Legislator; born in
Lawrenceville, Ind., Jan. 6, 1843; accompanied his father's family to
Madison, Wis., in 1859; graduated at the Wisconsin State University in 1864; entered the
Union army and became major of the 50th Wisconsin Volunteers, and was private and military secretary to
Gov. Lucius Fairchild (q. v.). He was admitted to the bar in 1867; was associate Attorney-General in 1867-70; removed to
Hudson, Wis., in the latter year, and practised law there till 1884; and was elected United
[
336]
States
Senator to succeed
Angus Cameron for the term beginning March 4, 1885.
On the expiration of this term (1891) he was succeeded by
William F. Vilas, Democrat.
In 1892 he was defeated as Republican candidate for governor of
Wisconsin; in the following year removed to
Madison, and on Jan. 27, 1897, was again elected
United States Senator to succeed
Senator Vilas.
In the Fifty-sixth Congress
Senator Spooner was chairman of the committee on rules, and a member of the committees on the judiciary, public, health and national quarantine, finance, and relations with
Cuba; his membership in the latter committee was exceedingly influential, and greatly aided
President McKinley in carrying out the scheme of Congress for the tentative management of Cuban affairs.
