The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1904-08-03

DEMOCRATIC VICE PRESI-
DENTAL NOMINEE.
HIS ENTRY INTO POLITICS.

first entered politics, Having been
strong Union man, his sympa-
thies were at first with the Repub-
lican party, and became a candi-
date for the Legislature. The dis
covery of trickery and dishonesty
on the part of some of the Republi-
can leaders in the State at the
time, however, turned him from
the party. Thoroughly honest and
upright himself in all his dealings,
he could not tolerate dishonesty in
politics, and he, therefore, cut
loose entirely from the Republican
organization and joined the opposl-
ton. In 1856 he was elected to
the lower house in the Legislature
as Union-Conservative, and took
leading part in its deliberations.
Two years later he was chosen
State Senator as a Democrat.
In 1871 he was elected United
States Senator from West Virginia
as Democrat; succeeding w. T.
Wiley. He received almost a
unanimous vote of the Legislature,
even Republicans voting for him.
Six years later he was reelected,
and during two years of the latter
period, when the Democrats were
in control of the Senate, he held
the important position of chairman
of the Committee on Appropria-
tion. He was, in fact, one of the
leaders of the Senate. At the ex-
piration of his second term he de-
clined to become candidate for re-
election, fearing that by longer
service in the Senate he would
jeopardize his business interests in
the State by reason of his inability
to devote his entire time and at
tention to them. By retiring from
office Senator Davis did not cease
his interests in political affairs; he
continued TO take an active part
both in State and national politics.
In the Democratic National Con-
vention of 1854 Senator Davis was
one of the foremost candidates for
Vice President, and doubtless could
have had the nomination had he
consented to accept it. 1t was be-
lieved that the late Thomas A.
Hendricks, who had been candi-
date for President, would not ac-
cept the nomination for Vsce Presi
dent and that it would 60 to Sena-
tor Davis. Senator Davis refused,
however, to allow his name to be
considered and threw his strength
to Mr.. Hendricks, who was nomi-
mated on the ticket with Cleveland
and elected. Senator Davis was
called into consultation with the
Democratic President-elect upon
the matter of the selection of mem
bers of his Cabinet, and had the
Treasury portfolio gone to any
other than a New York man,
Senator Davis would undoubtedly
have filed that important posi-
ton.
In 1888 Senator Davis was
urged to accept the nomination for
Governor, but he declined. In the
matter of attending Democratic
National Conventions it is said
that his record exceeds that of any
other Democrat in the country.
He has been delegate to six
National Conventions of his party,
and again this year headed the
West Virginia delegation to the St.
Louis Convention, making in all
seven National Conventions of
which he has been a member.
Senator Davis was one of the
United States delegates who formu-
lated the scheme for bringing the
republics OF North, Central and
South America together, which re-
suited in the establishment of the
Bureau of American Republics.
He was also a delegate to the
second international conference,