Another item from Joe Rutherford's history that the Watchtower leaves out is his political activity. Rutherford was active in Missouri Democratic Party politics beginning in 1891. The local newspapers considered him a reformer and part of the progressive wing of the party. In fact he campaigned for the office of State Representative for Cooper County in 1896 as a liberal. He lost the Democratic Party nomination by less than 100 votes. But that didn't end his political career because in the general election Rutherford campaigned vigorously for William Jennings Bryan, his political idol, even adopting Bryan's style of dress.
Rutherford was still active in Democratic Party politics as late as 1904. But in 1906 he joined the Bible Student movement and got involved in Watchtower politics.