The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-10
His CAREER A SUCCESS
THAT OF FREDERICK e. WHITE,
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR
GOVERNOR OF IOWA
A PENNILEss GERMAN BOY

n = &NN1AGSO OGAc4aA&AN oO
Rises to Afluence by His own Elk
ertiOns-He Is Farmer, Student
and Orator of National Repu-
tatiOn-He Bids Fair to Become a
Leading Factor in the Politics OF
the Land.
The vast possibilities of American citi-
zenshp, exemplified by hundreds of men
who have arisen from humble walks to
prominence in the affairs of the nation.
are once more brought forward by the
story of the career of Frederick e.
White, nominated for governor by the
Democrats of Iowa last week. From a
beyhood Of abject poverty, that of
friendless emigrant working on farm
to keep body and soul together, this
man has attained a position one of
the foremost orators of the day, has
served his district in congress, and now
is looked upon the next governor or
the state to which he came unknown and
penniless to work his way forty years
ago. He has attained g. modest compe
tence in worldly goods by the hardest
manual labor; he has acquired a splendid
English education by still harder work
done in the long nights after his days
work in the fields; he has surrounded
himself with charming family, and
Tow, at the age of fifty-fve years, bids
fair to become a leading factor in the
politics of the country as he has been
for some years in the state of his adop-
ton.
MAN OF VARIED CULTURE.
He is a successful man. His well titled
farm in Keokuls county represents the
labor of years. Although deprived
through poverty in his youth of the ad-
vantages of schools, he is student and
thinker. He has read widely, especially
of history and social economic subjects.
His memory is tenacious. Naturally he
is a student and his mind is trained to
tosrical processes. He is an orator, as the
people of every section Of the state Will
learn before the campaign Is over. lie
is a man Of scrupulous integrity. In an
official position he could never be 1nduceo
TO wink at wrongdoing no more than IN
private life he would be guilty OF dis
honorable act. Go into Keol1uk county,
where he has spent all the years OF MS
life since his arrival in America, except
those given to the defense of his ADOPTED
country, and you will find that his po-
1itical friend and enemy alike accord to
him the highest praise for thrift, honesty
and upright dealing. A Well-to-do man,
some would call him rich-all of his for-
tune has been acquired by nara WoIk
and open and legitimate methods. lie
is one of the common people, Grass
which includes the great majority Oh the
peopEe of the land. He understands their
feelings and is proud to stand as their
advocate. His many pubic addresses
and especially the one made as tenn
norary chairman of the Democratic con-
vention last week, show that he com
nrehends the situation in this country
and is alive to the remedies necessary.
MASTER OF GOOD ENGLISH.
Mr. White has not artificial oratory
taught bv the schools, but natural gift,
cultivated by practice, which moves ana
holds an audience. A striking feature OF
Mr.. Whites public addresses is his clear
and accurate use of the, English language
and his excellent command OF the En-
glish sounds. He uses words with the
incest discrimination as to the meaning,
and it is said that no man of German
birth has ever spoken the language III
congress with so little foreign accent
since Carl Schurz who is a college grad
uate and highly cultured.
Mr. White was born in Prussia In 18th
His father died when he was 10 years OF
age. He came to this country with MS
mother in 1857 There were four children
in the family and he was the eldest. The
family went direct to Keokuk county,
where he has lived ever since. AS soon
as he located in Keokuk county young
Fred hired out by the month until the
opening of the war. During the winters
he succeeded in getting in all about ten
months of English schooling. This was
supplemented by about ten months more
after the war was over. When he first
offered himself for enlistment he was re-
jected on account of being too young.
Finally he was accepted and in Febru-
ray, 1862 became a member of Company
I of the Thirteenth Iowa infantry, Gen.
Crocker's famous regiment, and he served
in the same company and regiment for
three and one-half years, being mustered
out in August, 1865.
HIS INTERESTING FAMILY.
He was married in 1866 to Miss Belts,
a native Of Iowa. who has been a worthy
companion in his struggles and successes.
Ira, a stalwart young man with much of
his fathers ability for management and
capacity for hard work. is associated with
him in the conduct of the farm. The next
in the family is Ida, pretty and accom-
plished young woman, who is now the
wife of w. H Robb, of Creston. She
was her fathers companion and private
secretary during his term as congressman
and after they returned to Iowa attained
to considerable distinction as an elocu-
j zionist prior to her marriage to Mr.. Robb.
Virgil and Katie are the younger mem
bers of the family. Besides these, there
is in the family a young girl whom Mr..
White adopted eight years ago while on
a visit to Germany.
He was the fusion candidate for gov
ernor in 1897, and in that campaign the
people of the state came to know what
an orator he was, as his record in con-
gress had intimated. He worked incess-
antly during the campaign and covered
the state Thoroughly. This passion for
work he has always had and his farm and
pastures show it.
Mr.. White has taken part in local cam
paigns for many years. He was nomi-
mated for congress in 1892, and surprised
the politicians by winning in a strong Re
publican district. The politicians soothed
their vanity by calling him IAN accidental
congressman because he rode into office
on the great landslide of 1892, but the
farmer politician soon made himself felt
in congress. One of the first things he
did was to oppose a proposition in the
house naval committee to spend several
million dollars for warlike preparations.
During the terrible slaughter in Sher-
mans army in front of Atlanta Mr.
Whites brother was killed, and it gave
a new turn to the thoughts of the sur
ViVOr