Trimble, Saunders, Pusey, Anderson, Patterson, Kirkwood, Cattell, Grinnell and their associates; in the House such men of age and experience as Lincoln Clark, Shelledy, Ayers and Streeter, with men younger in years but equal in ability, like Casady, Seevers, Edwards and Bradley, while it contained a galaxy of sixteen young men the equal of whom are rarely found in any legislative body. They were Belknap, McCrary, Wilson, Gue, Wright, Bates, Carpenter, Drummond, Jackson, Curtis, Clune, Sprague, Woodward, Beal, Bennett and Casady, of Woodbury. Some were but a few years out of their “teens,” McCrary being but twenty-two, and all were in “twenties,” but there were giants among them. Of these Belknap afterwards became Secretary of War; McCrary, Secretary of War and afterwards a Judge of the United States Circuit Court; Wilson a United States Senator; Carpenter, Governor of the State; Gue, Lieutenant-Governor; Wright, a Brigadier General, while others of them attained high and responsible positions. Few brighter stars have shone in the intellectual firmament than Tom Drummond and T. Walter Jackson. It is a noteworthy fact that two of these youngsters, Gue and Wright, fought through and procured the passage of a bill establishing the Agricultural College in the face of an adverse report upon it from the committee of ways and means. Eight years later these same two youngsters, as presiding officers of the two branches of the Eleventh General Assembly, one as Lieutenant-Governor and the other as Speaker of the House, certified to the election to the United States Senate of Samuel J. Kirkwood, one of their co-lawmakers at this session.”
A spirited contest was waged for some time before the Legislature assembled among the Republicans, who had elected a majority in both branches, over the choice of a candidate for United States Senator to succeed George W. Jones. After the Legislature convened the contest became warmer and a strong effort was made to unite the members from the northern part of the State upon a candidate in opposition to ex-Governor Grimes. It was not successful and in the Republican caucus, called to select a candidate, the ballot stood as follows: James W. Grimes, thirty-nine; James Thorington, thirteen; Wm. Smyth, eight; Timothy Davis, three; giving the nomination to Governor Grimes by a clear majority. The Democrats nominated Ben M. Samuels, and in the election which took place on the 26th of January, Grimes received sixty-four votes, and Samuels forty-one. James W. Grimes
