which the result was expected to have a potent influence on the more important campaign which was to come two years later. The Democratic leaders at once realized that, in nominating Mr. Trusler, their political rivals had executed a master stroke. They recognized in him a candidate who would be hard to defeat. They knew that they must select the best man they could find if they expected to win. A week or so after the Republican Converrcion, Hon. John B. Stoll, editor of the South Bend Times and one of the leading Democratic editors

Mr. Trusler had served as State Representative from Fayette and Union Countim in 1876 and as State Senator during the years 1876 and 1877. In 1894. he moved from his farm in Fayette County to East Connersville. See Biographical and Genealogical His- tory of Wayne. Fayette. Union and Franklin Cwnties. Zndiana (, 1899). I, 11-12. 272 Indiana Magazine of History in the north half of the State, had occasion to make a trip to , During his stay in the capital city, he met his old friend, Senator Daniel W. Voorhees. Sitting on a divan in the Grand Hotel, they discussed political matters in general and the coming state campaign in particular. Both were aware of the fact that the situation demanded the utmost wis- dom in the selection of candidates for the various offices. Mr. Stoll remarked that if there was a farmer of superior intelli- gence and the requisite qualifications to fill the office of Sec- retary of State it would be expedient to nominate him to head the ticket. Senator Voorhccs replied: “I know where there is a ma”n who measures up fully to those requirements. He lives in Vermillion County and his name is Claude Matthews.” Im- mediately, after his return to South Bend, Mr. Stoll wrote one of his characteristically vigorous editorials urging that Mat- thewsz be nominated for Secretary of State. The suggestion was favorably received by many of the leading Democrats throughout the State. Other names were announced and when convention day arrived there were several candidates, but Claude Matthews towered above them all in both ability and fitness and was easily nominated. He made a vigorous cam- paign and was elected by a substantial plurality, carrying the entire ticket with him.3 The only office he had held previously was that of Representative in the lower house of the Indiana Legislature from Vermillion County.* The duties of the office were congenial to him, and he made an ideal officer. In the spring of 1892, he announced himself as a candidate for re-election, but many of the party leaders believed that he would be the strongest man who could be nom- inated for Governor and at their urgent requested he withdrew his candidacy for Secretary of State and became a candidate for the gubernatorial n~mination.~There were several strong candidates before the convention, the most prominent of whom

* Mr. Mitthews was born in Bethel, , in 1845. He moved, in 1868, to a large farm in Clinton Township, near Clinton, Indiana. where he recided until hi? death. Sre Pictorial and Bionraphical Memoirs of Elkhart and St. Joseph Counties. Indiana (Chicago. 1893), 17 ; also Biographical and Historical Record of VcrmiUion County, Indiana (Chi- cago. 1588), 489. 3 His plurality over Trusler was 19,579. See Indianapolis News, Nov. 12. 1P90. 4 He was elected to that office in 1576, reciiving a majority of between two and threr hundred votes, notwith+mdinz the fact that Vermillion County was strongly Republi- c7n and that the Republican State ticket was succrssful. In 1x30, he RSF 7 pr.ominmt candidate for the nomination for Lieutenant Governor, but willingly withdrew for the nf P*rty hn-mony in 1PW. he was def-t d in the rac- for th office of State Senator by a small margin. Historical and Biographical Record of Vermillion Cuuntzl. 490-01. 6 For Matthew’s letter of consent, see the Indianapolis Sentinel, April 11, 1892. Bartholomew: Governor Claude Matthews 273 was John Gilbert Shanklin, the gifted editor of the Evansville Courier and one of the most knightly figures in southern In- diana history. Hon. Mortimer Nye, former mayor of LaPorte, had a loyal following in the extreme north end of the State, but the real battle was between Matthews and “Gil” Shanklin, as his followers called the Evansville editor. After a spirited contest, Matthews won, but by a rather slender margin.6 However, his unsuccessful rivals acquiesced in the decision of the convention and gave him loyal support. Before the cam- paign had progressed very far, it was evident that the con- vention had chosen wisely, for the Vermillion County farmer proved to be a tower of strength to his party. After a thorough canvass of the state he was elected by a handsome plurality, larger than that of any of his colleagues on the ticket.? The twenty-three years between the time of his graduation from college in 186F and his election to the office of Secretary of State had been spent by Mr. Matthews upon his farm. For a time, he engaged quite extensively in the breeding and feeding of Shorthorn, cattle. Later he took up Jersey cattle, and when he left the farm he was regarded as an au- thority on both breed^.^ Although he followed the admonition of the wise man and was always diligent in his business, his time was not all devoted to his cattle. Through all those years, he was a careful and persistent student, as well as a close ob- server of men and events. How well he improved the oppor- tunities for growth and the development of that sturdy and genuine manhood which the quiet and uneventful life of the farm affords, was amply illustrated by the success of his ad- ministration as Governor of a great State during a period that was eventuful. Though his was no ordinary or commonplace task, he showed himself master of the situation from the beginning of his term of office. Had events taken their ordinary course, no one would have known what resources this plain and un- assuming farmer possesed, or how well he was equipped ta

For a report of the Democratic Convention see ibid.. April 22, 1892 : Indiana- polis Nczus. April 21, 1892, 7 He received 260,601 votes, a plurality of 6,976 over the vote of his nearest rival. See Indjianapolis Sentind, Nov. 29, 1892. 8 Hc was graduated from Centre Co!lege, Dandle, Kentucky. Historical and Biogra- phical Record of Vermillim Count% 489. 9Thr3 Matthews homestead. known as the Hazel Bluff Farm, consisted of about 600 arvm. Mr. Matthews owned about 2,000 acres of land in all. He had real estate in Texas. lbid., 490. 274 Indiana Magazine of History cope with emergencies. Almost from the date of his inaugura- tion he was confronted with difficulties which at times seemed almost insurmountable. For several years the southern part of the State had been terrorized by frequent manifestations of lawlessness known as “white-capping.” Several Governors had appealed to the Legislature for assistance in the sup- pression of this menace, but receiving no aid from that source, had given up further efforts to prevent the outrages. Gov. Matthews made a similar appeal but received no help whatsoever. He then determined to undertake the task with only the aid of local officials who, previous to this time, had been powerless to accomplish anything. He persistently urged upon those who had the authority that they should prosecute and bring to punishment those who were thus violating the law. In many cases, where it seemed necessary, he employed additional counsel to assist in the prosecution. His efforts in that direction were very successful. From the close of the first year of his administration the State was free from out- rages committeed by bands of “white-cappers.” During approximately the same period, he also made war upon prize-fighting. A group of sports from Chicago had come into Lake County and organized the Columbian Athletic Club. They built near Roby a great arena which would hold 8,000 or 10,000 people. The contests which were held there were a disgrace to Indiana. Nothing could be done through the sheriff of Lake County. The governor then went into that Cwnty himself, gave his personal bond and asked that a re- ceiver be appointed. His plea was granted. One night he sent trwlrs. FTe expected to arrest the crowd that had assembled there and then install the receiver. The troops were sent be- cause of the danger of riot and lawlessness. Five thousand Chicano toughs would have been a difficult crowd to handle, hut through scme channel, the gang learned what had been planned and did not appear that night. Governor Matthews took possession of the property and installed his receiver. Not long afterward, the building was torn down and regular prize-fighting in Indiana ceased. Other States followed In- diana’s example in dealing with prize-fights. Not long after this the Governor undertook to suppress winter racing which was being conducted by the Roby Racing

276 Indiana Magazine of History rowed over $50,000 by giving his personal note. The Legisla- ture, at the next session, very properly reimbursed him. These were some of the outstanding occurences in the ad- ministration of Gov. Matthews. In each instance, he put forth the most determined effort to uphold the law and maintain the fair name of the State. A less courageous man would have shrunk from the performance of the disagreeable duties which devolved upon him in the several emergencies chronicled. But every temporary defeat, every temporary triumph of lawless- ness, only inspired him with greater zeal and spurred him on to fight with more determination than ever for the supremacy of law and order. Nor was he unmindful of the duties of minor importance which belonged to the Governor’s office. His mes- sages to the legislature showed him to be thoroughly familiar with the affairs of the commonwealth which had entrusted him with his high office. He took pains from the beginning to make himself master of the situation in which he was placed by the suffrages of his fellow citizens. At all times and under all circumstances, Gov. Matthews maintained a manly independence and upheld the dignity of his executive position. A number of times, especially during the first half of his administration, when engaged in the per- formance of his duties, he found arrayed against him some of the leading politicians of his own party. In none of these in- stances, did he hesitate to decide upon what course he would pursue. He never for one moment feared to do the right as he saw it and seldom was his judgment at fault. His straight- forward course was commended alike by friends and oppon- ents. About the time he was inaugurated as Governor, the writer, in a sketch published in an eastern magazine, said of him:

The people of this great state honor this farmer who has been chosen to fill this exalted position, not simply because he is their chief magis- trate, but because he has shown himself worthy of their esteem. They are confident that the affairs of state have been placed in safe hands. His administration is not likely to be a brilliant or showy one, but will rather be marked by careful, painstaking, persevering efforts to promote the welfare of the whole people. He believes that public office is a public trust. Judging the future of his career by what is known of his past life, it may be quite safely concluded that he will leave behind him a record toward which his fellow citizens will have reason to point with pride. Bartholomew: Governor Claude Matthews 237

These utterances were. based upon an intimate personal ac- quaintance with him and a knowledge of the principles by which he was governed throughout his life. Abundant testi- mony to the correctness of this estimate of him could be quoted from the press of all political parties in the state during the four years of his administration. Several tiknes during his term of office, it devolved upon Governor Matthews to represent Indiana at notable assem- blages in other States and also to be her spokesman on those occasions. In every instance, he did credit both to himself and to the people of his commonwealth, winning golden opinions from those who heard him. Although he was not an eloquent speaker in the sense of being a master of the art of oratory, he never failed, when he spoke, to command the respectful atten- tion of his hearers. He had the rare faculty of saying the right thing at exactly the right time. There was a simple quality in his speech which never failed to carry conviction with it. It was the eloquence natural to the outpouring of genuine manhood. If there was one thing that, more than anything else, char- acterized him throughout his public career, it was his unswerv- ing devotion to duty. No persuasion, no coercion, no tempta- tion of any kind was ever able to turn him aside from the right. He was an extremely conscientious man who could be trusted in any emergency. Therein was at least one secret of his success as a public official. He sought not the applause of men, but at all times and under all circumstances did as well as he could whatever his hand found to do. When his term of office expired, Governor Matthews re- turned to his farm in Vermillion County, known far and wide as Hazel Bluff Farm, there to live in peace and quiet as he had lived before entering public life. In a private letter to the writer not long before the end of his administration he said that his retirement and especially his return to rural life would bring no regrets to him. There was no reason why it should. He was essentially domestic in his tastes and habits and his home life was an ideal one. His wife, the only daughter of a former Governor, , was a fine type of Indiana womanhood. Their two daughters and son were worthy of their distinguished parents and contributed their share toward the happiness of the rural home. The pleasant routine of 278 Indiana Magazine of History country life, which had been interrupted by the six years’ stay in the capital city was resumed. Besides, the retiring of- ficial had the satisfaction of knowing that he carried with him the confidence and esteem of the people whom he had served faithfully for six years, two as Secretary of State and four as Governor. A few days before the end of his administration, John B. Stoll, who has already been quoted, said in the South and Times : It is a source of profound satisfaction to those who were instrumen- tal in securing the nomination and election of Mr. Matthews to the po- sition he is about to vacate, that neither blot nor blemish attaches to any act of his administration, and that in point of faithful devotion to public duty the retiring governor has not been excelled by any of his predeces- sors. And this satisfaction is heightened by the fact that Gov. Matthews’ course in office has amply verified the estimate of his qualities enter- tained by his friends previous to his being called into public life. They knew him to be a man of high character, rugged honesty and unquestion- able courage, and that if elected he would give the people a pure adminis- tration of his office. He has more than fulfilled expectations, and again assumes the garb of private citizen with the congratulations of his erst- while supporters and the commendation of those who opposed him.

If the files of the press throughout the State at that time should be searched, many similar tributes to his worth and his public service could be found. Nor were those testimonials merely perfunctory. They all had the ring of sincerity. Many illustrious men have filled the office of Governor during the for a little more than a century. Conspicuous among these were , her first governor, , James Whitcomb, Ashbel P. Wil- lard, Oliver P. Morton, , Thomas A. Hendricks, James D. (“Bluejeans”) Williams, Albert G. Porter, James A. Mount, Thomas R. Marshall and Samuel M. Ralston. The people of the Hoosier State cherish all these names and will permit none of them to fade from their memory. Among them all there is none that will be remembered with more sincere affection than that of our second farmer-Governor, Claude Matthews.