184	HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY

	Under the old constitution members of the state senate were elected
for three years; under the new constitution for four years. The sena-
torial district of 1825, composed of Vigo, Sullivan, Parke, Montgomery,
Vermillion, Owen, Putnam, Greene, Hendricks, Morgan and Clay coun-
ties, was represented by John M. Coleman, of Vigo. By a re-apportion-
ment at some time within the three years succeeding, Vigo, Sullivan and
Clay counties were constituted a senatorial district, which remained un-
changed territorially for the period of thirty years, with the following
representation: 1828, William C. Linton, of Vigo; 1831, James Farring-
ton, of Vigo; 1834, George Boone, of Sullivan; 1837, James T. Moffitt,
of Vigo; 1840, James T. Moffitt; 1843, Ransom W. Aikin, of Sullivan;
1846, James H. Henry, of Vigo; 1849, James M. Hanna, of Clay; 1852,
Michael Combs, of Clay; 1856, William E. McLean, of Vigo, during
whose term the state was redistricted, under which Putnam and Clay
formed a district, from which Archibald Johnson, of Putnam, was elected
in 1860, succeeded in 1864 by Athel Staggs, of Clay. In redistricting the
state again, Sullivan and Clay were organized into a district and James
M.	Hanna, of Sullivan, elected in 1868. Hanna died within the term,
and, in 1870, Joshua Alsop, of Sullivan, was chosen to fill out the unex-
pired term. In 1872 Morgan B. Ringo, of Clay, was elected, and during
his term Clay and Owen were thrown together, and Inman H. Fowler, of
Owen, elected in 1876. Isaac M. Compton, of Clay, was elected in 1880,
and Inman H. Fowler again elected in 1884. George A. Byrd, of Clay,
was elected in 1888, succeeded by Samuel R. McKelvey, of Owen, in
1892. Frank A. Horner, of Clay, was elected in 1896, succeeded by
Ashbel H. Wampler, of Owen, in 1900. Ralph W. Moss, of Clay, was
elected in 1904, and, the state having been again redistricted, in 1905,
Samuel D. Royse, of Vigo county, was elected in 1908.
	By an enactment of the general assembly of 1879, Montgomery, Put-
nam and Clay counties were organized into a joint representative district
for the election of members of the lower house, the first election there-
under taking place in the fall of i88o. The succession in representation
from this district is as follows: i88o, William M. Ridpath, of Clay, who
was elected speaker of the house; 1882, Fred J. S. Robinson, of Clay, who
was re-elected in 1884, and again in 1886; 1888, Michael J. Carroll, of
Montgomery, who was re-elected in 1890; 1892, Frank D. Ader, of Put-
nam; 1894, Thomas T. Moore, of Putnam; 1896, George J. Kayser, of
Clay. Under the apportionment made at the session of 1897 Clay and
Owen counties were constituted a joint district, with representation as
follows: 1898, Luther B. Downey, of Owen; 1900, Joshua R. Horsfield,
of Clay; 1902, Tenny P. Lewis, of Clay; 1904, Temple G. Pierson, of
Owen, who was re-elected in 1906, succeeded in 1908 by B. F. Mugg, of
Owen.
	From the time of its organization until the year 1833 Clay county
was a part of the first congressional district, which comprised thirty
counties, covering the western part of the state from the Ohio river
north to Tippecanoe. By the redistricting of 1833 Clay became a part
of the second district, which included ten counties—Knox, Daviess,
Martin, Lawrence, Owen, Green, Sullivan, Vigo, Putnam and Clay.
By the change made in 1842, Clay was included in the seventh district,
with Vigo, Putnam, Parke, Vermillion and Hendricks, and continued to
be so apportioned for thirty years, notwithstanding repeated changes in