Voorhees - Daniel W. - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Washington, April 12—Daniel W. Voorhees died in this city Saturday from an attack of angina pectoris. With him at the time of his death was his son, Reese H. and daughter, Hallie.

Mr. Voorhees had represented Indiana in the United States Senate for 20 years and had served in the house for five terms previous. During the last political campaign Senator Voorhees’ health was so poor that he was unable to participate, but after his return to Washington last November he seemed to improve. Some two weeks ago he was again attacked with rheumatism and about the middle of last week his condition became serious, but as he did not take his bed, the family felt no immediate alarm.

Daniel W. Voorhees was born in Butler County, Ohio, in 1827. In infancy he was taken to Indiana and in 1849 he graduated from what is now DePauw University. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1851, and began practicing at Covington, Ind., in the same year. His first entrance into public life was in 1856, when he ran for congress as a Democrat and was defeated. In 1858 he was appointed United States District Attorney for Indiana, which office he held until 1861. He was elected to Congress in 1860, and took his seat in 1861. He was re-elected twice, but his third term was successfully contested by Henry D. Washburn. But he was again elected in 1869, and served until 1873. On the death of Oliver P. Morton, Mr. Voorhees was appointed to fill the unexpired term in the senate. He took his seat in November, 1877, and has been continuously in the senate since that time. In his earlier public life Mr. Voorhees was giving the sobriquet of “The Tall Sycamore of the Wabash.”  He was the ranking Democrat on the finance committee before his retirement from the senate, and by virtue of this position the nominal leader at least of his party on the floor of the senate on tariff and financial questions. In the repeal of the Sherman silver law the ex-senator took a prominent part. It was his last important work in the senate and the final accomplishment of the repeal was largely to his effective support. The finance committee at this time was almost equally divided on the financial question, and the balance of power lay practically with Mr. Voorhees. It was the severe strain he was subject to during the repeal of this law that permanently impaired his health.

Senator Voorhees was one of the most striking figures in the senate. He was large and magnificently proportioned and as an orator had few peers. He commanded a vocabulary that gave his utterances earnestness and feeling that strangely influenced his hearers.