Oliver Wayne Stewart (May 22, 1867 – February 15, 1937) was an American politician who served as the chairman of the Prohibition Party and in the Illinois state House of Representatives.

Life

Oliver Wayne Stewart was born in

Mercer County, Illinois Mercer County is a county in Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 16,434. Its county seat is Aledo. Mercer County is included in the Davenport- Moline- Rock Island, IA-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Merc ...

on May 22, 1867, and attended Woodhull High School. He graduated from

Eureka College Eureka College is a private liberal arts college in Eureka, Illinois, that is related by covenant to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Enrollment in 2018 was approximately 567 students. Eureka College was the third college in the Unite ...

in 1890. Stewart was active in the church and was for several years state evangelist under direction of Missionary Board of Christian church including two years as a pastor in

Mackinaw, Illinois Mackinaw is a village in Tazewell County, Illinois, United States, and is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its population was 1,950 at the 2010 census. Local businesses include Area 52 Paintball, and Mackinaw Valley Vi ...

and as president of the Illinois Christian Endeavor Union. He also served his alma mater, Eureka College as its finance secretary.

Prohibition Party activism

Stewart was elected as chairman of the Illinois Prohibition Party in 1896 and presided over the 1896 national convention. In 1900, he was elected as chairman of the

Prohibition Party The Prohibition Party (PRO) is a political party in the United States known for its historic opposition to the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages and as an integral part of the temperance movement. It is the oldest existing third party ...

. In 1904, General

Nelson A. Miles Nelson Appleton Miles (August 8, 1839 – May 15, 1925) was an American military general who served in the American Civil War, the American Indian Wars, and the Spanish–American War. From 1895 to 1903, Miles served as the last Commanding Gen ...

was exploring a run for president with the possibility of running as the nominee of the Prohibition Party. Stewart was opposed to Miles' candidacy as he did not want the party to endorse a former military officer and was wary of Miles' desire to be nominated at the

1904 Democratic National Convention The 1904 Democratic National Convention was an American presidential nominating convention that ran from July 6 through 10 in the Coliseum of the St. Louis Exposition and Music Hall in St. Louis, Missouri. Breaking with eight years of control by ...

. Though Miles dropped out prior to the Prohibition Party's convention, Stewart was floated as a prospective opponent to General Miles as several state delegations attempted to revive the General's candidacy. Ultimately, the party's nomination went to

Silas C. Swallow Silas Comfort Swallow (March 5, 1839 – August 13, 1930) was a United States Methodist preacher and prohibitionist politician who was a lifelong opponent of slavery. Early life On March 5, 1839, Silas Comfort Swallow was born in Wilkes-Barre ...

. In 1905 he was removed from his position as chairman after he was accused by former presidential nominee John G. Woolley and other prohibitionists of misappropriating over $50,000 and was replaced by Charles R. Jones of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Illinois House of Representatives

He was elected to the

Illinois House of Representatives The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The House under the current constitution as amended in 1980 consists of 118 re ...

in the 1902 general election. He was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives from the 5th district alongside Democrat Michael E. Hunt and Republican Aaron Norden. He served in the 43rd General Assembly which commenced January 4, 1903 and adjourned May 7, 1903. The 43rd General Assembly ended January 4, 1905. In 1903, he nominated John G. Woolley, the Prohibition Party's nominee for President in 1900, for the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

. As the legislature's sole Prohibitionist, he was also Woolley's sole vote and the Republican-majority elected Republican Albert J. Hopkins to succeed

William Mason William, Willie, or Willy Mason may refer to: Arts and entertainment *William Mason (poet) (1724–1797), English poet, editor and gardener *William Mason (architect) (1810–1897), New Zealand architect *William Mason (composer) (1829–1908), Ame ...

Later life

After his ouster as chair, he remained active in the

temperance movement The temperance movement is a social movement promoting temperance or complete abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and its leaders emph ...

as a member of the Prohibition Party's National Committee, as an officer of the Prohibition Trust Fund Association, and as a trustee of The

Intercollegiate Prohibition Association The Intercollegiate Prohibition Association was established in Chicago, Illinois, in 1901 and by 1903 was reported to be the largest college organization in the United States. It conducted "an inquiry" among 158 colleges and universities in 1923 ...

. He became a public speaker and joined the

Flying Squadron of America The Flying Squadron of America was a temperance organization that staged a nationwide campaign to promote the temperance movement in the United States It consisted of three groups of revivalist-like speakers who toured cities across the count ...

until his death on February 15, 1937, at Brokaw Hospital in

Bloomington, Illinois Bloomington is a city and the county seat of McLean County, Illinois, United States. It is adjacent to the town of Normal, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington–Normal metropolitan area. Bloomington ...

after a short illness.'Death Takes O.W. Stewart-Temperance Leader Dies in Hospital Here at Age of 69,' THe Pentagraph (Bloomington, Illinois), February 15, 1973, pg 3

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stewart, Oliver W. 1867 births 1937 deaths People from Mercer County, Illinois Eureka College alumni 19th-century American politicians 20th-century American politicians Members of the Illinois House of Representatives American temperance activists Illinois Prohibitionists