The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1900-12-01
Senator DoIIiver
a Popular Man.
Appointed by Gov. Shaw, of Iowa,
to Fill Vacancy Caused by
Death of Senator Gear.

Mr.. Dolliver is, next to Speaker
Henderson, the senior congressman
from Iowa. He is exceedingly popu.
i lar throughout the state.
Among the brilliant men and speak
ers of national reputation in the
house of representatives Mr.. Dolliver
enjoys position second to none. Oh
late years he has been a mainstay of
the administration, and the leader
among his party associates when an
appeal to the house was deemed ad-
visable and when, eloquent and con-
vincing argument was needed to car
ry a point.
Because of his. strong following,
particularly in the west, he was prom
inently mentioned prior to the Phil
adelphia convention as a desirable
nominee for vice president on the
ticket with President Mckinley. His
services for his party as a stump
speaker have been invaluable, and
those who have heard his remarkably
able debates during the 12 years he
has served in congress can give testi-
mony to the power of his eloquence.
Born at Kingwood, W. Va, he re-
ceived his education at the West Vir-
ginia university, and after gradua-
tion studied law, and was admitted to
the bar in 1878. Mr.. Dolliver was
elected to the Fifty y-first congress, and
although at that time but 81 years of
age, he was soon recognized as one
of the ablest speakers of the house.
That his constituents have also recog-
nized his ability is evidenced by the
fact that he was serving his sixth
term when appointed to the senate.
The first recognition by the house
of Mr.. Delivers brilliant powers fol-
lowed his speech on the Mckinley
tariff bill, when even those widely diff
fering from him in political creeds
generously accorded the praise won
by his fine effort. Subsequently he
was invited to New York, where in
1880 he spoke at the Metropolitan
Grand Opera house.
\ When he assembled the platform he
was, comparatively speaking, un-
known, but very few minutes suf-
feed to enlist the attention and SYM
pathy of his hearers. His magnificent
personality and graceful flow OF Ian
guage held the vast audience spell
bound, and when the last echoes OF
the applause died away, Jonathan T.
Dolliyer had captured the town. The
freedom of the various clubs was cor
daily extended to him, and no bright
er page illumines the records OF po-
litical enthusiasm than that accorded
the brilliant young lawyer.
Nature has generously endowed the
s'orator of the house." Personally he
is handsome, about five feet ten inches
tall clear brown eyes and hair OF
chestnut hue. He has good COM
plexien and in his manner there is
a blending of the old-time southern
chivalry with the breeziness OF the
state of his adoption. He is genial
easily approached, and extremely pop
ular When he rises TO speak in the
house the members listen in close at
tention. His manner is confident, his
gestures graceful, his voice deep, res
onant and penetrating, and his Ian
guage shows not only the man OF
culture but the finished rhetorician,
the scholarly logician and the fine elo-
cutionist.
In his political campaigns he Is
unioue in his methods. BIS district
lies principally in the farming re-
rions, many parts of which are long
distances from the towns. During a
canvass, instead of renting the
town halls, he carried a large tent
from place to place. An advance
agent went ahead distributing post
ers and dodgers, indicating when
and where the next meeting would be
held. The tent was pitched at the
various crossroads, and Mr.. Dolliver
made at least one speech day un-
ler canvas, from early in July un-
M the decisive first Monday in No
Pember. tsae t'
He fsa close student, enjoying the
,uiet Of his library; yet he is much
,ouSht after He is essentially do-
nestle man and his wife accompanies
I'm to Washineton during the con-
,fessional season and is interested in
N that concerns her brilliant hus-
band. igf 1f1qft !