James A. Tawney

As printed in 1894

JUDGE J. A. TAWNEY.

Hon. James A. Tawney.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

1881. Mr. Tawney now resolved upon a change of work. For two years previous, unassisted and undirected, he had read law, and he now entered the law office of Bentley & Vance, where he made rapid progress. He applied himself closely, and in an incredibly short time had mastered much of the knowledge which is essential to successful legal practice. He was admitted to the Bar July 10,

1882, and went to Madison, Wis., to further pursue his legal studies in the Stale University-, but owing to Mr. Bentley's death he returned home, and at once entered upon what has been a most brilliant professional career. To a casual observer his success seems almost phenomenal, and to one more acquainted with his methods it cannot but fail to excite admiration and wonder. His reading has covered a wide range, and his general knowledge has been brought into use at the Bar. His ability\' as an advocate was soon recognized, and he has been connected with many of the important cases in the district. Steadily his business has increased until, when not occupied with his official cares, his time is almost entirely taken up by attention to his many clients.

A successful lawyer often makes, an able otticial, and such has been the case with Mr. Tawney. In 1883 he was elected Judge Advocate of the Second Minnesota National Guards, in which position he served until January, 1891, when he was made Judge Advocate-General on the staff of Governor Merriam. In the fall of 1890 he was elected State Senator from the Fifteenth District, and served four years. In Winona County the Democratic candidate for Governor received a majority of sixteen hundred the same year, but Mr. Tawney overcame that majority, and carried the county by a vote of four hundred. This was the result of his great personal popularity, and, more than that, of the confidence and trust reposed in him. In the expression of his political views he had given forth no uncertain sound, and was recognized as one of the leading Republicans of the state. He was Vice-President of the Republican State League from February, 1888, until March, 1891, and since that time has served on the Republican State Central Committee. While in the Senate be served on the Judiciary Committee, and was one of the chief opiionents of Ignatius Donnelly and other Populist members who attempted impracticable and "wild-cat" legislation.

Mr. Tawney was married on the 19th of December, 1883, to Miss Emma Newell, a lady of culture and refinement, who is well fitted to be the companion of her illustrious husband. They have four children: Everett Franklin, James Millard, John E. and Maud Josephine.

To follow in detail the career of Mr. Tawney in the State Senate and in Congress would be to write a volume, but much is deserving of mention on the pages of the history of his adopted county.

He was Chairman of the Senator Davis Committee in 1893, when Davis was candidate for the United States Senate, and was largely instrumental in securing his election. He was ever an earnest worker for the interest of his constituents, and his careful policy and recognized ability made him the choice of his party as candidate for Congress in Waseca. July 26, 1892. Two other names were proposed — Allen J. Greer, of Wabasha, and G. W. Rockwell, of Rushford. He received the majority on an informal ballot, and on the first ballot was nominated by acclamation. During the campaign he made sixty-five speeches. His Democratic opponent was Hon. W. H. Harries, of Caledonia, who two years before had been elected by a majority of twenty-three hundred. A Populist and a Prohibition candidate were also in the field. A vigorous campaign followed, and Mr. Tawney was elected by a plurality of thirty-one hundred and sixty.

Mr. Tawney took his seat in Congress in the extra session of the Fifty-third Congress, August 7, 1893. He was made a member of the Committee on Pensions and of Irrigation of Arid Lauds, with which he is still connected. Under Act of December 21, 1893. it became unlawful for the department of the Interior to refuse to pay pensions without giving pensioners thirty days' notice of charges, and a chance to refute the same. The department, iiowever, paid no attention to the law, but continued disallowing pensions. Mr. Tawney had a number of eases among his constituents who were unjustly affected by the ruling of the department, their claims being clouded by the Van Luven pension litigation. He secured the p.passage of legislation, reciting the fact that certain constituents, naming eight men, had pensions suspended without notice, and that payment had been withheld in violation of the Act of December 21, 1893, for three months, and asked the Department of the Interior why the act had not been complied with. The bill was reported on favorably by the Committee on Invalid Pensions, and passed by the House, and as a result it obtained a ruling from the Department of Justice that enforced the provisions of the act providing that notice should be given of the suspension of pensions. This ruling affected at least ten thousand pensioners, and resulted in the payment of over 81,000,000. His speech on pensions, delivered March 5, 1894, was a masterly effort, setting forth in a powerful way his views on the question, and won repeated applause.

Mr. Tawney delivered his maiden speech in the extra session on the repeal of the Federal Election. Law. He delivered three brilliant speeches on the tariff and one on reciprocity, and their reception by the members of his party was shown by the frequent cheers which greeted him. He made an able argument in behalf of the tariff, when he showed that on account of the duty on Canadian barley, there was an increase in the state of Minnesota from seven million bushels in 1890 to sixteen million bushels in 1892.

Mr. Tawney was associated with such men as Reed, Burroughs, Cannon, Boutelleand other leaders, and in the Congress of the Nation won the recognition of merit and ability. Hon. C. E. Town, of Duluth, said of Mr. Tawney in the Republican State Convention, that one of the leaders of the House, Mr. Boutelle, had remarked that in his experience in the House he never knew of a new member who had made a more favorable impression than had Mr. Tawney.

Asahel B. Quimby.

As printed in Portrait and biographical record of Winona county, Minnesota. Containing biographical sketches of prominent ... citizens .. (1894). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.