Born in Christian County, Kentucky, Adlai Ewing Stevenson I was twice elected into the United States House of Representatives and eventually became the 23rd Vice President of the United States. This rigid and ambitious Congressman from Illinois also served as the Assistant Postmaster General of the United States. He was infamous for firing more than 40,000 republican candidates and replacing them with democratic candidates. This earned him quite a bit of animosity from the Republican-controlled Congress but he became very popular with the Democratic leaders. He was a supporter of the free-silver lobby over the gold-standard. He was much respected for his dignified demeanour and his non-partisan manner of doing things. A lawyer by profession, Adlai Stevenson I became acquainted with prominent attorneys like Stephen A. Douglas and Abraham Lincoln, at the young age of 23, when he started off his law practice. He was also named associate justice of the Supreme Court for Columbia district. He was in favour of low tariffs and a soft-money policy. He also unsuccessfully fought for Governor of Illinois.