New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-15
Former Vice President
Passes Away After a
Long Illness.
THREE CHILDREN
WITH HIM AT END
Holder of Many Public Offices
Breaks Down When Death
Removes His Wife.


President, died in a hospital in this city
carly this morning. He had been i'll
long time and death had been expected
for several days
Mr.. Stevenson's three children were
with him at the end. They are Lewis c.
Stevenson. president OF the Illinois Board
Of Pardons; Miss Lctita Stevenson, OF
Bloomington. and Mrs Martha ID Har-
din OF this city.
Mr.. Stevenson lost his wife about six
months ago. His health, which had been
poor. rapidly became worse, and his final
breakdown dated from Mrs. Stevenson's
death. lie had been Unconscious for
twentyfour hours when the end came
Mr.. Stevenson will he buried Tuesday
afternoon. His body was brought home
tonight from Chicago Nice-President
Marshall will come from Washington to
attend the funeral. Governor Dunno and
other state officials will be the honorary
pallbearers. The body will lie in state
until the funeral
"Adlai get your axe is a cry that will
be well remembered by those whose po-
litical memories go back as far as thirty
years II arose half seriously, nalf ban
teringly, at the beginning OF the first
administration Of Grover Cleveland, and
the first Democratic administration since
the Civil War. Adlai Ewing Stevenson
was made First Assistant Postmaster
General, and as such was looked upon
as the headsman of the administration
who should decap itate innumerable Re
Of IN a fnp
the hungry and thirsty multitude of
Democratic office seekers. He did not re-
spond 10 the call with half the zeal which
party spoilsmen expected and desired;
but it was with such an introduction that
he first doomed large on the scene Of ma
tional politics.
Mr.. Stevenson was a native of Christian
County, Ky. whittier his father and
mother, John r. and Eliza Ewing Steven
son, Scotch-Irish pioneers, had removed
from North Carolina. and he was born on
October %, 1885. He was educated in the
local schools and a. Centre College, Ken
lucky. an institution at which he did not
complete his full course or graduate, but
which in after years gave him the hon
orary degree Of LII. d. When he was be-
tween sixteen and seventeen years old
he removed with his family 10 Blooming
ton. H., and ever afterward made that
place his home. His father was a farmer,
but he declined 10 follow that pursuit.
Instead, he studied law and gained admis
sion TO the bar, and also, as was the GUS
tom of Illinois lawyers in those days, be-
gan to dabbe in politics. BY a curious
he limit cd IN ba ha
in the very year and month in which
Grover Cleveland was also admitted at
Buffalo.
Master in Chancery for Years.
For several years he was master in
chsncery, and made so good record that
in constituency, which was normally
Republican, by 1000 majority, although
he was already known as an uncomprom-
Using Democrat.
He retired to private life ard to private
practice in 1869, but in 1874 was called
back 10 politics as the Democratic can
didate for Congress in a district which
was normally Republican by about 400
majority. The events of 1872 had, how
ever, weakened the Republicans; all the
opposition elements united in Mr.. Steven
sons support, and he was elected to the
first Democratic House Of Representa-
tives since the war 1t may be added
that his opponent was General John Nc
Nulta, one Of his warmest personal
friends, and that their campaigns were
conducted together in a joint public de-
bate
He showed himself a painstaking and
efficient legislator. and especially com
mended himself to public favor by his
course in the Hayes-Tilden dispute OF
1851. He believed, of course. that the
Democrats had won and that Mr. Tilden
should be seated. But he advocated the
electoral commission as a rational means
of settling the dispute, and when that
body decided in favor of General Hayes
he Loyalty accepted the result
lie was reelected to the 18th Congress
in 1873, and was then called on TO declare
himself on several important issues. one
Of these was the so-called army bill, the
rurport OF which was TO prohibit the use
Of federal troops at elections in the
Southern States. This measure he vigor-
ously supported. Another was the ques-
ton OF the currency. particularly the coin
age of silver which had been demon
cited by the "crimc OF 1875" On this Mr..
Stevenson took what was then the pre-
vailing Western stand in favor Of the re-
ronetization and free coinage OF the
v hite metal.
Defeated by PAP Votes.
In 1850 he was renomnated, but was de-
feated by only 2i2 votes although his dis
trict gave Republican majority Of 1000
for President He then again retired 10
private life In 1884 he was a delegate TO
the Democratic National Convention, and
afterward as a member Of its notifca-
ticn committee, for the first time met
Grover Cleveland. on the entrance Of the
latter into the Presidency Mr. Stevenson's
close friend, William +. Villas. was made
Postmaster General and in August, 1885.
he made Mr.. Stevenson his first assistant.
Then rose the cry, "Adlai, get your
axew There were more than $500 post
Offices at his disposal, and clean
sweep" of all Republican incumbents was
demanded But Mr.. Stevenson, though
never classed as civil service reformer.
had the good OF the public service too
much at heart 20 yield unfortunately
10 the insensate cry for loot lie did, in
deed. appoint Democrats to offices. but as
a rule only as fast 0s the terms OF nc