The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1873-09-02
Written for The Spirit of Democracy.]
Sketch OF Hon. william Alien, the
Democratic Candidate for Gov
ernOr. ..t

HibIeu OI DemOCrdcysl
Sketch OF Hon. william Alien. the
Democratic Candidate for Gov
ernOr. Gtt
COLUMBUS, o August %, 1873
Editor of The Spirit of Democracy:
You made me promise that.as one who
knew him we'll, would write you what
l knew about William Allen, the Demo-
cratic nominee for Governor. That
promise now propose, in brief, to re-
deem. o 5G ;aE
In 1887, Immediately after his first
election to the United States Senate, q
dinner was given to Col Allen by the
Democracy of Fairfield County, at Lam
caster. On horseback, from Marietta to
Lancaster, under broiling August sun,
in company with Col. Isaac Humphreys
and A. V. D. Johns, we'll known to many
[of your older citizens, / attended the
dinner. 1t was there I first met Col
Allen. He had been elected to the House
Of Representatives, Democrat from
Whig District, when but 25 years old
was elected Senator by the Ohio Legis-
lature in 1886, when but 80 years of age
elected each time before he arrived at
the age required by the Constitution, and
barely eligible when he took his seat, first
as Representative in Congress and then
as Senator.
1t was at the Lancastersdinner, that
Col. Allen in his speech gave that noble
exposition of what Democracy is, Which
had a worldwide run, being many years
since quoted by, John Bright, Of En-
gland, and published and quoted as the
offspring of Bright's brain. stood in
front of Allen when he uttered the
words, and now after the lapse of more
than one-third of century, see the
man anG hear his voice, as if the event
had happened yesterday. He said:
Democracy is sentiment not to be
appalled,, corrupted or compromised. 1t
knows no baseness it covers to no dan
ger; it oppresses no weakness. Fear
less, generous and humane, it rebukes
the arrogant, cherishes honor, and SYM
pathises with the humble. 1t asks moth
ing but what it comedies; it comedies
nothing but what it demands. Destruc-
tive only of despotism,i it is the sole con-
servative of liberty, labor and property.
1t is the sentiment of freedom, Of equal
rights, of equal obligations. 1t is the
law of nature pervading the law of the
land. The stupid, the selfish and the
base in spirit may denounce it as vul-
gar thing but in the history of our race
the Democratic principle has developed
and illustrated the highest moral and in.
Observation-Disclosures Of our nature. Yes
that is a noble, magnanimous, sub
| lime sentiment, which expands our af-
fections, enlarges the circle of our SYM
pathies, and eleVates the soul of man,
until, claiming an equality with the best,
he rejects, as unworthy of his dignity,
any political immunities over the hum
blest of his fellows Yes-it is an en-
nobling principle-and may that spirit
which animated our fathers in the reyo-
llutionary contest for its establishment
continue to animate us, their sons, in, the
impending struggle for its preserva-
| tion." 5...-...-....
Col. Aliens voice, when he speaks, is
loud and sonorous An adverse critic,a
letter written from Washington to a
Whig newspaper in New York, while
Allen was in the Senate, said his voice
roared like distant thunder;" and yet he
added, sit was musical as maiden's
harp"
The two objections have heard
against Allen, when taken together, are
ridiculous in the extreme. One is that
he is too old to perform the duties of the
Office, being about 66. The other is, as
the Cleveland Herald says, that he speaks
so long that any man who car sit out
one of his speeches must carry two days
provisions with him, for he has been
known to make speech forty hours in
length. Other Republican papers, equally
reliable, say that his voice is so strong
that he can speak down steamboat or
a locomotive, when blowing off full
head of steam Pretty strong voice that,
for man who is too old to perform the
duties Of Governor. ~
: What, more than anything else, en-
dears Col. Allen to the Democracy, and
it win endear him to the pure minded of
lall parties, is the stern, unyielding hon.
esty of the man in his public and private
life. During his Congressional career of
IA years-l2 in the Senate and two in
the house of Representatives files
tof the Congressional Globe may he
searched in vain for speech of Col. AL
len advocating a dishonest claim, or one
having the least faint Of dishonesty in it,
and the Journals of Congress show no
vote of William Allen in favor of any
swindle, either in the way Of railroad
!grant or back pay steal.
| Speaking of back pay stealing reminds
me of fact in COL Aliens Congressional
career, which / have not yet seen in any
newspaper during the canvass. While a
i Senator, Gen. Harrison was elected Pres
| ident. As usual, the retiring President
called the Senate together, in extraordi.
nary session, to confirm the nomination
of the Cabinet of the incoming Presi.
dent. The old Senate expired at mid
might on the Sd of March, 1S41-the new
Senate met at noon on the next day
The hold over Senator's, Of whom Col
Allen was one, of course remained in
I Washington and took their seats in the
new Senate. All, with the exception oil
two or three, drew milesge,as if, between
midnight of the Sd of March and noon
the next day, they had went to their
homes and returned The matter was
debated in Senate, if my memory is cor,
5 rect, and by vote the Senate decided
these hold-over members entitled to theil
constructive mileage. Col Allen de
nounced it as wrong and refused to take
his share of the spoils, and the money
lover $1,000 is still in the Treasury al
Washington, unless indeed it has beer
stolen. Although, at that time, perhaps
the poorest man in the Senate, Col AL
, len refused to accept it. "a
By this you will see that salary grab
bers and other Treasury thieves, viii
receive no mercy at his hands.
! Honest himself, strictly, sternly SO