Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1900-12-06
SINGLE COPY FIVE CENTS.
NUMBER 18

ing without exciting his envy. He had
no outdoor habits, rot even finding any
delight in walking. He wanted also
cigar. He was an inyeterate, prodi-
gious smoker. All day long he smoked
big black cigars and many of them.
Perhaps if he had taken more exercise
he would have had more vitality with
which to combat disease, for he was
not an old man. Death came to him at
the age of 81.
IF there IS anything in heredity. he
ought to have lived 20 a green old age.
His father and mother survive him.
Began Life as a Lawyer.
@Born in Henderson. jefferson coun-
ty, n. Y, but carried by his parents to
Wisconsin when but a babe in arms,
Senator Davis grew UP with the westN
graduating at Ann Arbor universityA
Equipped to begin the study of an
profession that might be congenial, ii
Davis chose the law. Many men
achieved renown in professions WIZ
they have e,tered by merest accidef
This was not the case with Mr. Dayia
who always said that he could not rel
member any peculiar reason or cireum-
stance which induced him to study law.
Possessing mind eminently fitted for
legal practice, he soon became proml-
nent in his profession. He had mean
while served through the war, and. his
health being broken by the hardships
of camp and field. he settled in ST.
Paul in search of health and to prac
tice his profession. He obtained his
professional start by defending in st.
Paul in 1866 George L. Van Selen on
the charge of murder This was one
the most interesting cases Of circu1n
stantial evidence ever presented. butT
Mr. Davis was skillful and acquitted
his client. Later when he secured thee
aequittal of Judge Sherman Page. who
had been impeaehed before the Mime
sofa senate, his fame was placed be-
yond dispute.
Not a politician in the commonly ac-
cepted sense of the word, for he would
have naught to do with office broker
age, Senator Davis was nevertheless
prominent in politics. He cast his frs#
vote for Abraham Lincoln and spc
for Lincoln on the stump. In
while St Paul was still a Demo1
city, he was elected to the legisls
as a Republican because of his per-
sonal popularity and two years later
was appointed United States district
attorney by President Grant. serving
for five years in that position with dis
tinguished success. 1t was not until
1873. however, that Mr.. Davis became
prominent in Minnesota politics. In
that year he was suggested for the
gubernatoriaI nomination by the yonng
men whe had grown discontented with
the Republican machine in the state,
ard he vas nos ssss,s,sl, IN - 80. -.
His friends had the United BSsfe5 $.
ator$hip in view for him, and when
they were unsuccessful Mr.. Davis de-
clined a second term as governor and
went back to the practice OF law. II
il matter of interest that Mr.. Davis
could have eopae to the senate while he
vas goveKor through the aid OF Dem
oerase ss'ssss had consented ID
3 Il s.s1.u.4zssas q ssAllsh terence "a
the mob in New orleans. This he ur-
clined to do. Twelve years, in fact. he
waited for the senatorsIip, and then he
was nominated in the Republican eau
Gus By majority of one vote"
Civil List Pension.
The old and serious question of
pension from the civil list is or win be
up again. OF course l am dead against
It. There is no more sense in a PEN
tion list from the civil list than there
is a pension for old age, which is re-
ductio ad absurdum and which is i
positive premium upon sbiftlessness,
but the way the departments have
been run for many years inevitably
leads to a pension from the civil list,
which is Republicanism personified.