The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1860-07-05
DOUGLAS AND JOHNSON.

These two distinguished patriots, says the Ncer
AlJany Lcdger, have been placed before the coun-
try by the National Democratic Convention at
Baltimore as the standard bearers of our glorious
party. They are no third rate men. They are
known throughout the whole country and loved and
honored best where the people are best acquainted
with them personally. 1t is scarcely necessary for
to give biographical sketch of these eminent
men, yet perhaps it may not be out Of place as it
is tho custom TO do so.
The father of Stephen a. Douglas was native
of New York, and by profession physician, dy-
ing when Stephen was quite young and leaving his
family unprovided for which threw him upon his
own resources. After receiving a good common
school education and finding that he could not,
without too great expense to his widowed mother,
prepare for college, abandoned the idea and ap-
prenticed himself to the cabinet making business
at Middlebury, Vermont. AZ this business he
worked hard for about Is months accommodating
enough to Justify him in entering tho lcSsicnly At
Brandon, Vermont, at the age of Il years In 1888
at the age of ~ he hal prepared himself for the
law anl then started West for the purpose ofrrac-
prominent places in the South and the West aud
finally as necessity settled near Jacksonville, H.
linois. Being out of money mt Winchester where
he expected to get school he WAS employed 10y
administrator to keep the accounts of the sale
of stock of a man who had recently died. This
was his first employment in the West. He then
opened and taught a school for three months. In
1884 he opened law Office and before the close
OF 1925 elected Attorney General Of the State
of Illinois by the Legislature of that State. This
office he resigned the same year. Martin Van
Buren, appointed Mr.. Douglas in 1897 Register of
the land office. This position he resigned in o39.
In 1887, he received the Democratic nomination
for Congress in the then largest Congressional dis
trct in the United States, before he had attained
the Constitutional age to render him eiqbh to a
seat in Congress The District was largely Nhi.t,
and Douglas was defeated by only five majority In
the official canvass of votes the commissioners re-
jected sufficient votes to have elected Douglas in
consequence of the misspclng of his name
Mr. Douglas confined himself to his profession
until 1910, when, after canvassing the State of H.
linois he was appointed Secretary of that State
In ls4 he was elected judge of the Supreme
Court of Illinois, which office he also resigned 20
accept nomination for Congress. lie was elect
cd by 400 majority, in lS41 again elected BY 1890
majority, and again in 1861 by 5000. lie did not
take his seat in the lower house in Iei6, having
been elected U. S. Senator that year Ills Con
Sressional career is well known to the whole coun
try, taking, as he did, prominent part in all the
legisls ton of the country for. the past sixteen
years. In 1859 Mr.. Douglass name was presented
amongst others to the Demo cratic Convention at
Baltimore, but without success-rcceiying on one
BALLOT % votes out of $50, the highest given on
that ballot to any candidate. In le56 his friends
presented his name to the CINCINNATI Convention,
but afterwards withdrew it III favor of Mr. Buchan-
an. There is no public man now before the Amer.
lean people whose success has been SO complete
and whose career has been so Brilliant from the
time he entered the log school house at Winchc s.
ter, Illinois, at the bidding of the school comniss
toner's, until he entered the u. s. Senate Oh the
18th Of March, 1852 at the bidding OF the people.
His was triumphal march so rapid and brillant
that are lost in wonder and amazement. But hi
career will not end until the people shall elect the
great defender Of self government to the Presidcn-
cy of the United States.
The selection of Cor Johnson Of Georgia foi
the Vice Presidency by the National Democratic
Committee. and his acceptance of the same, gives
strength to the ticket, and will be hailed with pro
found 6 ratification by all who delight in seeing
truly great and pure men put forward for the high
offices of our government. IL is only to be re
GREETED that he was not nominated at first in the
place OF Mr. Fitzpatrick of Alabama. Gov
Johnson is well known throughout the South, and
10 all elsewhere who have paid attention to tho
politics of Georgia He is not entirely unknown
IN any portion OF the country, as he was m ade bv
his friends prominent candidate four years since
at Cincinnati for the nomination which he b,,
now received. Still his public life has been passe,
mainly in Georgia, which, believe, is his natiy,