[4][5][2] Taylor worked on the family farm before becoming a section hand on the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad at age sixteen.
Taylor gave numerous speeches during his tour of the state and gained a reputation within the party as a skilled public speaker.
[4] In 1889, after receiving the unanimous nomination by 1,500 Republican delegates at the party's convention, Taylor was elected Indiana Attorney General, succeeding William A. Ketcham.
During his time as Attorney General, Taylor helped to collect a $636,000 war claim filed by the state of Indiana against the federal government three decades prior in 1868, making Indiana the only Union state that collected the entirety of its Civil War claim.
Taylor also worked with IU biologist Carl H. Eigenmann to introduce a bill to the General Assembly to establish a state nature reserve in Lawrence County on a tract of farmland to protect the unique flora and fauna that were found to be living there.
Taylor was considered "the leading candidate for several months" but ultimately lost the race for the Republican nomination to Frank Hanly, who would go on to win the election.