The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1906-12-29

L ne SeCOHu OF american common
wealthsi will soon have for it's chief
executive officer a man who began
life with but 2 cents to rub together
as an, errand boy, at time of life
when most boys are hardly more than
started in their school career.
Edwin S. Stuart, who has just de-
feated, showed under it might be
more properly said, Lewis Emery, Jr.,
the candidate of the reform party, in
one of the fiercest battles for the gov
ernorship Pennsylvania has ever
known, goes into the governors chair
principally because of the fact that he
is the most popular man in the state.
Many Republicans had little liking
for those who were identified as lead
ers Of the party that elected him.
The evils of Bosses Quay and Penrose
had the effect in recent elections of
alternating many thousands of voters
who are strongly Republican on ma
tional elections. A majority Of half a
million for Roosevelt was. turned into
minority of 100000 when Berry, a.
Democrat, was elected state treasurer
in 1905. III s5,.
Undoubtedly the Republican ticket,
with the same political managers or
bosses at the helm, would have been
downed again this year but for the
personality Of Stuart.
Just as soon as the danger became
Imminent, party leaders turned to
Stuart as the one man who could
gave them. .fS
4 Everybody knows Ned they said.
"He's popular with all classes, and his
). honesty has never been questioned.
Let us nominate him.
Mr.. Stuart was not anxious for the
place. Called to the aid ofihis party,
he could not refuse. His election fol-
lowed. Not only We're. the dissatisfied
Republicans won over, but Democrats
quit party allegiance in order to vote
for him. {l aa 4ss
This is the man. No one would
ever4haye expected the boy to go that
far.
There was nothing suspicious in
his start. His father died when he
was a youngster, leaving without
means Of support a widow and four
children, of whom Edwin was the old
est.
S.5 When only a little fellow, at time
when he should have been getting the
education that is the foundation of the
''! success of the futuSe
governor had to go out and hunt a job
to help support his mother, brothers
and sisters.
Fate led him to Leary's book store
quaint institution even in those days
Of the Quaker City, much frequented
by bibliophiles, and which, save that
it has expanded, looks much the same
now as it did then.
Edwin, hungry and eager for work,
presented himself to the proprietor
and asked for job.
What can you do?''
"Anything," was the answer.
1t won the place of errand boy at a
salary Of "a week. Young Stuart
not only ran erraAds, swept out the
store and did the chores around the
office, but he also was put on guard to
see that no books, freely exposed for
sale on the outside, were stolen from
the shelves.
Soon old Leary began to discover
that his new errand boy could indeed
do anything, and in a short time his
salary was advanced.
AS he grew, both in stature and
the favor Of his employer, it was felt
safe to promote him to a clerkship,
and thus he went up from step to step
until he was the trusted head clerk.
This did not seem slow progress, but
better was in store. Eventually the
former errand boy was admitted to-
partnership and he finally bought out
his employer and became sole owner.
This might have been expected to-
be the final achievement of man
whose training had been essentially a.
business one, who was not versed in
law, usually the most easy step to po-
iitical preferment.
In fact Mr.. Stuart was dragged into
politics, for just the same reason that
all of his successive advances have
come to him. He was SO popular that