Milton J. Durham
Encyclopedia
Milton Jameson Durham was a U.S. Representative
from Kentucky
and served as First Comptroller of the Treasury
in the administration of President
Grover Cleveland
. An alumnus of DePauw University
and the University of Louisville School of Law, Durham held no political office prior to his appointment as a circuit court judge by Governor
Beriah Magoffin
in 1861. He was elected to represent Kentucky's Eighth District
in Congress in 1872. He served three terms and was a member of several finance-related committees. He was narrowly defeated for renomination in 1878 by Philip B. Thompson, Jr.
at the district's Democratic
nominating convention.
After unsuccessfully trying to regain the Eighth District seat from Thompson in 1884, Durham was appointed First Comptroller of the Treasury in 1885, serving throughout President Cleveland's term. In 1890, after battling a severe case of influenza
, Durham abandoned his law practice, moving to Lexington, Kentucky
and helping organize the Bank of Lexington. He was an officer of the bank for several years. He ardently held to a sound money position during the height of the Free Silver
movement. He was appointed deputy clerk of the Internal Revenue Service
at Lexington in 1901, a position he held until his death on February 12, 1911.
, Mercer County
(now Boyle County
), Kentucky. He was the son of Benjamin and Margaret (Robinson) Durham. His grandfather, John Durham, established the first Methodist
church west of the Allegheny Mountains
, and his descendents, including Durham, were adherents of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South
.
Durham attained his early education in the common schools of the area. In January 1841, he matriculated to Indiana Asbury (now De Pauw
) University in Greencastle, Indiana
and graduated with honors in 1844. After graduation, he taught in the common schools of Perryville and read law
under Joshua Fry Bell
. He attended the University of Louisville School of Law and graduated in March 1850. He was admitted to the bar
in the same year and commenced practice in Danville, Kentucky
. For several years, he served on the Board of Commissioners for the Kentucky Deaf and Dumb Asylum
in Danville.
On June 18, 1850, Durham married Martha J. Mitchell. The couple had five children – Louis H. Durham, Benjamin J. Durham, James Wesley Durham, Robert M. Durham, and Ora B. (Durham) Morris. Martha Durham died in 1879. After the death of his first wife, Durham married Margaret Leslie Carter in 1886.
politics and frequently urged by friends and acquaintances to seek a seat in the Kentucky House of Representatives
or Kentucky Senate
, Durham held no public office prior to 1861. In that year, Governor
Beriah Magoffin
appointed him circuit judge of the eighth judicial district. He served until 1862, but declined further service on the bench.
In 1872, Durham was elected to represent the heavily Democratic Eighth District
in the U.S. House of Representatives
, defeating Republican
William O. Bradley by a vote of 10,874 to 9,925. He served in the Forty-third
, Forty-fourth
, and Forty-fifth
Congresses (March 4, 1873-March 3, 1879). During his congressional tenure, he served on the House Committees on Banking and Currency
, Coinage, and Weights and Measures, and chaired the House Committees on Appropriations
and Revision of the Laws
. He also served on committees investigating the failure of the First Bank of the United States
, alleged fraud in the Western Judicial District of Arkansas
, the accounts of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing
, and the condition of the Freedman's Savings and Trust Company
. In response to the investigation of Freedman's Savings and Trust, he sponsored legislation designed to better secure the company's assets. He also made notable speeches on the subjects of the Civil Rights Act of 1871
and the resumption of specie
payments.
Durham sought re-election to his seat in 1878. He was opposed for the nomination by Philip B. Thompson, Jr.
, who defeated him by one-tenth of a vote at the Democratic nominating convention at Stanford, Kentucky
and went on to defeat the Republican
challenger, George Denny. At the expiration of his term, Durham returned to his law practice in Danville. He again sought the Democratic nomination to represent the Eighth District in 1884. His opponents were the incumbent, Philip B. Thompson, Jr., and former Governor James B. McCreary
. So great was the excitement about the race that party leaders decided to chose the nominee by a primary election
rather than a nominating convention for the first time in the history of the district. Durham finished behind both Thompson and McCreary, who won the nomination and went on to defeat the Republican nominee, James Sebastian.
In 1885, President
Grover Cleveland
appointed Durham First Comptroller of the Treasury
of the United States; he served from March 20, 1885 until the office was discontinued on April 22, 1889. During his tenure, he sparked a minor controversy between himself and Governor J. Proctor Knott
when, in a private letter to a friend, he suggested that Kentucky needed a financier in the governor's office. The letter went on to say that, while Durham had no plans to actively seek the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in 1887, he would consider running if the nomination were offered him, provided that President Cleveland approved of his resignation to seek the office. The courier who delivered the letter also shared it with a newspaper editor who subsequently published it. Governor Knott took the letter as a slap at his financial acumen. A noted satirist from his time in Congress, Knott responded with a biting letter in the local newspaper.
, Durham's doctors advised him to abandon the practice of law. In 1890, he moved to Lexington, Kentucky
and engaged in banking. He helped organize the Central Bank of Lexington and served as the bank's cashier and also served as the treasurer of the Blue Grass Building and Loan Association.
Remaining interested in politics, he was among the speakers at a May 14, 1894 rally to condemn the renomination of Congressman William Campbell Preston Breckinridge
because of his admission, under oath, of having an extramarital affair. Later that year, the announcement of Durham as a replacement speaker for Senator
William Lindsay at a rally in Mount Sterling, Kentucky
advocating the gold standard
touched off a riot among free silver
supporters in which one man was killed and several others were injured. In 1896, Durham disputed an article that appeared in the Lexington Leader
newspaper claiming that he and other sound money backers had advised Treasury Secretary
John G. Carlisle not to visit Kentucky at that time. Durham's initial meeting with the newspaper's editor ended peacefully, but when Durham returned later in the day to further protest, he got into an altercation with one of the newspaper's writers and bloodied his face.
Durham was appointed deputy clerk of the Internal Revenue Service
at Lexington in 1901 and served until his death in that city on February 12, 1911. He was interred in Belleview Cemetery in Danville.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
and served as First Comptroller of the Treasury
Comptroller of the Treasury
The Comptroller of the Treasury was an official of the United States Department of the Treasury from 1789 to 1817. According to section III of the Act of Congress establishing the Treasury Department, it is the comptroller's duty to...
in the administration of President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
. An alumnus of DePauw University
DePauw University
DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, USA, is a private, national liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the Great Lakes Colleges Association...
and the University of Louisville School of Law, Durham held no political office prior to his appointment as a circuit court judge by Governor
Governor of Kentucky
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of government in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Fifty-six men and one woman have served as Governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-election once...
Beriah Magoffin
Beriah Magoffin
Beriah Magoffin was the 21st Governor of Kentucky, serving during the early part of the Civil War. Personally, Magoffin adhered to a states' rights position, including the right of a state to secede from the Union, and he sympathized with the Confederate cause...
in 1861. He was elected to represent Kentucky's Eighth District
Kentucky's 8th congressional district
United States House of Representatives, Kentucky District 8 was a district of the United States Congress in Kentucky. It was lost to redistricting in 1963. Its last Representative was Eugene Siler.-List of representatives:-References:*...
in Congress in 1872. He served three terms and was a member of several finance-related committees. He was narrowly defeated for renomination in 1878 by Philip B. Thompson, Jr.
Philip B. Thompson, Jr.
Philip Burton Thompson, Jr. was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky.Born in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, Thompson attended the common schools and the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky....
at the district's Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
nominating convention.
After unsuccessfully trying to regain the Eighth District seat from Thompson in 1884, Durham was appointed First Comptroller of the Treasury in 1885, serving throughout President Cleveland's term. In 1890, after battling a severe case of influenza
Influenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
, Durham abandoned his law practice, moving to Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
and helping organize the Bank of Lexington. He was an officer of the bank for several years. He ardently held to a sound money position during the height of the Free Silver
Free Silver
Free Silver was an important United States political policy issue in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Its advocates were in favor of an inflationary monetary policy using the "free coinage of silver" as opposed to the less inflationary Gold Standard; its supporters were called...
movement. He was appointed deputy clerk of the Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
at Lexington in 1901, a position he held until his death on February 12, 1911.
Early life and family
Milton J. Durham was born near PerryvillePerryville, Kentucky
Perryville is a historical city in western Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 763 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, Mercer County
Mercer County, Kentucky
Mercer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 20,817. Its county seat is Harrodsburg. The county is named for General Hugh Mercer...
(now Boyle County
Boyle County, Kentucky
Boyle County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Its county seat is Danville. In 2000, its population was 28,432. It was formed in 1842 and named for John Boyle , a U.S...
), Kentucky. He was the son of Benjamin and Margaret (Robinson) Durham. His grandfather, John Durham, established the first Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
church west of the Allegheny Mountains
Allegheny Mountains
The Allegheny Mountain Range , also spelled Alleghany, Allegany and, informally, the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the eastern United States and Canada...
, and his descendents, including Durham, were adherents of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South
Methodist Episcopal Church, South
The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, or Methodist Episcopal Church South, was the so-called "Southern Methodist Church" resulting from the split over the issue of slavery in the Methodist Episcopal Church which had been brewing over several years until it came out into the open at a conference...
.
Durham attained his early education in the common schools of the area. In January 1841, he matriculated to Indiana Asbury (now De Pauw
DePauw University
DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, USA, is a private, national liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the Great Lakes Colleges Association...
) University in Greencastle, Indiana
Greencastle, Indiana
Greencastle is a city in Greencastle Township, Putnam County, Indiana, United States, and the county seat of Putnam County. It was founded in 1821 by Scots-Irish American Ephraim Dukes on a land grant. He named the settlement for his hometown of Greencastle, Pennsylvania...
and graduated with honors in 1844. After graduation, he taught in the common schools of Perryville and read law
Reading law
Reading law is the method by which persons in common law countries, particularly the United States, entered the legal profession before the advent of law schools. This usage specifically refers to a means of entering the profession . A small number of U.S...
under Joshua Fry Bell
Joshua Fry Bell
Joshua Fry Bell was a Kentucky political figure.Bell was born in Danville, Kentucky, where he attended public schools and then Centre College, where he graduated in 1828...
. He attended the University of Louisville School of Law and graduated in March 1850. He was admitted to the bar
Admission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
in the same year and commenced practice in Danville, Kentucky
Danville, Kentucky
Danville is a city in and the county seat of Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 16,218 at the 2010 census.Danville is the principal city of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Boyle and Lincoln counties....
. For several years, he served on the Board of Commissioners for the Kentucky Deaf and Dumb Asylum
Kentucky School for the Deaf
The Kentucky School for the Deaf , located in Danville, Kentucky, provides education to deaf and hard-of-hearing children from elementary through high school levels.-History:...
in Danville.
On June 18, 1850, Durham married Martha J. Mitchell. The couple had five children – Louis H. Durham, Benjamin J. Durham, James Wesley Durham, Robert M. Durham, and Ora B. (Durham) Morris. Martha Durham died in 1879. After the death of his first wife, Durham married Margaret Leslie Carter in 1886.
Political career
Although active in DemocraticDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
politics and frequently urged by friends and acquaintances to seek a seat in the Kentucky House of Representatives
Kentucky House of Representatives
The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form a House district, except when necessary to preserve...
or Kentucky Senate
Kentucky Senate
The Kentucky Senate is the upper house of the Kentucky General Assembly. The Kentucky Senate is composed of 38 members elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. There are no term limits for Kentucky Senators...
, Durham held no public office prior to 1861. In that year, Governor
Governor of Kentucky
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of government in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Fifty-six men and one woman have served as Governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-election once...
Beriah Magoffin
Beriah Magoffin
Beriah Magoffin was the 21st Governor of Kentucky, serving during the early part of the Civil War. Personally, Magoffin adhered to a states' rights position, including the right of a state to secede from the Union, and he sympathized with the Confederate cause...
appointed him circuit judge of the eighth judicial district. He served until 1862, but declined further service on the bench.
In 1872, Durham was elected to represent the heavily Democratic Eighth District
Kentucky's 8th congressional district
United States House of Representatives, Kentucky District 8 was a district of the United States Congress in Kentucky. It was lost to redistricting in 1963. Its last Representative was Eugene Siler.-List of representatives:-References:*...
in the U.S. House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, defeating Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
William O. Bradley by a vote of 10,874 to 9,925. He served in the Forty-third
43rd United States Congress
The Forty-third United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1873 to March 4, 1875, during the fifth and sixth...
, Forty-fourth
44th United States Congress
The Forty-fourth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1875 to March 4, 1877, during the seventh and...
, and Forty-fifth
45th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:-Leadership:-Senate:*President: William A. Wheeler *President pro tempore: Thomas W. Ferry -House of Representatives:*Speaker: Samuel J. Randall -Members:This list is arranged by chamber, then by state...
Congresses (March 4, 1873-March 3, 1879). During his congressional tenure, he served on the House Committees on Banking and Currency
United States House Committee on Financial Services
The United States House Committee on Financial Services is the committee of the United States House of Representatives that oversees the entire financial services industry, including the securities, insurance, banking, and housing industries...
, Coinage, and Weights and Measures, and chaired the House Committees on Appropriations
United States House Committee on Appropriations
The Committee on Appropriations is a committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is in charge of setting the specific expenditures of money by the government of the United States...
and Revision of the Laws
United States House Committee on the Judiciary
The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, administrative agencies and Federal law enforcement...
. He also served on committees investigating the failure of the First Bank of the United States
First Bank of the United States
The First Bank of the United States is a National Historic Landmark located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania within Independence National Historical Park.-Banking History:...
, alleged fraud in the Western Judicial District of Arkansas
United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas
The United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas is a United States District Court whose jurisdiction comprises the following counties: Ashley, Baxter, Benton, Boone, Bradley, Calhoun, Carroll, Clarke, Columbia, Crawford, Franklin, Garland, Hempstead, Hot Springs, Howard,...
, the accounts of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing is a government agency within the United States Department of the Treasury that designs and produces a variety of security products for the United States government, most notable of which is paper currency for the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve itself is...
, and the condition of the Freedman's Savings and Trust Company
Freedman's Savings Bank
The Freedman's Saving and Trust Company, popularly known as the Freedman's Savings Bank, was a financial organization created by the U.S. government to encourage and guide the economic development of the newly-emancipated African-American communities in the post-Civil War period...
. In response to the investigation of Freedman's Savings and Trust, he sponsored legislation designed to better secure the company's assets. He also made notable speeches on the subjects of the Civil Rights Act of 1871
Civil Rights Act of 1871
The Civil Rights Act of 1871, , enacted April 20, 1871, is a federal law in force in the United States. The Act was originally enacted a few years after the American Civil War, along with the 1870 Force Act. One of the chief reasons for its passage was to protect southern blacks from the Ku Klux...
and the resumption of specie
Specie
Specie may refer to:* Coins or other metal money in mass circulation* Bullion coins* Hard money * Commodity money* Specie Circular, 1836 executive order by US President Andrew Jackson regarding hard money* Specie Payment Resumption Act...
payments.
Durham sought re-election to his seat in 1878. He was opposed for the nomination by Philip B. Thompson, Jr.
Philip B. Thompson, Jr.
Philip Burton Thompson, Jr. was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky.Born in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, Thompson attended the common schools and the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky....
, who defeated him by one-tenth of a vote at the Democratic nominating convention at Stanford, Kentucky
Stanford, Kentucky
Stanford is a city in Lincoln County, Kentucky, United States. It is one of the oldest settlements in Kentucky, having been founded in 1775. Its population was 3,430 at the 2000 census...
and went on to defeat the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
challenger, George Denny. At the expiration of his term, Durham returned to his law practice in Danville. He again sought the Democratic nomination to represent the Eighth District in 1884. His opponents were the incumbent, Philip B. Thompson, Jr., and former Governor James B. McCreary
James B. McCreary
James Bennett McCreary was a lawyer and politician from the US state of Kentucky. He represented the state in both houses of the U.S. Congress and served as its 27th and 37th governor...
. So great was the excitement about the race that party leaders decided to chose the nominee by a primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
rather than a nominating convention for the first time in the history of the district. Durham finished behind both Thompson and McCreary, who won the nomination and went on to defeat the Republican nominee, James Sebastian.
In 1885, President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
appointed Durham First Comptroller of the Treasury
Comptroller of the Treasury
The Comptroller of the Treasury was an official of the United States Department of the Treasury from 1789 to 1817. According to section III of the Act of Congress establishing the Treasury Department, it is the comptroller's duty to...
of the United States; he served from March 20, 1885 until the office was discontinued on April 22, 1889. During his tenure, he sparked a minor controversy between himself and Governor J. Proctor Knott
J. Proctor Knott
James Proctor Knott was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky and served as the 29th Governor of Kentucky from 1883 to 1887. Born in Kentucky, he moved to Missouri in 1850 and began his political career there...
when, in a private letter to a friend, he suggested that Kentucky needed a financier in the governor's office. The letter went on to say that, while Durham had no plans to actively seek the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in 1887, he would consider running if the nomination were offered him, provided that President Cleveland approved of his resignation to seek the office. The courier who delivered the letter also shared it with a newspaper editor who subsequently published it. Governor Knott took the letter as a slap at his financial acumen. A noted satirist from his time in Congress, Knott responded with a biting letter in the local newspaper.
Later life and death
After a severe bout with influenzaInfluenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
, Durham's doctors advised him to abandon the practice of law. In 1890, he moved to Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
and engaged in banking. He helped organize the Central Bank of Lexington and served as the bank's cashier and also served as the treasurer of the Blue Grass Building and Loan Association.
Remaining interested in politics, he was among the speakers at a May 14, 1894 rally to condemn the renomination of Congressman William Campbell Preston Breckinridge
William Campbell Preston Breckinridge
William Campbell Preston Breckinridge was a Democratic U.S. Representative from Kentucky, a Member of the Masonic Lodge, and a Member of the Knights Templar. He was the first cousin of Vice President of the United States John C. Breckinridge.He was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and graduated from...
because of his admission, under oath, of having an extramarital affair. Later that year, the announcement of Durham as a replacement speaker for Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
William Lindsay at a rally in Mount Sterling, Kentucky
Mount Sterling, Kentucky
The Mt. Sterling-Montgomery County Library was established in 1871. The Mt. Sterling – Montgomery County Library moved to the current location, accessible from both Main and Locust Streets, in July 1984. The building was officially dedicated on September 30, 1984...
advocating the gold standard
Gold standard
The gold standard is a monetary system in which the standard economic unit of account is a fixed mass of gold. There are distinct kinds of gold standard...
touched off a riot among free silver
Free Silver
Free Silver was an important United States political policy issue in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Its advocates were in favor of an inflationary monetary policy using the "free coinage of silver" as opposed to the less inflationary Gold Standard; its supporters were called...
supporters in which one man was killed and several others were injured. In 1896, Durham disputed an article that appeared in the Lexington Leader
Lexington Herald-Leader
The Lexington Herald-Leader is a newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company and based in the U.S. city of Lexington, Kentucky. According to the 1999 Editor & Publisher International Yearbook, the Herald-Leaders paid circulation is the second largest in the Commonwealth of Kentucky...
newspaper claiming that he and other sound money backers had advised Treasury Secretary
United States Secretary of the Treasury
The Secretary of the Treasury of the United States is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, which is concerned with financial and monetary matters, and, until 2003, also with some issues of national security and defense. This position in the Federal Government of the United...
John G. Carlisle not to visit Kentucky at that time. Durham's initial meeting with the newspaper's editor ended peacefully, but when Durham returned later in the day to further protest, he got into an altercation with one of the newspaper's writers and bloodied his face.
Durham was appointed deputy clerk of the Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
at Lexington in 1901 and served until his death in that city on February 12, 1911. He was interred in Belleview Cemetery in Danville.