The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1908-11-19
JOHN MAGU|RE
MAKES GOOD
Wins an Apparently Hopeless
Political Fight
WAS STUDENT At STATE COLLEGE
Where He MIXED Cows to
Pay His Way

talned the following interesting write
up of John Mcguire, former stu
dent of the college here, who was
elected to congress in Bryan's dis
trict on November 4th:
Throughout the First congressional
district Nebraskans regard the name
of John A. Mcguire as perfect
synonym for luck. For he is con-
gressman elect in a dy ct hopelessly
republican. Furthep Macguire,
a democrat, has ecli/ ie record of
William j. Bryan. ( :, ,nly democrat
who ever carried the First district.
Bryan annihilated weak opponents,
while Mcguire worsted e. M. Pollard.
of Nehawka, guardsman close to-
the throne of Speaker Cannon.
Leaders tried and true sidestepped
the democratic nomination with laugh
able alertness. G. w. Berge did not
want it. mo, thank you," sweetly re.
sponded T. J. Doyle. Other leading
bourbons. chieftans in the Bryan wig
wan, united in jovially handing the
job onto Mcguire" His name was
inserted on the primary ballot and
he was stuck" And all of these
wiseacres are kicking themselves. For
Mcguire was elected by decisive ma
jority. Before election not even the
most chimerical dopester dared to In.
innate that the First district was in
doubt.
; Four states have contributed to the
making of John A. Mcguire. They
are Illinois. South Dakota, Iowa and
Nebraska. He was born near Galena,
Ill.,, but while he was still baby his
parents took up homestead" near
: Mitchell, S. d., and 1t was there that
; his boyhood day were passed, his life
, filled with many tasks that fall to the
lot of the pioneer lad. At an early
age John Mcguire determined to get
l an education. Between the periods Of
his diligent service on the farm he
succeeded in completing the course in
the graded schools in Mitchell. There
= he taught country school for a
K couple of terms and later became
:. superintendent of the city schools at
f Salem, S. ID. His experience on the
- home farm had shown him the need
of scientific knowledge in the connec-
Il tion with agriculture and as soon as
c he found it possible he enrolled as a
), student in the South Dakota Agricul-
:. tural college, where he did the milk
y station. Though he earned his own way
S he found time to make a good foot
i ball player on the agricultural college
team. During his last year at the
South Dakota school he was a depart
e ment assistant and had charge Of the
d field observations on crops. He COM
g pleted his course at he Iowa Agricul-
:, tural college, from which he has grad
CT IN otf n,
e there as a winner in hard fought
oratorical contest. In 1898 he was
graduated from the academic course
!, in the University of Nebraska and in
= 1899 was graduated from the law
II school of that institution and admit
Il ted to the bar.
n During 1900 and 1901 Mr. Mcguire
was deputy treasurer of Lancaster
county, the only public office he has
l. held. Since then he has been actively
engaged in the practice of law In Lin
v coin. The young attorney has been
, much in demand as a public speaker
> and his name has frequently appeared
u on banquet toast lists. He has served
d as chairman Of the democratic county
r committee of Lancaster county and as
O secretary Of the state committee. In
1904 he was a delegate from the First
district to the democratic national con-
|, vention at ST Louis.
l. Mr. Mcguire has long been a close
friend of w. j. Bryan and was on the
Bryan reception committee both in
New York and in Lincoln at the time
of Bryan's homecoming from his
journey around the world. Mr.. Bryan
: made seventeen speeches for Mr..
@ Mcguire in his district during the re-
cent campaign.
. Mr.. Mcguire carried the district by
:, 900 majority. Mr.. Bryan is the only
r democrat who ever before carried the
first district and his majority was
:. small Maguire's great popularity
among the young men doubtlessly had
$ something to do with his victory His
o campaign was somewhat unique. He
e had no machinery or organization be-
hind him. but he went vigorously, to
. work in the remote districts, speaking
r during the evening and meeting the
t. voters during the entire day. Some
o times he was able to make five or
six towns in day. He rode freight
D. trains or drove overland at night from
S one point to another. He met men
r indiscriminately without reference to
II parties, business affiliations or station
in life. He attended stock shows,
T. county fairs, public sales. met thresh-
S ing crews, railroad crews and section
y hands. No man was too much out of
:. the road for him to call and see. He
made every town in his district and
! very many of the farm houses.
The new congressman Is only 35
years of age and is unmarried. He
is temperate in his habits and is fond
s Iof athletics. His rugged health and
} untiring energy were valuable assets
y in the recent campaign.
"Cannonism" was the most impor-
S tant issue in the campaign. Congress