that Bayless was a member of the Knights of the Golden Circle. On October 9, 1858 Bayless married Sarah Oakalla Read the only daughter of Dr. Ezra Read and together they had 14 children, seven of whom died in infancy. Sarah Read was also the niece of Ohio Supreme Court Judge Nathaniel Read, Navy Lieutenant Commander Abner Read and University of Missouri President Daniel Read on her father's side and the niece of Commodore Jonathan Young on her mother's side. Now being a prominent member of the community Bayless was named to the Board of Trustees of Indiana University from 1859 to 1862. Politics Bayless had now become a noteworthy member of the local community and ran for public office in 1862, winning a seat in the Indiana Legislature for the 1863 term. He followed this with a term in the Indiana Senate from 1865 to 1867 and also served as the Indiana Attorney General from 1870 to 1872. He lost his reelection bid in 1872 by less than 1,000 votes. After these years he returned to his law practice in Terre Haute but remained an important member in the state's Democratic party. In 1876 he served as the Indiana delegate to the Democratic National Convention where he chaired the Committee on Permanent Organization. During this convention he was an avid supporter of Samuel J. Tilden and was on the delegation that informed Tilden of his nomination. Being so well thought of after this he again served as the Indiana delegate in 1876, 1880, and 1884. In 1880 Bayless made a failed bid for Indiana's 8th Congressional District. He lost to fellow Wabash alum and Crawfordsville lawyer Robert B. F. Peirce having only earned 43% of the vote to Peirce's 49%. In July 1883 Bayless formed the Hanna Company in Crawfordsville, Indiana and bought the local Democratic newspaper, The Crawfordsville Review. The company took possession of the paper from fellow Wabash alum and Bayless' adopted brother John E. Hanna. While controlling the newspaper Bayless served as the papers' editor and publisher and continued to do so until 1885. In 1885 Bayless was appointed the Minister Resident to Persia by President Grover Cleveland. He was commissioned during a recess of Congress but he ultimately declined this posting, so he never proceeded to Persia. Instead Bayless was appointed to Minister Resident and Consul General of Argentina on June 17, 1885. He was