The fifth governor of Nebraska was born at McConnellsville, Morgan County, Ohio, January 8, 1845, where the first eleven years of his life were spent. In 1856, by the removal of his father's family, he became a resident of New Port, Wisconsin. His father's health failed in the practice of medicine, and there was ample opportunity for an outlay of youthful energy on the land that had been purchased.
   Working on the farm during the season of cultivation, and attending common school in winter, supplemented with two terms in the preparatory department of Western Reserve College, Ohio, and a six months course in a business college in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, constituted the extent of his agricultural and educational acquirements. The death of his father having rendered his graduation in college impracticable at this time, his self culture was continued during four years preceding October, 1868, by the reading of law, while clerking in a store. Having determined upon the law as a profession, in 1869 he entered the office of John H. Dawes, of Fox Lake, Wisconsin, and was admitted to the bar in January, 1871.
   The same year, 1871, in the month of September, he located at Crete, Saline county, or rather anticipated the coming of the beautiful little city, for a corn-crop had been cultivated upon the townsite the previous year. Work upon the Burlington and Missouri River railroad having reached the county and crossed the Blue River, enthusiastic immigrants fancied a railroad centre, the home of manufactures and remunerative commerce. But immigration must produce business before litigation could furnish remunerative practice for the legal profession, and accordingly we find the young attorney devoting himself to mercantile pursuits for the term of six years. In 1877 he opened a law office and has continued in the practice until recently.

But politics were always a certain and successful crop, and could be had for the gardening, and a merchant of courteous address, an honorable trader, and a kind and indulgent creditor occupied an enviable position among public aspirants. Accordingly we find Mr. Dawes a member of a constitutional convention in 1875, four years after his advent to the State, and in 1876 a state senator from Saline County, and from that date for six years chairman of the Republican state central committee. For four years following 1880, he served his party as member of the national republican committee, having been a delegate to the convention of 1880 at Chicago. True to the traditions of his New England ancestry and from his own mature convictions, he welcomed and espoused the establishment of Doane college by the Congregational denomination and has served it as a. trustee and secretary for seventeen years. In 1882 he was elected governor, having as competitors J. Sterling Morton, Democrat, and H. G. Ingersoll, Independent; and was re-nominated and elected to a second term in 1884, having again Mr. Morton as an opponent, with J. B. Miller, Prohibitionist. Without intending to trace the official career of Governor Dawes in these brief introductory allusions, it can not be out of place to suggest that his course and success should inspire the honest ambitious youth of the State who are not inheritors of wealth or aids in advancement to coveted circles and official positions.
   On the fourth day of January, 1883, James W. Dawes delivered his inaugural address:

   He then suggested such a course of legislation as should attract immigration to the State, stimulate every agricultural and horticultural interest, advance common school education, sustain the state university, invigorate all benevolent institutions commensurate with the demands of advanced humanity, develop our hidden resources by a geological survey, organize a sufficient and available militia, and protect the people against the sale of fraudulent patents and bogus stocks.
   Taking up the railroad question where his predecessor had advanced it, he gave it a reasonable and prudent presentation as follows:

   When Governor Dawes delivered his first biennial message January 8, 1885, he gave the balance of funds on hand in the treasury at $442,816, and the assessed value of taxable property of the State at $123,615,886. He declared that all of the public institutions of the State were in excellent hands. Of the hospital for the insane he reported "410 received during the past two years, which added to the former number of 273 made a total of 683. Of the number treated, 323 have been discharged, 144 of whom were restored to mental health, 69 much improved, 63 unimproved were returned to their counties, and forty-three died during the two years."
   He said of the Home of the Friendless:

   It appeared from the reports that during his first term of two years, 141 had attended the Deaf and Dumb School, and numerous applications had been made for the reception of feebleminded persons, of whom we had in 1880, as shown by the census, 356; and hence the recommendation of a. separate institution for their benefit. During the same time thirty-six pupils had been in attendance upon the School for the Blind. To the credit of the school, its industrial department had an exhibit at the New Orleans Exposition.

      There had been during this term 131 discharged from the Penitentiary and 178 received, leaving 259, of whom 23 were in for life.
   The State Reform School is entitled to special notice, of which the governor said:

   The educational exhibit showed a constant and healthy progress:

   He gave the attendance at State Normal School at 470 for past

two years, and graduates 89. The library contained 2,000 volumes, and the attendance was increasing at the rate of 20 per cent. The dove of peace once more hovered over the University, and the whole attendance last year was 282. The announcement that an industrial or agricultural college had been established, with a practical farmer in charge, was accompanied with the recommendation that liberal appropriations be made.

   The governor reported the second case of escheat, in which no heirs to the estate of Peter Anderson being found in Kearney county, the amount of $246 was turned over to the state superintendent of education and by him deposited in the treasury for the benefit of the school fund. He also remembered the State Historical Society approvingly, complimented the economical methods of the Fish Commission, and reported the State Library at 23,308 volumes and in good condition. He urged the importance of keeping pace with sister states in the organization of the militia, stated that the contract for the main building of the

new capitol was closed at $439,187, that the contractor's bond had been filed in the sum of $300,000, and further that $500 had been transmitted to the Lincoln Monument Association at Springfield, Illinois, in accordance with the act of February, 1883. in recommending an additional appropriation for the New Orleans Exposition the governor paid a high compliment to ex-Governor Furnas for his part in preparing an exhibit and said:

   A new feature of the message involved the creation of a board of state charities, and health. Of the former he said:

   Of the latter:

   Attention was also called to the necessity of such laws as would guard against the spread of "infectious or contagious diseases among the stock of the State." The doctrines of his inaugural were reiterated on the subject of railroad supervision. The statement of revenue from educational lands, December 30 1884, was very satisfactory and cheering:

   The whole number of acres of land owned by the State December 1st, 1884, were: Common school, 2,746,582; Agricultural College, 89,080; University, 44,906; Normal School, 12,562; Saline lands, 13,368; Penitentiary, 676; total, 2,907,177.
   Having officially called legislative attention to the question of railroad supervision, and clearly elucidated the fact that the constitution gave full and adequate power in that behalf, it must have been very gratifying that the legislature so promptly met the question. The act passed provided for a Board of Railroad Commissioners consisting of the attorney general, secretary of state, and auditor of public accounts, with a secretary for each, to represent him, and granted as complete control of railroads as if they had been the personal property of the Board, sale only excepted, and limited only by the terms of charters and state laws and "the safety, convenience and interest of the public."
   To protect the young and throw safe-guards around the dependent and unfortunate, in the humane spirit of the governor's message, acts were passed, first, that all employers of female help in stores, offices and schools should furnish chairs, stools or seats on which to rest when duties permitted relaxation; second, providing for a female assistant in the medical department of insane hospitals; third, that no censorship should be exercised over the correspondence sent from or addressed to the inmates of insane hospitals, but every facility should be furnished for free correspondence; fourth, that "every person unable to earn a living on account of bodily infirmity, idiocy, lunacy or other unavoidable cause," should be supported by certain relatives spec-

ified in the law; fifth, that bodies of unclaimed paupers might be given up for dissection to medical colleges under bonds, and by an order of a court, to be used within the State only, and "in a manner that shall be private and in no wise shock the sensibilities of the community where procured or dissected"; and sixth, that tobacco in none of its forms, nor cigarettes, shall be given or sold to any minor under fifteen years of age. In a spirit of reform and economy grand juries were to be convened under the discretion of the courts. In simple justice, females having property taxed for school purposes and children of school age were allowed to become voters in school district meetings; and by another act., all persons were declared entitled to the same civil rights in inns, public conveyances, barber shops, theatres, and other places of amusement.
   In compliance with his recommendation an appropriation of $500 was made, to be annual, in aid of the State Historical Society, and it was declared to be a "state institution" and entitled to have its reports printed and distributed as other public documents.
   There has never been a more valuable set of joint resolutions passed by a legislature than by that of 1883, memorializing Congress. Considering the fact that many politicians were arguing that "the duty of tariff tax," imposed by the general government on imported articles, was not paid by the consumer, but by the foreign importer, it became a matter of exultation with revenue reformers, that Congress was implored to place the material, of which barbed-wire was made, on the free list, because if not, the people had finally to pay the duty. In the same spirit, and for the same purpose of cheapening transportation upon productions carried over railroad bridges which cross navigable streams of the United States, Congress was called upon to demand the abolition of all tolls upon those spanning the Missouri River in Nebraska. And, inasmuch as railroads having land grants were delaying to receive patents for such lands, in order to escape taxation upon them, the importunate demand was made, that they be compelled to receive patents as fast as due.

   On the delivery of his final message, of January 6, 1887, at the end of an official term of four years, he discovered no state interest impaired; but a steady advance in all material concerns. The benevolent and other state institutions added the usual per cent of healthy advancement to their statistical statements of 1885.

   The organizations of the counties of Dawes, Logan, Sheridan, Chase, Blaine and Sioux, were announced during the two preceding years. The recommendation of two years before, in regard to a State Board of Health, was re-affirmed, in behalf of "the health and life of the citizens of the State." Favorable reference was made "to the time which is not far distant, when Nebraska, following the example of other States, will feel the necessity of establishing a Soldiers Home, for the care and support of the aged and disabled veterans of the late war." The amount of $66,687 had been received by the general government and placed to the credit of the state treasury. While the state census of 1885 had cost $39,774, all of that amount excepting $5,015 had been paid by the general government.
   From a thorough understanding of the school system and the administration of its landed estate, Governor Dawes affirmed that its condition "may well excite the envy of others, who having received the same munificent grants, have managed them less wisely."
   In the matter of railroad supervision he approbated the recent legislation, looked to Congress for interstate legislation, and called for conservative and just disposition of the question.
   This sketch may close with his farewell to his constituents and the executive office:

   As governor, he delivered his inaugural January 6th from which, by liberal quotations, it is easy to create his ideal citizen, Such an one measuring up to his standard, would in education, clearly illustrate the value of "thoroughness instead of quantity" and the worth of "practical studies more than ornamental," and the infinite utility of "the languages of the present instead of the aged past." As a legislator he would enact "such laws as the public interests demand, to protect the rights of all the people." He would affirm "that there is no condition of human beings on this earth so pitiable, so deplorable, as is the condition of those from whom the light of reason has forever departed, and who linger in life, driveling idiots or raving maniacs." And inasmuch as they are shut in from the world, he would demand that all penitentiaries, jails, almshouses, houses of correction, reform schools, homes for the friendless and poor houses should be subject of careful inspection. He would demand a "uniform system of taxation according to values and not according to ownership."
   As between railroads and the people, his theory would be, that while "railroads are a necessity to the people, the people are also a necessity to the railroads." He would respond cheerfully to the declaration, "our sympathies should ever lie with those whose lives are devoted to daily toil"; and in the exercise of the elective franchise he would not fail to act upon the declaration, "the purchase and sale of votes is a crime of the most heinous character against the State, against society, against civilization." Among his political maxims would be prominent, "No one has any right to make money at the expense of the State." Seated in the shade of his own artificial grove, hear him exclaim, "One of the pleasing features of civilization in this State is the planting

and growth of trees"; and caressing his beautiful live stock and receiving their submissive returns, and remembering how, often they are neglected and abused, with what noble emphasis he exclaims, "There are human brutes as well as dumb brutes."
   At the time the governor delivered his first biennial message, the following statement showed the condition of the treasury:

   At the end of his Second elective term it stood as follows:

   The Auditor's Report gave in 1888:

   From the next Auditor's Report the following is taken for the years 1889 and 1890:

   These two reports covered the assessments of four years or two biennial terms. During his term of four years he received
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and deposited in the treasury of the State five per cent on sales of government lands, and otherwise, $281,246.20.
   If the message, closing the year 1890, delivered to the legislature of 1891, had been specially intended as a monumental document, to separate between the first and fiftieth years of state life, marking the half-way period between them, it could scarcely have abounded in more complete statistical statements of public institutions.

   The report of the warden of the Penitentiary presents the following statement:

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