The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-28

! campaign, ana, althouSn pQl twenty IVY
| years Of age, mounted the stump and
! spoke for the election Of Mr.. Lincoln
Two years later Mr. Davis closed his. law
office to serve his country: He enlisted enlist ID
and served in the Vicksburg and Little
! Rock campaigns until 1864, when ne lei
| the service broken down by its hard
| in the army of the Tennessee, IN Ken
| lucky, Tennessee, Arkansas and Missis-
sippi part of that time on responsible
staff duty.
| SOUGHT HEALTH HERE.
When disabled Mr.. Davis resigned his
| commission as first lieutenant of Com
| pany &, Twenty-eghth Wisconsin regi-
ment, and, like, many others, came 10
In the same year Mr.. Davis com
| menced the practice of law in st. Paul,
| and formed a cOpartnerShip with his late
| chief in the army service, Gen. w. A.
| German, ex-governor of Minnesota ter
ritory. He was at once recognized as a
promising lawyer and brilliant orator,
and was quickly sought out and pressed
into service as campaign speaker. In
the fall OF 1866 he was elected to the
state legislature from one of the st.
Paul districts and served efficiently in
that capacity. In 1868 Mr.. Davis was ap-
pointed United States district attorney,
In which office he served for five years.
His record here was one of fine profess
sional success, soon placing him in a lead
ing position at the bar and rendering
lin prominent III IIl6 DOIltlCdI COuIS6. 5
Of the party, In the congressionGl cam
paign of 1868, when Ignatius DonnclIy
first found the Republican party uncon-
genial, Mr.. Davis was one of inc chief
figures in the anti-Donnelly faction
In June, 1873, Mr.. Davis was nominated
for governor of Minnesota. He received
twenty years afterward ne was re-
elected to the United States senate by
the same narrow majority. He was
duly elected governor The issue upon
vTbi0 6n Wo elected which,
holly contested, was the right of the
state to control the charges Of railroads.
In asserting this right he was a pioneer.
Such railroad legislation was passed
during his term of office and enforced
1t has now became such matter of
course that few people remember how
vigorously contested and doubtful the
right was at that time.
DEFEATED FOR SENATOR FIRST.
During his term as governor Mr. Davis
was a candidate for the United States
senate. There was. a protracted contest,
which finally resulted in the choice of
Chief Justice S. J. R. Mcmillan. During
that contest Mr.. Davis was repeatedly
promised sufficient Democratic votes to
elect him senator if he would publicly
criticise the actions OF Gems. Grant and
Sheridan in regard to federal interfer-
ence with the mob at New Orleans. This
he positively declined to do.
1t was during his term that the grass
hopper plague devastated Southwestern
Minnesota, everything in fact, west of
Lake Crystal In order to help the peO-
pie of the country, he expended nearly
$l0O,O0 in money, which he raised by
contributions from the people, and prob
ably sent in an equal amount in supplies,
clothing, etc.
DULUTH HARBOR CASE.
To the great surprise of the politicians
and regret Of great many of his friends,
Mr.. Davis declined a denomination, and
resumed the practice of law. He was
hurry To in the of
the United States the case against the
city of Duluth and state of Minnesota,
brought by the state of Wisconsin, to
restrain the opening Of the present Du-
1uth ship canal, through which all the
great commerce of that port now passes.
Duluth was a mere struggling village at
that time, and its very existence depend
ed upon the successful res ult Of the su;t
Mr.: Davis was successful in the suit.
Mr. Davis pursued the practive of the
law until 1887, with ardent devotion and
increasing success. His voice and pen
were in frequent demand on occasions of
public ceremony, and he always filled the
full measure of the occasion-thus con-
stantly increasing and extending his ora
torical fame. He was also an interested
active participant in public affairs. In
1881 Gov. Davis worked successfully for
the nomination and election of his old
time friend and supporter, Gen. L. f.
Hubbard, as governor.
NOMINATED BLAINE IN 1884.
In 1884 the Blaine men of Minnesota
selected c. X Davis as their standard
bearer, and sent him as a delegate at
large to the Chicago convention Here
he made the principal nominating speech
for Blaine, and contributed largely to
his nomination.
Throughout every campaign for the Re
publican party he was on the stump eS-
pecially advocating the doctrine of pro-
lection at q time when it was not con-
ducive to any speakers political prospects
to do so in this state.
The defeat Of the Republican national
ticket at the polls in November, for the
first time since 1860, was a severe blow
to Gov. Davis feelings, but, as it turned
out, 1T was really a help to his future
career BY the advent OF Democratic
president, the federal officials throughout
the state, who had uniformly opposed
his every candidacy since he ran for gov
ernor in 1878, were displaced, Meantime
the editors of weekly Republican news
papers Of the state had come 20 regard
Independent Republicanism. Their influ-
ence could now be eXerted untrammeled
At last 1t was triumphant.
During ali Of 1886 the state press. with
striking unanimity, advocated the cleo
ton of c. K. Davis as United States SEN
ator. When the legislature of 1887 met
it was found that the sentiment in his
favor was so strong among the members
that Senator Mcmillan gracefully with
drew as 6 candidate for third term. and
on the roll being called in the Repub-
Hcan legislative caucus Gov. Davis re-
ceived every vote. The legislature con-
f1rmed the caucus decision, and lie was