Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1860-07-21

SKETCH OF .. A. DOUGLAS.

seven years Of age. His father, h native e
of the State Of New York. was physician
Of considerable eminence. ard died sud.
denly Of apoplexy when his son Steph-
en- was but little more than two
months old. The widow, with her infant.
and daughter cnly eighteen months old
er, retired to farm which she had nher-
tied conioin,ly with an unmarried brother.
Al the age of fifteen, her son Stephen,
who had received common school ednca
ton. desired to prepare for college; but his
family proving unable to bear the requisite
exper Sc, he left the farm, determined to earn
his own living, and engs ged himself rs an
apprentice to the trade of cabinet max
ing. AZ which he worked year and half.
partly Mt Middlebury and partly at Bran.
don, where his health became so impaired
by the severity Of the labor that he aban
doned the occupation altogether He has
often said, that the harpiest days of his
life were passed IN his workshop He
now entered the Academy at Brandon as
a student, and remained there year. His
mother a, ont this time was married to II
MIR. Granger. Of Ontario county N. Y, to
whose son her daughter had been prevous.
| ly married. Young Douglas removed with
his mother to Canandaigua, and entered
as a student the Academy Of that place,
in which he continued till 1888. He stud
| led law in the Office of Messrs Hubbeil. at
the same time that he pursued his acad,
mical course, having finally adopted that
as his profession
In the spring Of 1888, he wen. to tn,
| -
which to establish himself as lawyer
At Cleveland he was detained the whole
summer by severe illness, after his recovery
| from which, he went to Cincinnati, Louis.
| vile, St, Louis, and jacksonville, H. AT
jacksonville he found his funds reduced
to 81! cents, and accordingly walked to
| Winchester, a little town l6 miles distant,
where he hoped to get employment as
school teacher He found there large
crowd assembled to attend the auction
sale of the stock of deceased trader The
nuctioneer. was without clerk to keep
the account Of the sale, and perceiving
that Mr.. Douglas, who stood among the
spectators. looked Ike man who could
keep accounts, requested him to serve in
that capacity. Mr. Douglas consented
and acted as clerk during the three days Of
the sale, receiving for his services six dol.
lars. With this capital in hand, he promp,
ly opened school, and obtained 40 pupi s,
whom he taught for three mo ahs at 81 a
quarter. devo'ing his evenings to the study
of some law hooks which he had borrowed
in Jacksonville and on Saturday after
moons practising in petty cases before the
Justice of Peace Of the town.
In March. 1894, he opened An Office and
began practice in the higher courts, for
which after examination, he had obtained
license from the judge of the Supreme
Court. He was remarkably successful at
the bar. as may be inferred from the fact,
that within year from bis admission,
while net yet twenty two years of age, he
was eleced by the legislature. Attorney
General of the State. This Office he re
signed in Dec. 1887, in consequence of
having been elected to the legislature hv
the Democracy Of Morgan county. He
took his seat in the House Of Representa-
tives, the youngest member of ,ha. body
In 1897 he was appointed by President
Van Buren,, Register Of the Land Office at
Springfield. Ill a pns. which he igned
in 1899. In Nov, 1887, Mr. Douglas re-
ceived the Democratic nomination for Con
cress, although he was uader twen,y five
years of age, AMI consequently ineligible
He. however, attained the requisite age
before the day Of election. which was on
the first Monday in August 1888. His
Congressional district was then the most
ropulou in the United States. and the
canvass was cnnducfe ! with extraordinary
zeal and energy. Upwards of 36 900
votes we're cast and the Why candidate
WAS declared to be elected by majority
OF five only. A number Of ballots sufii
cient to have changed the result. we're re.
jected by the ranvassers because the name
OF Mr.. Douglas was incorrectly spelled.
After his defeat, which under The cir.
cumstances, was claimed by his friends as
victory, Mr. Douglas devoted himself ex-
rlusively to his profession until 1910, when
he entered into the famous Presidential
campaign Of that year with 80 much ardor
that he traversed the State in all directions
for seven months. and addressed more
than 200 political gatherings. To his ex
erions was ascribed the adherence Of Hi.
nois at that election to the Democratic
party In Dec. ls40. Mr.. Douglas was
appointed Secretary of State of Illinois
In Feb. lSll. he was elected by the Legis
latnre Judge Of the Supreme Court Of
the State. which office he resigned 1873,
to accept the Democratic nomination for
Congress. which was urged upon him
against his own wishes, on the ground that
he was the only Democrat that could be
elected. After a spirited canvass, Mr.
Douglas was chosen by upward of 400 ma.
joritv. lie was reelected. in 1874, bv a
majority of 1000 and again in 1916 by
nearly 5000 majority. lie did not, how
ever, take his seat under the last election,
having in the meantime been chosen to
the Senate Of the United States for six
years from the 4,h Of March, 1917.
In the House Of Representatives Mr.
Douglas was prominent among those who,
in the Oregon controversy with Great Br
tain, maintained that our title to the whole
of Oregon up to latitude 81 degrees. 40
minutes, was clear and unques'ionable. -
lie declared, that che never would, now
or hereafter. yield up one inch Of Oregon
either to Great Britain or any other gov
men,." lie eadvocated the policy Of giving
nolce to terminate the joint occupation,
of establishing territorial government
over Oregon, pr, tected by a sufficient mil
itnry force; Of putting the country at once
in state of preparation, 80 that if war
should result from the assertion Of our
just riehts, war might drive Great Bri-
tain and the last vestges Of royal author
ity from the Continent Of North America,
and make tho United States an ocean.
bound Republic
He denied the right Of the Federal Gov.
eminent TO prosecute a system Of internal
Improvements in the States, though he
maintained the Consttu'ionality and expe
diency Of improving rivers, harbors, and