Springfield-Greene
County LibraryHON. CHARLES HARLEY MANSUR. The "City of Brotherly Love" gave birth to Charles Harley Mansur on the 6th of March, 1835, and when only two years old he was removed by his parents to St. Louis, in which city they continued to reside until the father, Charles Mansur, falling into ill health, give up mercantile pursuits, and moved to Ray County, Mo., where he died in August, 1847. In this county Charles Harley Mansur grew to manhood and for three or four months annually, during the early part of his career he attended the public schools of his vicinity. In the spring of 1850 he was sent to Lawrence Academy, in Groton, Middlesex County, Mass., where he pursued his studies for about two and a half years. He then returned, to Ray County and for a short time was employed as a clerk in a store, after which he became deputy sheriff of the county. In the spring of 1855 he began the study of law in the office of Messrs. Oliver & Conrow and was admitted to the bar in the fall of 1856 by Hon. George W. Dunn, and moved to Chillicothe, Livingston County, Mo., where he entered almost immediately upon a lucrative practice November 1, 1856. In 1874 he was elected to the position of prosecuting attorney of Livingston County, was re-elected in 1876, during which time he discharged his duties in a manner calculated to win the highest regard of his brother attorneys, as well as the public at large. In 1872 he was the nominee of both the Liberal Republican and Democratic parties for representative in Congress from the Tenth District, received his nomination by a two-thirds vote in each convention, but the district at that time being strongly Republican, he was defeated, though running far ahead of the State and National tickets, after a very interesting and exciting campaign. At a later period he again made the ran for Congress, on the Democrat ticket, and this time was successfully elected, and discharged his duties in a manner highly satisfactory to his constituents. He is one of the best-known and most influential Democrats in Missouri, and is deservedly popular with his party. He has probably served as a delegate in more Congressional, State and National conventions than any other man of his age in the State, has served upon four State platform committees, and one National committee, exerting much influence in shaping the policy of his party. He was chairman of one State committee on resolutions and the author of the State platform. He was a member of the State central committee from 1865 to 1868 and was a leading supporter of Gen. Cockrell in his campaign for the United States Senate in 1875, and in 1876 nominated the present Governor of the State, Hon. John S. Phelps, in the State convention. As a speaker in advocacy of Odd Fellowship and Free Masonry and upon education and literary subjects he stands in the front rank of Missouri's orators. His wonderful strength with the people is shown in his native county--Livingston--which is a fair index of the whole district in which he lives. He is a bold and outspoken advocate of every measure tending to promote the educational interests of his State and country, and is a warm supporter of the free public-school system. His position as a leading lawyer and politician enables him to exert a healthful influence upon society and the State in which be resides. He has been Grand Master, Grand Patriarch, and Grand Representative in the I. O. O. F., and he is also a Master Mason, well known in the northern and central portions of the State. He was married in September, 1859, to Miss Damaris M. Brosheer, daughter of Thomas Brosbeer, a master mechanic of Palmyra, Mercer County, Mo. Mr. Mansur is liberal in his religious sentiments.
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