should be elected President, but he would bring to that place the glory of a manhood that it has not known for many years. He will attract to the White House scholars, statesman and philosophers. rather than money changers or political harlots. And the humblest man in the nation would have access to the President.

ox.

I have met almost every great man of my own time in the principal countries of the world, but I have never met a greater man than Mr. Bryan. As a rule, one finds the idealist a man of frail body, physically incapable of making a continuous struggle. But here is an incorruptible idealist with the physical strength of an Nowhere in the world is there to be found a more perfect combination of mind, spirit and body. The three are evenly balanced in the Democratic leader-mental energy controlled by intelligence, imagination inspired by philanthropy, virility disciplined by virtue. He seems to grow broader and deeper every year. His religious convictions are vital to him, but he avoids religious discussions. He seems to feel that religion is a private thing between a man and his God. 'We are all trying to cast out devils,' he says, 'and each man works in his own way.'

Four years ago Mr. Bryan was a Western man. To-day he is national-almost international. Then he was an agitator; now he is a statesman. His life and conduct are based on what he believes to be the truth, and nothing can induce him to abandon a cause if he believes it to be righteous.

'And yet,' he said only a week ago, I would be a fool if I did not rejoice in the triumph of right rather than in the triumph of what I believe to be right.'

CHAPTER XXVII

The Life and Public Services of

Adlai Ewing Stevenson

Democratic Candidate for Vice President Nominated
July 6, 1900

ITH great enthusiasm the Democratic Convention, assem

WIT bled at Kansas City, Mo., and nominated for its candi

date for Vice President, Adlai Ewing Stevenson, the distinguished statesman from the State of Illinois. In the early days of the convention his name was prominently mentioned as a possible candidate, although it was not until a few hours before the convention met that it crystalized into shape. He represents the more conservative branch of the Democratic Party, and has already served one term as Vice President, which was during Cleveland's second administration. It is the first instance in American history where a Vice President has served a term and been out of office four years, and been renominated to the place, as Grover Cleveland's second term was the first instance under similar circumstances for the Presidency.

Mr. Stevenson is a native American, his birthplace being Christian County, Kentucky, where he was born October 23, 1835. He received his early education in the common school of that state, and in 1852, when he was 17 years of age, his father removed to Bloomington, Ill., which became his permanent residence. He decided to take up the study of law, and was admitted to the bar in 1858, to practice. He was successful from the very first and gained great popularity in his own county, where he was appointed Master in Chancery. He served as State Prosecuting Attorney from 1864 to 1868. At the close of his term of office he formed a successful law partnership with James S. Ewing of Bloomington,

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Illinois. He and the new firm soon acquired a large and lucrative law practice. He had served with such conspicuous ability as prosecuting attorney that he attracted the favorable attention of the public, and in 1864 was nominated as a presidential elector for the Democratic party, of which General McClellan was the candidate for the presidency. He entered actively upon the canvass, and spoke in almost every county in his state. With only a few years' residence in Bloomington, his party placed him in nomination for Congress in 1874. Although the district has been Republican by about 2,000 majority, he carried the nomination, receiving 1285 more votes than his Republican opponent. He was in Congress during the Tilden-Hayes contest, and took an active part in the proceedings. He was renominated in 1876, but after a hot contest, in which the party lines were closely drawn, he was defeated by about 250 plurality. That his popularity had not waned nor his interest lessened in political questions was indicated by the fact that in 1878 he was again elected to Congress, being able to carry every county in his district by a handsome majority. In 1880 there was a presidential contest, and being again a candidate for Congress, he was beaten by a small majority. The legislature of the state re-districted it in such a way that Mr. Stevenson's home came in a district which was strongly Republican. However, his party placed him in nomination again in 1882, and as a result of the race for Congress he came within 350 votes of carrying his district, which had given Garfield a majority of 2,700. He was not again a candidate for Congress, but continued to be interested in the politics of his state and nation. In 1884 Mr. Stevenson served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention which nominated Mr. Cleveland to the presidency. Mr. Vilas, who was Cleveland's postmaster-general, had been a close personal friend of Mr. Stevenson, and when he assumed the portfolio of the post-office he asked Mr. Stevenson to become his first assistant, which he accepted. In this capacity he had control of the appointment of more than 44,000 He believed that under Democratic third-class postmasters. administration, if the applicants for office were in every respect

equal to those Republicans already in office it was right and proper for him to remove the Republican postmasters and appoint reputable and efficient Democrats in their places. In consequence there were many removals of Republicans and appointments of Democrats soon after Mr. Stevenson accepted the office of first assistant postmaster-general, and "Adlai's ax" became a by-word in the early part of Cleveland's administration. President Cleveland named him to be judge of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia, but he was not confirmed by the Republican Senate.

A MAN OF EXPERIENCE IN AFFAIRS OF STATE

Mr. Stevenson's career extends over a period which covers much of the interesting history of the country. It was in 1858 that Douglas and Lincoln, the giants of those days, were conducting their memorable contest in every part and corner of Illinois for the United States senatorship, for which the Democratic and Republican conventions had nominated them, that Stevenson, a young man of twenty-three, took his first lessons in politics. Mr. Stevenson met Mr. Douglas during that campaign one night in Bloomington, where Lincoln and Douglas had held a joint debate. This meeting resulted in a lasting friendship between the young lawyer and the great senator. Although a very young man, Mr. Stevenson spoke several times during that campaign, and it is said that he has appeared ever since in every contest waged between the Democratic and Republican parties. He has been a loyal Democrat and canvassed his state for every Democratic candidate on the state ticket since he began in 1858, and at the same time he has appeared for every Democratic candidate upon the national ticket. These names include Douglas, McClellan, Seymour, Greeley, Tilden, Hancock and Cleveland. It is interesting to note that it was on June 30, 1884, that Adlai E. Stevenson first saw Grover Cleveland, the man with whom he was to be associated on the national ticket. When the Committee on Notification waited upon Mr. Cleveland at Albany, on Capitol Hill, Stevenson was there, and, for the first time met the distinguished Democratic leader. Mr. Cleveland

became as thoroughly interested in the distinguished Illinois lawyer, now mature and ripe from experience, as did Senator Douglas in the young man of 1858.

HIS PERSONALITY

Mr. Stevenson is a man who will attract attention in any company of gentlemen. He is six feet two inches in height, broad shouldered and straight as an arrow. He looks like a statesman of the old school. He is as vigorous as a man of fifty, although sixtyfive summers have passed over his head. He is an example to all young men in his personal habits. He is clean of speech, does not gamble in any way. He is not much on style. He dresses neatly but not gaudily. He is a genuine American, unspoiled by modern ways of commercialism. He is accessible to all callers, and during

his term of service as Vice President his life was marked with unostentation and simplicity. He speaks with frankness upon all questions, and his firm-set face denotes resolution, which one will also see in the vigorous shake of the hand which he gives. The blue blood, which is in his veins, he gets from his lineage through a distinguished line of ancestors, for his father was a staunch Presbyterian of Covenanter stock, giving him his name Adlai from the Bible, which means "just." Like the distinguished man, Mr. Bryan, with whom he is associated, Mr. Stevenson is also a Presbyterian. Mr. Stevenson was married in 1866 to a daughter of the Rev. Dr. Lewis Green, President of Centre College, where Mr. Stevenson spent a short time in completing his education. It is said that the reverence and love which he, while a young man, showed in the care of his mother secured for him the love of the fair Kentucky girl who afterwards became his wife. She said that any one who made such a good son would certainly make a good husband. This has proved true, and his home life is clean and pure and happy. He has four children, one son and three daughters, all of whom are grown and living. While not wealthy in the ordinary sense of the word, Mr. Stevenson is in comfortable circumstances, his fortune being estimated at about $50,000.