Warner Miller, U.S. Senator

Wikipedia

Warner Miller (August 12, 1838 – March 21, 1918) was a US Congressman and US Senator from New York. He served in the Union Army during the Civil War, being mustered in as Sergeant Major of the 5th New York Volunteer Cavalry on October 7, 1861. He was captured by Confederate forces at the First Battle of Winchester on May 25, 1862, and after his exchanged was honorably discharged due to disability on June 17, 1862. He was elected as a Republican to represent New York's 22nd Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1879 to 1881. He was then elected as a Republican Senator from New York to the United States Senate, serving from 1881 to 1887.

Source: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7090616

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WARNER MILLER, EX-SENATOR, DIES; Successor of Roscoe Conkling Succumbs After an Operation in His 79th Year. ~ POWER IN STATE TILL 1888 ~ His Wane Followed His Defeat for Governor by Hill, and Financial Reverses Came in 1913.

Former United States Senator Warner Miller, many years ago an important figure in State and national Republican polities, died yesterday in the Polyclinic Hospital, following an operation. Ex-Senator Miller was removed to the hospital ten day's ago from the Hotel Manhattan, where he was stopping. He was in his eightieth year.

Warner Miller was United States Senator from New York from 1881 10 1887 and before that had served in theLegislature at Albany and two terms in Congress. His home was at Herkimer, N.Y., where he had a large paper manufacturing interest until overtaken by financial disaster in 1913, after the failure of a mining company in which he had invested all his money. It was then thought that the one-time astute politician and financier was the victim of unscrupulous promoters and speculators.

Ex-Senator Miller is remembered as the successor of Roscoe Conkling as Senator from New York, as the man who rose to the leadership of the Republican forces in the State after a contest with Platt, and later when a candidate for Governor in the same year Benjamin Harrison was elected President as "the intrepid leader who fell outside the breastworks." With his defeat for the Governorship, the ambition of the forceful leader's life was throttled, and Platt captured the credit for the Republican vote in New York State. Harrison uttered the expression characterizing Miller "as the intrepid leader who fell outside the breastworks" and it clung to him for the remainder of his years.

Warner Miller was born in Oswego County in 1838, a son of Hiram Miller. Warner Miller went to school near his father's home until he was 14 years old, when he was sent to an academy at Charlottesville. He was graduated from Union College with honors in 1860 and accepted a position as teacher of Latin and Greek in the Collegiate Institute at Ford Edward, N.Y.

Not long after this he enlisted for the civil war, and with the Fifth New York Cavalry saw hard fighting in the Shenandoah Valley under General Sheridan. He was promoted to be Lieutenant for brave conduct int the field, and when Stonewall Jackson defeated General Banks at the battle of Winchester, Lieutenant Miller was among the prisoners taken by the Confederates. He was held for two weeks. He became ill, was put in a Confederate hospital, and later sent back to Fort Edward, N.Y., where several of his friends were paper manufacturers. He began the study of this business and was appointed Superintendent of a mill.

Later he went to Belgium to study the making of paper, and returning to this country began as a scientific paper manufacturer. He acquired paper mills at Palmer's Falls and Herkimer, and at Lyon's Falls he owned a wood pulp mill.

In 1867, Mr Miller became Chairman of the Herkimer County Committee, and while an Assemblyman at Albany from 1872 to 1874, he was a member of important committees and supported Governor Tilden in his canal reform measures. He was elected to the Forty-sixth and Forty-seventh Congresses and was chosen Senator from New YOrk upon the resignation of Roscoe Conkling. While in the Senate he secured the passage of Oleomargarine bill and introduced a bill permitting the United States authorities to place a head tax upon immigrants, resulting in a fund to care from the needy among them. In the Presidential Convention of 1884, Senator Miller urged the nomination of Blaine and was largely instrumental in bringing it about.

He was still in power when in 1888, he was nominated for Governor without a dissenting vote. Both he and Platt had opposed the nomination of Benjamin Harrison for President, his favorite being John Sherman. Mr Miller mad a strong canvass and delivered 117 speeches. the result was that, although Harrison carried New York against Cleveland by 650,338 to 635,965 votes, Miller was defeated for Governor by David B Hill by a vote of 650,464 to 631,293.

Mr Miller's political power began to wane after this and when later he advocated stricter laws regarding the sale of liquor, the Prohibition Committee accused him of having a secret wine vault in his Herkimer home.

Mr Millder was a delegate at large to the Republican National Convention of 1892, and two years later was a candidate for the nomination for Governor. He failed of this, Levi P Morton's name having been put forward by the Platt supporters.

1889, Mr Miller was one of the organizers of the Nicaragua Canal Company, which failed, but when the International Paper Company was organized he recouped part of his losses by turning his paper mills into the combination for $500,000. Under the will of his wife Senator Miller had the use of the homestead at Herkimer for life.

He is survived by three sons, Max Miller, Burr Miller and Guy H Miller, and one daughter, Mrs. Loring Hildreth.

Source: The New York Times. Published 22 March 1918. http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=FA0D1EF73A5B11738...