A Sacrificial Lamb? James M. Taylor Runs for Congress in 1884

ON AUGUST 5, 1884, the Thirteenth District Republican Congressional Convention met at the courthouse in Springfield, Illinois, to select a candidate for Congress. Unable to secure a permanent job with the Waukegan firm, he took a position in Taylorville, where he practiced quite successfully until his death in 1921. Because of his immigrant status, he was naturalized at the court in Waukegan on June 5, 1862, about two months before he joined the army. After appreciating the honor of the nomination, Taylor remarked, “He was not one of those who believed that it is time for the Republican part[y] to lie down and allow the Democratic party to walk into power, and pledged himself to do all in his power to aid the party to victory in November.” [...]national issues, with Illinois overtones, form a considerable part of Taylor's speech.