The Political Career of Benjamin F. Shively By H. S. K. BARTHOLOMEW With but few exceptions the men who have represented Indi- ana in the senate have been men of high char- acter, and the state is justly proud of most of those who have been elevated to membership in the highest law-making body in the land. Among the individuals who have been so honored are : , Oliver H. Smith, Henry S. Lane, Thomas A. Hendricks, Daniel D. Pratt, Joseph E. McDonald, Daniel W. Voorhees, , and Albert J. Beveridge. Worthy of a place beside these honored names is that of Benjamin F. Shively who was twice elected but whose death occured when he had served but little more than a year of his second term. Among his col- leagues were such Senators as Augustus 0. Bacon, Ollie James, John Sharp Williams, Robert L. Taylor, Knute Nelson, Elihu Root, William S. Kenyon, Theodore E. Burton and John War- wick Daniel, but Shively was the peer of them all. Benjamin Franklin Shively was born on March 20, 1857, about a mile west of the little village of Osceola in St. Joseph County and near the bank of the lordly St. Joseph River. His father was Joel Shively, a minister of what was then called the Dunkard or Dunker church, but whose official name is now the Church of the Brethren. His mother, before her marriage, was Elizabeth Penrod. The Rev. Shively traveled over St. Joseph and Elkhart counties preaching to the people of his faith wherever he was called. He was one of the best known among the Dunkard preachers of his day and generation. Both he and Mrs. Shively were held in high esteem in the com- munity in which the greater part of their lives was spent. There were eight children in the Shively family, three of whom died at an early age. Those who grew up were Benjamin F., Aaron,' Christian, Rebecca and Catherine. Of these, Christian is the only one now living. Aaron died in the latter part of 1931. Neither of these two brothers ever married. Rebecca who became Mrs. David S. Kindig died in 1918. She and the writer attended the old Elkhart County Normal school at the same time. Benjamin spent the early years of his life in the same way as did most country boys of that day, working on the farm 252 Magazine of History through the summer and attending the district school in the winter. This he continued to do until he was sixteen years old, when he began teaching. He taught for two terms at the Willow Creek school, two terms at the Pleasant Valley school and a year at Osceola. Southwest of Osceola was the Rogers School, which was known as the roughest school in that section of the country. The older boys prided themselves on their prowess in being able to run out the teacher winter after win- ter. When Mr. Shively was teaching at Osceola, the boys at the Rogers School again drove their teacher out. Then the township trustee called on Mr. Shively and asked him to come over after his school closed and finish the term. He did so and had no trouble. After he became of age, Mr. Shively spent several summers in the harvest fields of Minnesota. When harvesting was over he remained to go with a threshing machine. His brother said that Benjamin enjoyed “feeding” the machine, which, as all who ever observed “feeders” know, was hard work. In the meantime, he learned the plasterer’s trade and did some work at stone masonry. He worked at those trades in Mishawaka and also in Osceola, where he helped to build the schoolhouse which preceded the present one in that village. In addition to all this he managed to attend an eight weeks’ term of the Northern Indiana Normal School at Valparaiso. Outside of what he gained there and in the country schools, he was self taught until he entered a school of law. In Benjamin’s boyhood days, the Rev. Joel Shively belonged to the Republican party and the son naturally followed in his footsteps. After the panic of 1873, both father and son began to study the money question and both came to the conclusion that there was something wrong with the country’s financial system. By 1876 both were ready to join the newly formed Greenback party. In 1880 Benjamin began the publication of a Greenback paper in South Bend, the South Bend Era. This he continued for several years. In 1882 he was tendered the Greenback party’s nomination for Congress in the thirteenth Congressional district. He accepted t h e nomination a n d stumped the district, a part of the time walking from one speaking place to another because he could not afford to pay carfare. The late Appellate Judge, E. A. Dausman, who was then a Democrat and a member of the county central commit- Bartholomew: Benjamin F. Shively 268 tee, heard Shively speak in Nappanee. In a letter to the writer of this sketch, who was then attending school in Valparaiso, he toId of Shively’s gift of oratory and of the logical, forceful ad- dress which he had delivered. In closing his letter, Mr. Daus- man said : “I wish he were a Democrat”. In 1884 Mr. Shively again received the Greenback nomina- tion for Congress. For several years, he had been making a thorough study of the tariff question and found that on that question he was in harmony with the Democratic party. In the latter part of the campaign, a somewhat peculiar situation arose. Major William Calkins, the congressman from the thirteenth district, having received the Republican nomination for governor, several months later resigned his seat in Con- gress. This left a vacancy to be filled for a part of a term. Both political parties had held their congressional conventions some time before. The Democrats had nominated George Ford, a prominent lawyer of South Bend, while the Republi- cans had chosen Henry G. Thayer of Plymouth, also an able and worthy man. Both parties were anxious to effect a coali- tion with the Greenbackers on congressional candidates and each party made overtures to Mr. Shively. At that time the prospects for succeess were more favorable for the Republi- cans than for the Democrats. No Democrat had been elected in that district for twenty years. Had Mr. Shively been will- ing to Sibordinate his political convictions to expediency, he would have accepted the Republican nomination, but he was not that kind of a man. His studies of governmental questions had carried him away from the party with which he had been identified in his early years and he was now in accord with the Democratic party on all of the major issues. So, as any hon- est man would have done, he turned his back on the offer which held forth the greater promise of success and accepted the one which offered the lesser. Both the Democrats and the Greenbackers supported Mr. Ford for the long term and Mr. Shively for the short term and both were elected. Mr. Shively entered Congress at the opening of the short session in the following December and served until the fourth of March, 1886. He was the youngest member of that Con- gress, but by his courteous demeanor and his manly bearing he won the respect of all those members with whom he came in contact. Through the influence of his friend and fellow mem- 254 Indiana Magazine of History

ber, George L. Yaple of Michigan, he was given an opportunity to make a speech, which was listened to with close attention and made a favorable impression even upon those members who had been serving for years.l At the close of his brief term of service in Congress, he en- tered the Law School of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. He had been devoting as much time as he could spare to the study of law while he was editing his paper in South Bend, so that in a year from the time he entered the law school he was able to graduate. He at once entered upon the practice of the profession in South Bend, which thereafter was his permanent home. While he was in the law school, an incident occurred which showed his native modesty, a trait which characterized him throughout his life. A letter came addressed to Hon. B. F. Shively, M. C. The head of the law department brought the letter to his class and asked Mr. Shively if he had ever served in Congress. Mr. Shively replied that he had. The professor told him that he was the first ex-congressman who had ever attended that law school. Mr. Shively’s short service in the national House had made such a favorable impression that when the time came for the off-year congressional campaign, that of 1886, the Democrats of the thirteenth district began to consider him favorably as a candidate. Congressman Ford had already let it be known that he intended to retire at the end of a single term. The matter of a candidacy having been suggested to him by some of the Democratic leaders in the district, after giving it due consideration, Mr. Shively decided to let his name go before the convention, which was held at Warsaw. Elkhart County had two candidates in the convention, Lewellyn Wanner, a law- yer, and Laporte Heefner, a banker. Mr. Shively was an easy winner and at once entered upon an active campaign. His splendid oratorical ability and his skillful handling of the issues which divided the parties made a favorable impression wherever he spoke. In fact he was soon conceded to be one of the best campaigners who had ever made his appearance in

IThe young member from Indiana, elected to serve only through the short session of 1884-1886, made two speeches during the session, one dealing with the problem of regulating inter-state commerce, the other with the currency Question. It is a remarkable fact that the first of these speeches was made on Thursday, December 4, 1884, the fourth day of the session. Certainly Mr. Shivelr’s maiden speech was not held back very long. For these two speeches, which read as if made years later, see Cmg. Reaord, 48 Cong., 2 Sew, 64-66 (Dec. 4, 1884) and 732-738 (Jan. 16, 1885). Barthdomew : Benjamin F. Shively 255 the district. Until two years before that time, the Republicans had held the district uninterruptedly since 1864, and they were now determined to make the most strenuous efforts to wrest it from the Democrats. They nominated Gen. , the strongest man they had in the district, and withal a superb orator. A series of joint debates between the two candidates was arranged. The discussions were to be held in all of the county seats in the district-South Bend, La Porte, Goshen, Warsaw, Plymouth, Rochester and Knox. The debates attract- ed immense audiences of enthusiastic partisans, usually about equally divided between the two parties. The discussions were free from personalities and the candidates treated each other with becoming courtesy on all occasions. Each one put forth his best efforts in behalf of the cause which he had espoused and the great numbers who heard them enjoyed a splendid in- tellectual treat. Before the debates were concluded it was quite generally conceded that the young, intellectual giant from South Bend was getting the better of the seasoned campaigner who had been through many political battles. They traveled together and after the speeches and while waiting for trains, surrounded by their followers, they told stories and cracked jokes, thus passing the time in a way that was enjoyable to all. Both candidates canvassed the district thoroughly having speaking'dates up to the night before the election. When the votes were counted, Shively was found to be elected by major- ity of about 1,000, although the Republicans had carried the district for their state ticket and had elected their county of- ficers in most of the counties in the district.2 When the time came for the campaign of 1888, no candidate offered himself for the Democratic nomination in opposition to Shively. The Democratic convention was held in Goshen and he was nominated by acclamation. That year the Republicans adopted a different line of strategy from that of two years before and played for the Catholic vote by nominating Col. William Hopes, a professor in the Law Department of Notre Dame University, a man of high character and exceptional ability.

'In 1886, the vote in the thirteenth congressional district stood: Fackard, 18 087: Shivaly, 19,106. Two years earlier, Ford (Dem.-Greenback candidate) received 2b,971 votps and Thayer (Rep.), 18,782. At this time Shivelr, the candidate for the short term, backed by Democrats and Greenbackers, received 20,964 to 18,786 for his opponent Revnolds. 266 Indiana Magazine of History

From the time of his entrancer into politics, Mr. Shively favored a full, free and frank discussion of all public questions and particularly of the issues which divided the parties in any canvass. He also believed that the fair way to put the issues before the voters was to have the opposing candidates appear together as often as convenient, so that each one could present his case to people of all parties. He and Gen. Packard had done this in 1886, and believing in this method of campaigning, he addressed a letter to Col. Hoynes soon after the latter was nominated in which he said : Believing that you agree with me as to the propriety and desirability of a full, free and thorough investigation of the issues involved in the present campaign, I very respectfully invite you to engage with me in a series of joint discussions before the voters of the thirteenth congressional district, the number, the dates and places of such meetings to be ar- ranged by our respective committees. Mr. Shively waited two weeks for a reply and not receiving one he gave a copy of the letter to the press. Col. Hoynes came back with a public letter over a half-column in length in which he chided Mr. Shively for not waiting longer before publishing his letter, or, in the words of the Goshen Weekly News, gave Mr. Shively a “curtain lecture” for not so doing. The Colonel indulged in numerous platitudes about alleged protection to American labor, caring for the country’s soldiers and various other matters which he claimed demanded the attention of the people. He accepted Mr. Shively’s challenge with apparent enthusiasm, saying that he would be only too glad to appear on the same platform before the voters of the district when each one could have ample opportunity to present his cause. When the time came for the two committees to arrange speak- ing dates and places, the Republican Committee refused to en- ter into any arrangement of that kind. Just what excuse they made is no longer remembered. The Democrats taunted their opponents throughout the campaign, declaring that they were afraid to have their candidate meet the popular, young Repre- sentative, who, in his brief term of service had made a splendid record and whose oratorical ability had proved more than a match for Gen. Packard two years before. Each candidate conducted his campaign alone, each of them making a vigor- ous canvass and speaking day and night for nearly two months. The year 1888 was a disastrous one for the Democrats in In- Bartholornew: Benjamin F. Shively 267 diana. From the beginning to the end of the campaign they were at a great disadvantage. Two years before there had been an exceedingly bitter contest in the Legislature over the election of a United States senator. Benjamin Harrison was nearing the end of his term and was a candidate for re- election. In the Legislature, the strength of the two parties on joint ballot was so nearly the same that each claimed a major- ity on joint ballot. Each resorted to questionable means to gain the ascendancy. After a protracted struggle, General Harri- son was defeated, being succeeded by David Turpie.8 Then the Republicans raised the cry of fraud which they kept up for two years, until the end of the 1888 presidential campaign. If there was fraud, both parties were probably equally guilty, but the charge served its purpose in the campaign, which was the thing desired. Besides this, Republicans had another ad- vantage. General Harrison was nominated for President, and they could appeal to state pride as a strong reason for his sup- port. The result was that Indiana was carried by Republicans for both their national and state tickets. They also elected their local tickets in most of the counties. The thirteenth Con- gressional district went for Harrison and the State Republican ticket by substantial majorities. The first reports had Con- gressman Shively defeated, but when the official returns came in, it was found that he had run ahead of his ticket in most of the counties in the district and that he actually had a majority of something over 300. Although this was only a third of his majority of two years before, in view of the general Republi- can success, it was a great and unusual tri~mph.~ In 1890 the Democratic congressional convention was held at South Bend. Mr. Shively was again nominated by acclama- tion. This time his opponent was Henry D. Wilson, a Goshen lawyer, who had been a life-long Democrat until the time when he failed to receive an appointment from a Democratic Gover-

'David Turpie was elected United States Senator over Benjamin Harrison by a nar- gin of two votes in 1887. Sixteen ballots were required, the first of which was taken on Jan. 19 and the last on Feb. 2 . On the first fifteen ballots, four members of the House voted for Jason H. Allen. Three of these Prior Gates, Wesley Glover and Robert L. Mackey were Republicans. The fourth F. J. S. Robinson was a Greenback-Labor man who had been endorsed by Democrats. The situation was such that by voting for Turpie. Robinson could at any time make him United States Senator. If all four of the inde- pendents should shift to Harrison, he would he tied with Turpie. On the sixteenth ballot, Robinson voted for Turpie, giving him a total of 76 votes. Then Gates. Glover, and Yackey tranafered to Harrison, bringing his total to 74. The contest was bitter. The right of Turpie to his seat was contested before the , but he Was mtained. 'In 1888, Shively received 21.661 votes in his district, to 21,206 for Col. Homes. The vote for the Prohibitionist candidate was 878. 258 Indiana Magazine of History nor to a vacant judgeship. He was an affable gentleman and a pleasing speaker, but he was known to be far inferior to his competitor. He made many speeches but the fact that he bore the name of a disappointed office seeker proved a handicap. His speeches entertained but carried little weight. Mr. Shively again made a thorough canvas of the district speaking in every city and every town. His meetings attracted large audi- ences from people of both political parties. He discussed the issues of the campaign in a straightforward way, giving an ac- count of his stewardship in the popular branch of Congress. That his constituents were well satisfied with his record was in evidence when the election returns came in, for this time he re- ceived a majority of 2,701, which was much larger than had ever been given to any candidate of either party in the district up to that time. He continued as before giving the best serv- ice possible to the people of his district as well as to the state and nation. Upon the opening of Congress, there was a spirit- ed contest for the speakership. There were three Democratic candidates: Charles F. Crisp, of Georgia; Roger Q. Mills, of Texas ; and William M. Springer, of Illinois. All were worthy men and any one of them could have filled the office of Speaker very acceptably. Mr. Shively believed that Judge Crisp was better qualified than either of the others and identified himself with the supporters of the Georgia statesman, who was finally elected. Having shown himself to be one of the best informed mem- bers of the house on economic questions, Mr. Shively was given a place on the Ways and Means Committee, of which William L. Wilson of West Virginia was chairman. He helped to frame the Wilson tariff bill. This measure was far different from that which finally emerged from the Senate, and which, in the main, the House was compelled to accept. The bill, known ever since as the Wilson-Gorman Act, was permitted to become a law without the signature of President Cleveland. The orig- inal bill was a revenue measure and was far more equitable than that which replaced it. Besides serving on the Ways and Means Committee, Shively was a member of several other committees and was one of the busiest men in the fiftieth Con- gress. Although his influence was steadily rising, he decided that he ought at this time to return to the practice of law to ac- Barthdomew : Benjamin F. Shive1.y 259

cumulate a little property for himself, which he could not do should he continue indefinitely in public life. Early in 1892 he wrote a letter to the district chairman saying that he would not be a candidate for re-election. He received many letters from his constituents begging him to reconsider his decli- nation, but he declared that his decision had been made after careful consideration and that it must be accepted as final. There was no question as to his re-election, had he become a candidate for that was a Democratic year and his Democratic successor on the ticket, although a much less popular man than he, was elected by a substantial majority,s While he was serving his second full term in congress, Mr. Shively was united in marriage with Miss Laura Jenks, daugh- ter of Hon. George A. Jenks, the Solicitor General in the Department of Justice at Washington. Three children were born to them: George J., John J. and Mary M. The two sons served in the A.E.F. in France, the older son receiving the Croix de Guerre for exceptional bravery. This son, George J. Shively, is the author of several books. The first of these, The Initiation, is a story of his college life which also includes some of his experiences in the world war. John J. Shively, the second son, is an electrical engineer who lives in Brookville, Pennsylvania. Mary M. Shively, the only daughter, is engaged in the real estate business in . Althopgh he held no office after 1893 for sixteen years, Mr. Shivelf’s services were in demand in every campaign and he never failed to respond at the call of his party. Each cam- paign year he was on the stump for at least six weeks and his meetings were always attended by as large crowds as when he was serving in Congress. In 1896 in response to demands from the bi-metallist wing of his party, he became a candidate for the nomination for governor. There was a bitter contest over the platform between the bi-metallists and the gold stand- ard advocates in the convention but the bi-metallists won by a large majority. After that was decided, Mr. Shively was easily nominated. He made one of his characteristically vigor- ous campaigns, speaking in every part of the state. In this campaign he was at a decided disadvantage. His opponent, James A. Mount, was a prominent Montgomery county farmer

‘In the thirteenth district in 1892, C. G. Conn (Democrat) received 21,627 votes to 19,687 for James S. Dodge (Republican). Both candidates were citizens of Elkhart. The Prohibition party candidate polled 872 votes, while 710 were cast for the Populist can- didate. 260 Indiana Magazine of History and one of the most popular farmers’ institute speakers in In- diana. He had been engaged in that work from the time that it started and had spoken at institutes in every county in the state and in many counties several times. He was a very estimable man, with a pleasing personality, a man who made friends wherever he went. The writer, who was associated with him occasionally in farmers’ institute work, found him a very agreeable co-worker and always had a high regard for him. Mr. Mount had been anxious for years to win the gov- ernship and lost no opportunity to advance his cause when he was out on his institute tours. The close personal friend- ships which he made were not confined to members of his own political party. When he came to make his campaign for gov- ernor these friendships were a great asset to him. The writer would probably have voted for him had it not been for his close personal friendship for Shively. That and the knowledge of Shively’s eminent fitness for the office precluded any such thing. The two candidates did not meet in joint debate and it was well for Mount that they did not. While he was a pleasing speaker, he would have been no match for Shively, either in- tellectually or as an orator. After one of the hardest fought campaigns since the civil war, Mr. Shively met the first defeat of his life.0 Although beaten, he was not in the least cast down and those who met him on the day after the election would not have known from his demeanor that he had not been elected. He again gave his attention to his law practice, as he had done since his retirement from congress. His only diversion be- sides an occasional speaking date was his study of great gov- ernmental problems of which he never ceased to be fond. He could have had the gubernatorial nomination again in 1900, had he consented to be a candidate, but long before the convention he let it be known that he did not want to make another race. In the same year, he could have had the nomin- ation for vice-president at the Kansas City convention, but that he also declined. He threw himself into the campaign with his wonted vigor, however, and made many speeches. In January, 1903, the Democratic caucus in the Legislature gave him the nomination for United States senator and he received the complimentary vote of his party for that office. All through the lean years of the Democratic party, he was one of

The vote for Governor in 1896: James A. Mount, 321,812 : Benj. F. Shively, 290,076. Bartholomew : Benjamin F. Shively 261 ita pillars, and in both presidential and off-year campaigns gave it his best service.

+ In 1904 an effort was made to nominate him for Congress but he would not listen to the proposal. In 1906 when his party once more demanded that he make the race, he finally yielded. His opponent was Abram L. Brick who had been serv- ing in the National House since 1899. He had carried the thirteenth district two years before by 7,000 majority. Mr. Shively made one of his old time aggressive campaigns and, while he failed of election, he cut down the majority to about two hundred.' When the tide began to turn in 1908 and the Democrats car- ried the Legislature, Shively's friends again began to talk about him for United States senator.8 Other formidable candi- dates were put forward, including: John W. Kern of Indiana- polis, who had twice made the race for governor; Edward G. Hoffman of Fort Wayne, for many years Democratic national committeeman from Indiana, as well as secretary of the na- ional committee, and John E. Lamb of Terre Haute, a promin- ent lawyer and former member of Congress. As the time for the opening of the legislative session drew near, the Democrats of Northern Indiana became active in Mr. Shively's behalf. The people of his home city, regardless of party, became enthusiastic in his support. The South Bend Times edited by John B. Stoll, rendered valiant service to his cause. In editorials Stoll set forth the reasons why Mr. Shively was not only the most available of the candidates who had been proposed for the office but the best qualified among them all to render the kind of service that was needed in the Senate at that particular time. One of these editorials of 1908 so well describes the situation and Mr. Shively's fitness for the place that it is here reprinted in full : WHY BENJAMIN F. SHIVELY? In the next United States senate there will be but three Democrats

Thirteenth district election of 1906 : A. L. Brick, 23,360 : Benj. F. Shively, 23,168. In 1904, Brick had polled 29,361 votes to 22,454 for F. E. Hering. aThe public learns a great deal about the culpability of political leaders and sus- pects much more. Not often enough do authenticated facts proving the innate honesty of public men come out. A nephew of Mr. Shivley of sterling worth, B. F. Kindig, fur- nishes the following story in regard to that leader: A wealthy manufacturer of northern Indiana desired to make the race for Governor on the Democratic ticket in 1908. Know- ing the influence of Mr. Shivley, this affluent gentleman sent an emissary to him with $10,000. To receive this tidy sum it was only necessary for Mr. Shivley to agree to go out and line-up delegates to the'stata Democratic convention who would su~~ortthe aspiring manufacturer. The money was scorned and the emissary returned to the man who had sent him forth to report that Mr. Shivley had been thoroughly alienated by the assumption that his influence could be purchased. 262 Indiana Magazine of History from the North. Senator Teller will probably be re-elected from Colorado and Senator Newlands from Nevada. The only gain by Democrats will be the new senator of whom, thanks to Governor Hanly, they are assured in Indiana. It is due to the party in the nation; nay, more, it is due to the interests of the country, that the Indiana Democracy furnish the best material it possesses. Senator Teller is an old man; his re-election will be rather a compliment to round out his career than a commission to do ef- fective work for the country. Senator Newlands' connection with large rorporate combines is so close and intimate that he can not be relied upon to uphold the interests of the people against the powerful forces arrayed in selfish opposition. Upon the new senator from Indiana, then, will de- volve the burden of the championship of Democratic principles on the part of the great northern portion of the country. This championship will be no easy task. The very first session of the next congress-the one promised in the spring-will be the most im- portant held for years. The revision of the tariff in one way or another affects every home in the land. That revision, while in equitable adjust- ments it may retain a few of the present rates and even possibly in- crease some minor schedules, must be essentially downward, if it is to relieve the great mass of the people from the heavy burdens imposed, whose benefits have gone to the enriching of a favored few. Not only this, but the corruption, extravagance, and monopolistic tendencies which are debauching both public and private life, if not bred by these inequit- able provisions, have at least been nourished by them. Nor are the favored interests going to surrender their privilege with- out a struggle. It is not in human nature that they should. The hear- ings already held at Washington are proof that, like the daughters of the horse leech, tariff-fed monopolists are never satisfied. They are all protesting against reduction, and some have even the effrontery to ask for higher rates. "here will be a powerful lobby present at Washington to combat, by every argument known to the craft, any change that will diminish the exorbitant profits that are now extorted from the con- sumer. To meet these forces strong men are needed-men of physical and mental vigor, equipped with a knowledge of affairs and familiar with parliamentary practice in addition to being devoted to the public inter- ests. In the protracted debates of the senate physical endurance fre- quently counts as well as intellectual alertness and mental force and acumen. Dignified bearing and breadth of mind that will command re- spect for opinions are also essential qualifications. Some such champions are already in the senate, but they should be reinforced strongly in the Democratic senator from Indiana. In all these requisites Hon. Benjamin F. Shively easily qualifies. He is in the prime of life, classing in age with Colonel Bryan, President Roosevelt and President-elect Taft, and like them blessed with physical health and strength and intellectual vigor. He has had congressional ex- perience, and not only acquired familiarity with parliamentary practice, Bartholomew: Benjamin F. Shively 263

but proved himself a deep student of public affairs with broad and com- prehensive views of statesmanship. During the speakership of Charles F. Crisp he was a member of the ways and means committee, and therein associated with William Jennings Bryan in a careful consideration of the economic questions involved in the imposition of tariff duties. He is a logical thinker and a fluent, forceful speaker. His integrity of purpose is firmly established, and his devotion to the public interests has been conspicuously demonstrated during seven years of continuous congress- ional service. He is a loyal party man, and while not descending to the tricks of the machine politician, he has steadfastly advocated and ad- vanced Democratic principles and aided in an educative upbuilding of Democratic doctrines. In the tariff struggle that is imminent he would be found a doughty champion-vigilant, aggressive, untiring, resolute and resourceful. He would prove a power to the state and party and a bene- fit to the entire country. That is why Benjamin F. Shively is needed as the one new Democratic senator from the North. The contest in the Legislature was a spirited one, all of the candidates having ardent supporters. In the Democratic caucus. Mr. Shively received the solid vote of the members from his own congressional district, as well as nearly all from several of the other northern districts, besides many votes from other sections of the state. He was also the second choice of enough members to give him the nomination when they saw that their own candidates could not win. When the two branch- es of the Legislature met in joint session, he received the solid vote of his party and was declared duly elected, to the great gratification of his friends throughout the state. He was sworn into office on March 4, 1909, and entered upon what was to be a brilliant but comparatively short senatorial career. As Mr. Stoll had predicted, Senator Shively at once became a leader of the group whose assumed object was to fight the forces of greed and monopoly. He led because his talents qualified him for leadership, because he possessed those qual- ities which inspired confidence in him on the part of his fellow senators and because he was true to those who are styled the common people. The fact that he was the only Democratic Senator from the Middle West increased his opportunities for leadership. During the sixteen years from the time when he left the lower House of Congress, he had been steadily growing and by the time he entered the Senate he was easily recognized as one of the strong men of that body. His first four years of service were during the Taft Administration, when there was 264 Indiana Magazine of History

little opportunity for constructive work, as he was of the op- position party. However he showed his breadth of mind by co-operating with the majority on all measures which he con- sidered meritorious. Whenever he opposed the acts of the Administration, he was always able to give valid reasons there- for. When his party came into power under Woodrow Wilson, Senator Shively was one of the men upon whom the new Ad- ministration leaned and from whom the President often sought counsel concerning the grave questions which confronted the government. He was the ranking member of the Committee on Foreign Relations, and, during the long illness of its chair- man, served as acting chairman. There were many perplexing international problems to be solved at that time and his advice was often asked by both the President and the Secretary of State. He also served on the Finance Committee, the most powerful committee in the Senate and here his long study of important financial questions proved invaluable not only to the committee and the Administration but to the nation as well. He was chairman of the Committee on Pensions, one of the busiest and hardest-worked committees of either house. In 1914 he was re-elected to the senate, this time by popular vote. During his first term an amendment to the United States constitution was adopted, providing for the election of Senators by direct vote of the people. His election to the Sen- ate by the people, he considered the proudest event of his political career.O He lived to fill out only a part of his second term in the Senate, dying on March 4,1916,in Washington. Although he was one of the most accomplished orators in the entire Congress one whose speeches always commanded the at- tention of his colleagues, he seldom spoke after he entered the Senate. He devoted him time to his committee assignments, where all of the important work is done. Had certain other Senators been in a position to do the important work that was done by Shively, it would have been done at the sound of a trumpet, but the modest Senator from Indiana preferred to let the records speak for him, and those records today are a monument to his great ability, his untiring industry and his unswerving devotion to his country’s service. Just before the end of his first full term in the House of Representatives, Mr. Shively told the writer of a little incident

* The popular vote for Senator in 1914: Shively (Democrat), 272,249 ; Miller (Repub- lican), 226,766 : Beveridge (Progressive), 108,681. Barthdomew : Benjamin F. Shively 266 in connection with the Post Office of Goshen, Indiana. That city had a postmaster who had served for twelve years and the Democrats felt that, inasmuch as there was a Democratic presi- dent, there should be a change of postmasters. Grover Cleve- land, it will be remembered, was a civil service reformer who did not move very rapidly in making changes in appoint- ive offices. He had to be convinced that a change was neces- sary before he would remove a man from office. The Goshen Postmaster was entirely capable, was an affable man and no fault could be found with the conduct of the office. But he had one failing which was more common in those days than now : he would occasionally become intoxicated. This was the only charge that could be preferred agoinst him. At the ur- gent request of his party friends in Goshen, Congressman Shively took the matter up with the President. For several months, he was unable to secure any results. Finally he de- termined to end the matter in one way or another. He called on the President and said to him: “Mr. President, I am calling on you for the last time about the Goshen postoffice affair. I now wash my hands of any further connection with it. If you refuse longer to make a change, I shall tell the people of Goshen that you prefer a drunken Republican to a sober Demo- crat.” It was only a short time until Goshen had a Democratic postmaster, for the first time in twenty-seven years. All through his congressional career, Mr. Shively gave a great deal of attention to the interests of the old soldiers in the matter of pensions. There were many old soldiers in his con- gressional district and they all learned in time that he was their friend. In the vicinity of Osceola where he grew up there were several Civil War veterans who were stalwart Republi- cans and who worked hard against Shively in his first cam- paign for a seat in Congress. One of them in particular had been exceedingly bitter against him and lost no opportunity to attack him, not only in campaigns but after he was elected. He was very anxious to secure a pension and deserved one, but had been unable to have any attention given to his claims. One day a friend told him to speak to his congressman about it. He replied, “What speak to Shively about it? Why I have been fighting him ever since he ran for Congress the first time and he wouldn’t do any thing for me.” His friend assured him that this would not make any difference, but he was not con- 266 Indiana Magazine of History

vinced. Finally after the lapse of considerable time and after repeated urging, he mustered up courage to speak to Mr. Shively when the two chanced to meet in South Bend. Mr. Shively replied : “Certainly I will take up your case as soon as I get back to Washington.” Upon investigation it was learn- ed that the man deserved a pension and it was not long until the matter was arranged. From that time on that man was one of Shively’s staunchest supporters instead of one of his bit- terest enemies. This encouraged others in the neighborhood to make applications and in the course of time all of those who de- served pensions were receiving them. They learned that while Mr. Shively was a strong partisan and believed with his whole heart in the principles of his party, he was big enough and broad enough not to let partisanship interfere with his official duties. The greater number of those veterans became sup- porters of Mr. Shively, not through any persuasion on his part, but because they learned to know him for what he really was and realized that they had misjudged him before. No man ever was more loyal to his friends or more stead- fast in his friendships than Senator Shively. He never desert- ed a friend who was under fire when he felt the fire was un- just. Sometimes his loyalty brought upon him undeserved criticism, but that did not swerve him in the least. He knew that the penalty of public life was ingratitude and unfair criticism and no one bore it more complacently than he. When political associates sought his assistance to secure preferment, he gave to each one kindly and considerate attention. If one sought to improve his own chances by repeating rumors that reflected on the other candidates, that man destroyed whatever chance he might have had to secure the place. Dealing with others on a high plane of justice and fairness, he held in supreme contempt those who sought to take unfair advantage. He was exceedingly careful about making a promise ; but when he had made it he never failed to fulfil it if it were possible to do so. As an orator, Senator Shively ranked with the best among Indiana’s statesmen. He could easily hold an audience for two hours and occasionally he spoke for three hours. In his eloquence and his command of language he was almost equal to Dan Voorhees whom many conceded to be the greatest of Indiana’s orators. He was never known to indulge in the Barthlomew : Benjamin F. Shively 267 least abuse toward his political foes, even though they heaped all kinds of abuse upon him. Seldom did he make use of an anecdote or illustration. His political speeches consisted of facts and solid reasoning from beginning to end. His services were in frequent demand for addresses on all sorts of oc- casions, particularly at old settlers meetings and fraternal gatherings. Even at those places his speeches were always of a serious character. He left it to others to amuse and en- tertain. A Hoosier by birth, but of Pennsylvania ancestry, he was always a prime favorite at the Pennsylvania picnics which were held for so many years on the “Island” in the city of Elkhart. No less a favorite was he at the gatherings of the several orders to which he belonged. One of the finest short addresses the writer ever heard him make was an im- promptu speech at a banquet of the Knights of Pythias order in Elkhart. After he entered the Senate, Shively became so engrossed with his committee work that he had little time to make speeches. At the presentation and unveiling of the statue of General Lew Wallace in Statuary Hall at Washington, he de- livered a brief address which is a fair sample of his style of oratory and also shows his trend of thought in regard to one field of government-that of diplomacy. A part of the ad- dress is here reproduced : The history of the foreign relations of the United States is interest- ing and instructive. The genesis of these relations roots back into a period of revolution. The generation of men who established the new Republic had written interrogation points over against many dogmas, old pretensions, old institutions, and required them to show their right to survive. Diplomacy had been in the main, a system of war in which cunning, craft, deceit, intrigue, chichane were the weapons. He was esteemed the superior diplomat who was most proficient in the art of deceiving and overreaching his adversary. Like many other idols of misused power, this system passed under the rod of the general inquisition. It was rejected, cast down, and melted away in the flame of the revolution. One of the great founders of the Republic said, “True government is the art of being honest.” None knew better than he that the essential functions of good government are few and simple, and that the greatest duty confronting the best government is resistance to that selfish greed and ambition which forever lurk in the shadows of its power and seek to pervert its functions to private and unworthy ends. Nor none knew better than he that the same principles of conduct that make for good neighborhood among individuals make for peace, order, mutual confidence, and good will among nations. 268 Indiana Magazine of History

Under the Administration of President Washington, Thomas Jeffer- son, as Secretary of State, promptly discarded the petty artifices and little expedients then current in diplomacy. Openness, sincerity, frank- ness, candor, and good faith were made the characteristics of our foreign policy. The initial lines of that policy were cast on a plane higher than ever had been reached before in the history of nations. It was a policy becoming a country which had withdrawn sovereignty from kings and reposed it in the bosom of a free people. Afterwards, as President, Jefferson summarized the whole doctrine in the familiar words, “Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none.” Such was the new foreign policy and our diplomacy under it. In this, as in many other things, the excellence of the work of the fathers like that of the sculptor, appears quite as much in what wa~ chiseled away as in what remains. This policy admits no double standard of diplomacy. It allows no accents of trucelent menace toward the weak and helpless, nor whisper- ing sycophancy toward the great and powerful. Its simplicity, im- partiality, and justice make its dignity and its strength. The standard thus erected at the beginning, as a rule has been well maintained. De- partures, if such there have been, have only served to mark how easy the unwholesome descent, and to admonish to a speedy return into the whiter light of a noble and entirely practical ideal. Time will not permit a call of the roll of the great Americans whose shining talents and rugged worth have adorned the diplomatic service of their country. Suffice it to say that in that company of rare spirits, and well in the front rank, appears the stately form of LEW WALLACE