The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1873-08-21


The following sketch OF Hon. Will
liam Allen, the Democratic candidate
for Governor, from the Ohio State I
Journal, the central organ of the Re-
publicans of this State, is in marked +
contrast with the assanine black
guardism of some of the small-fry
journals of that party:
Mr.. Allen was born in North Caro- I
lima, and in his younger days was a
Raddler. While yet a boy he walked |
to Ohio, and settled in Ross county. |
He studied and practiced law at Chill !
licothe, and became a rising man
about 1880, when he was elected to
the United States House of Repre-
sentatives, as a Democrat, by a ma
iority of one vote over Governor
Duncan Macarthur. The vote which
gained him the victory is said to have
been cast by a Wing. While travel
ing on foot, in his boyhood, to Ross
county, he stopped at farm house at
a time when his pecuniary resources
were about exhausted. The lady of
the house was faYorably impressed
with the young traveller, and befriend-
ed him. During the contest with
Macarthur for Congressional honors,
in a speech somewhere in the district,
Mr.. Allen referred to the incident.
The woman who befriended him hap
pened to be in the audience, and re-
cognized him, and pleased at his adj
vancement induced her husband to
vote for him.
The Congressional contest was an
exceedingly spirited one, and is noted
in the ancient political history of
Ohio. When Allen was nominated
by the Democrats for Congress, Nc
Arthur was Governor of Ohio, and
the Whig nominee for reelection to
the same office. There were two
Whig candidates for Congress in the
field, but they both agreed to with
draw when Macarthur consented to
withdraw from the gubernatorial COLI
test and enter the lists for Congress.
To divide the Democratic vote, Cen
eral Murphy was induced to come
out as Democratic candidate, but he
only got fifty votes, and, as before
stated, Allen had a majority of one
over Macarthur.
The unwritten history of the old
times attaches a little romance in this
connection. At the beginning of the
Congressional contest Allen was the
lover of McArthur's daughter. and
between them there was an engage
ment to be married. But it is said
that after McArthur's defeat, the Gov
ernor broke off the matrimonial en-
gagement, and the lady married
Kentucky gentleman, who died be-
fore the expiration Of Allen's term in
the House. Governor Macarthur died
about the same time. IlEO
At this point we deem it proper to
bring in another little romance, not
entirely foreign to the main story.
The bitterness of politics o in those
days seems to have been carried into
social circles. It is stated that q gem
tleman-who was an ultra Democrat,
and great admirer of the then rising
young man, Allen g. Thurman, had
daughter, who, much to her fathers
chagrin, married Whig. In making
his will the old gentleman disposed
of his property to his daughter in
such way that the Whig husband
could not acquire title in it. This
lady also became widow; she after
ward met Allen u. Thurman, the ad-i
mirer of her father, and is now Mrs.
Senator Thurman. aH9I
IL was at the wedding of Judge
Thurman that Mr.. Allen again met
Mrs. Macarthur (by this time the
widow of the Kentucky gentleman.
The old love was renewed they were
married and lived happily together
until the death of Mrs. Allen, which
occurred before the expiration of Mr.
Aliens senatorial term. Mr.. Allen
has ever since been a WidoWer
Mr.. Allen was elected to the United
States Senate at the legislative session
of 1886, by majority of one vote,
and commenced his term with Van
Buren. He was reelected about l842.
He was contemporary with Clay,
Webster, Benton and other men dis
tinguished in the councils of the ma
ton, aud his rank was among the in
tellectual giants of the day. During
the administration of President Polk,
he was Chairman of the Committee
on Foreign Relations. When Polk
repudiated the demand for t'54-40 or
fight" for Oregon. Allen denounced
the Administration as having de-
deceived, and the President as having
spoken falsely to him. He iudig-
nantly resigned the Craftsmanship, a
course in which he was warmly jus
titled by General Cass, the next man
on the committee, and who declined
to succeed to the craftsmanship, the
natural parliamentary coarse.
Senator Allen, now about sixty
seven years old, has been in retire
ment at his farm in Ross county for
nearly twenty-five years, during
which time he has made but few
speeches. During the war he made a
speech introducing Thomas Ewing to
meeting in ChiIlicothe in the inter
est of the recruiting service, and be
made another spesch at an o8tha #
January Democratic celebration a few
years ago. dli4ad sal afi
Jor ApCr5 tho En~I;eb lSboaar in n