The Humphreys family in America - citizen hylbom blog

Mr. Humphrey's education was obtained in the pubHc schools and at the Cortland Academ}-.
At the early age of sixteen he commenced the business of life as a merchant's clerk, in Ithaca,
New York, in which employment he remained several years. Developing with mature years a
preference for professional life, he left mercantile pursuits and entered upon the study of law in
the office of Walbridge & Finch, at Ithaca, where he remained until he was admitted to the bar,
lo July, 1854, at Delhi, N. Y. Thinking that the new western country offered a better field for
a youthful practitioner, he selected Hudson, Wis., for a location, and settled there in January,
1855, where he has ever since remained. He soon entered upon the tide of successful business.
Not long after this auspicious beginning, a vacancy occurred in the office of District Attorney of
that county, and Mr. Humphrey received an appointment to the position, holding this office
during such vacancy. In the fall of i860 he was appointed, by the Governor, County Judge for
St. Croix County, to fill a vacancy, and was elected to the same office at the regular election the
ensuing spring for the full term of four years, commencing i January, 1862. In the meantime,
having been elected State Senator in the fall of 1S61, he resigned his office of County Judge in
Feb., 1862, having taken his seat in the Senate. This was in the height of the Civil War, and
Senator Humphrey was found conspicuously acting with those who, with voice and vote, were
endeavoring to maintain the Union soldiers in the field and to uphold the hands of the President.
After the fall of Fort Donelson, a bill was introduced and passed the Assembly to repeal
the law of 1861, which gave $3 a month to the wives of soldiers who enlisted in the infantrj'.
The bill, on going to the Senate, immediately passed to a third reading. At this juncture. Senator
Humphrey, although a new member, strongly objected to it, holding that such action would be an
unjust violation of good faith, and would drive the men of Wisconsin to enlist in States holding out
better inducements; and he enforced these views with such pointed language that the question
resulted in increasing the amount to $5 per month, and including every arm of the service. To
meet the payment of the large sum of money this bill would call for, the use of the school fund was
resorted to. Objections to so using these funds were made by democrats, who claimed that the State
might, at some future time, repudiate the debt. Senator Humphrey took the floor, and among
other things said, "Let her repudiate"; adding that as trustee of the school fund the State would
be compelled to make the fund good in any contingency, and that this measure would make the
war bonds of the State good; which proved true. He also introduced an amendment to the State
Constitution, to add, after the word "State," occurring in section seven, article eight, "and the
United States," so that no further discredit could be brought on the bonds on the ground that
they had been issued to defend the United States, and not the State, in time of war, the adoption
of which would have saved the State much trouble in providing for its bonds in 1865. He like-
wise made a speech in favor of the proposition to permit soldiers in the field to vote, which
received high commendation at the time, both by those who heard it and by the press.
Mr. Humphrey's speech in the U. S. House of Representatives, delivered 10 May, 1882,
upon the Geneva Award, has been somewhat commended for the position therein taken, viz. :
that the underwriters could not be subrogated! to %ie rights of ship-owners insured, who suffered
loss by Confederate cruisers and abandoned lo the underwriters, and paid their losses; for the
reason that the underwriters insured against the acts of the Confederate States, or their cruisers,
and not against the United States, in not using due diligence in preventing Confederate cruisers
to leave her shores and destroy our mercantile marine, a position then first taken by him; an
ingenious argument—which has but recently been confirmed by a decision of the U. S. Court of
Claims, that the Government is not a trustee of the fund, or money, awarded this Government by
the Geneva Court of Arbitration.
In 1865 Judge Humphrey was elected and served one year as Mayor of Hudson, and in
the spring of 1866 was chosen Judge of the Eighth Judicial Circuit, lo which he was re-elected in
1S72, and resigned in March, 1877, having served in the office from J.uuuiry. 1S67, to March,