Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-08-17
CREsCo, HOWARD COUNTY, IOWA FRIDAY AUGUST H. 1906
Public Careers Of Porter and Denison

Public Careers Of Porter and Denison
1t is peculiar coincidence tina
Claude r. Porter. ,.of Centerville, dem.
ocratic nominee for governor of low.
and John n. Denisnu, of Dubuque
nom'nre for lieutenant governor, are
within three months OF being the same
age, both having been born in 1872
Porter being the elder by having had
his birth in July and Denison In Sep.
tember OF that year. Both are native
Iowans also, Porter having been born
In Appanoose county and Denison in
Wright county. Likewise the two
men are graduates OF the high schools
at the county seats OF their native
counties, Porter at Centerville and
Denison at Clarion. Porter attended
Parsons college, while Denison went
to the Upper Iowa University, grad
uating there In 1893. Porter studied
law at the st. Louis Law school, be-
Ing admitted to the Iowa bar in 1898.
Denison, after teaching school three
years In Kansas was graduated from
the law department of the University
OF Nebraska in 1893 and began the
practice of law at Clarion, his boy
hood home, while Porter returned to
his native city, Oenterville, to engage
In his life occupation.
To continue the similarity of the
lives Of the TWO men, Porter is mar
ried and has little son Of five years,
while Denison is also married and has
ason of three years of age. Mrs. Por-
ter was formerly Miss Maude Boutin
OF Hampton, Iowa. Mrs, Denison was
Miss Maude L. Clarke of Freeport,
Ill. She is graduate of the Univers-
ity OF Chicago, but Mr. Denison be-
came acquainted with her while they
were students together at the Upper
Iowa University.
In political Life, Porter has some.
what the advantage OF De nison, for he
has served through four sessions OF
the state legislature, two as mem
ber Of the house and two in the sem
ate, giving him thorough knowledge
OF state government. Mr.. Porter was
hrst elected to the state legislature in
1885 from Appanoose county, when
% years old. That was the same year
General Drake was elected governor
OF Iowa from the same county, Porter
carrying the county as a democrat
and Drake as a republican.
1t was in this legislature that Por-
ter first began to attract attention.
He was member Of the committee
with Senator Tom D. Healy OF Fort
Dodge and Frank Merriam, which in
vestigated the state institutions and
made the reportin favor Of state
board OF control, which was establish
ed through their activity. In the
board Of control movement Porter
took leading part. He was also ac- |
tive In securing much needed mining
and labor legislation and assisted ma
terially In the passage of the famous
Temple amendment, which prevents
railroad companies from requiring its
employees to sigh away in advance of |
Injury their rights to bring personal
Injury suits.
Mr. Porter was elected to the state
senate in 1899 and while member of |
that body voted against the Moesber-
~ railroad merger bill, which Cover.
nor Cummins also opposed by his veto.
In his election to the senate Mr.. Por-i
ter was chosen from the republican
Appanoose-Davis district.
AT the outbreak OF the Spanish.
American war, Porter enlisted as al
private In the Centerville company
and served with the Fiftieth Iowa
regiment, which was quar- tered in |
Florida during the summer OF hostili-
lies anxiously awaiting call to the
front which never came. During his
army service, Mr.. Porter was promot-
TO be a sergeant major. The peace.
tul side Of Porter's life is shown by |
his prominence 10 the Presbyterian |
church, being an elder in the Center
Vile church. He is also connected
With several fraternal orders, among
them the Elks, knights Of Pythias, |
Knights Templar, i
John d. Deniscn, Jr., has also been
frequently called upon by his party, |
though still q young man, to accept
nominations which seemed almost
certain defeat. He was a candidate
for county attorney in Wright county |
In 1898, shortly after he was graduate
ed from the law school. He was de-
feated but ran nearly 500 votes ahead |
Of the rest Of the democratic ticket. |
Later Mr.. Denison was nominated for
the state legislature, but was defeated
again, getting 500 more votes than
the balance OF the democratic ticket |
that year In Wright county. He was
on the state ticket for attorney gem
eral five years ago, just two years
after Claude r. Porter made HIS FIRST