[Charles James]. American politician, born in Nantucket, MA, on the 16th of April 1818; died on the 4th of September 1884. He was admitted to the bar in 1839, and held various judicial offices in New York State. In 1856 he joined the National Republican party, and from 1861 to 1869 sat in the State Senate. In 1869–70 he was assistant treasurer of the United States in New York, in 1871 was elected to the State Court of Appeals, served as Chief Justice in 1880, and was re-elected as associate for a full term the same year. In October 1881, President Arthur made him secretary of the treasury, which office he held until his death. In September 1882, he received the Republican nomination for governor of New York, but the “mugwumps” voted with the democrats against the “machine,” and Grover Cleveland defeated Judge Folger by a majority of more than 190,000.
