WILLIAM V. ALLEN was born in Midway, Madison County, Ohio, January 28, 1847 In 1857 he removed to Story County, Iowa, where he lived for about twenty-seven years, and came to Madison,. Nebraska, in 1884. He was educated in the common schools of Ohio and Iowa and attended Upper Iowa University for about one year. He enlisted as a private in Company G, Thirty-second Iowa Volunteer Infantry. Returning from the war, he read law at West Union, Iowa, and was admitted to the bar. In 1870 he was married to Miss Blanche Mott and they have four children. He was elected Judge of the District Court in 1891 and served thirteen months. In 1893 he was elected United States Senator and his term expired March 4, 1899. March 9, 1899, he was appointed to fill a vacancy on the bench and served until the following December, when he was appointed United States Senator by Governor Poynter to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Senator Hayward. He was again elected as District Judge, but did not qualify.

     J. STERLING MORTON was born in Jefferson County, New York, April 22, 1832. He came to Bellevue, Nebraska Territory, November 10, 1854, and on April 12, 1855, removed to Nebraska City, where he established his permanent home. President Buchanan appointed him as Secretary of the Territory July 12, 1858, which office he held until succeeded by A. S. Paddock, under the administration of Abraham Lincoln. At the date of his arrival in the territory he was only twenty-two years of age. He had enjoyed the advantages of Michigan University, had received his final diploma from Union College, New York, and was endowed with a fine command of language. As a writer on the Detroit Free Press and Chicago Times his contributions were highly prized, while before his appointment as Secretary he was editor of the Nebraska City News, and in 1855 elected to the Legislature. During the session he attempted to stem the tide of wild-cat banking, which resulted in his defeat in the election of 1856. In 1857 he was again elected to the Legislature. In 1860 he was the Democratic candidate for Delegate to Congress. Out of 5,900 votes Mr. Morton was awarded a majority of 14, but afterwards lost by a contest in Congress. Six years thereafter, in 1866, he was a candidate for first Governor of the new State against David Butler, who received a majority of 145 votes over Morton. At the first election of United States Senators Mr. Morton was a candidate against T. W. Tipton. In 1882 and in 1884 Mr. Morton and Mr. Dawes were opposing candidates for Governor, Dawes being elected both times. In 1892 he once more carried the minority party's banner in a contest for governor. He served as Secretary of Agriculture under President Cleveland, and after retiring from the Cabinet established "The Conservative," a weekly publication, of which he was editor until the time of his death, April 27, 1902. Mr. Morton was the founder of Arbor Day, the celebration of which extends beyond the United States of America.

     RHODERICK DHU SUTHERLAND was born at Scott's Grove, Jones County, Iowa, April 27, 1862. With his parents he removed to Northwestern Missouri and received an ordinary education in the common schools, which was supplemented by a few terms in the college then located in College Springs, Iowa. He came to Nebraska, devoted himself to the study of law, was admitted to the bar and entered on the practice of his profession in Nuckolls County in 1888. Two years afterwards he was elected County Attorney on the People's Independent ticket and was re-elected in 1892 and 1894. In 1896 he was nominated by the Populists and Democrats of his district to succeed Hon. William E. Andrews in the fifty-fifth Congress. The campaign which followed was one of intense excitement, but in the face