The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1873-08-14
TIFFIN TRIBUNE.
rImn. thursday Eve, August Il, 1873.
William Allen.


The Columbus Journal makes the
reference to few incidents
In the early life Of the Bourbon can
didate for Governor:
Mr.. Allen was born in North Caro-
lima, and in his younger DAYS was a
While yet boy he walked
to Ohio, and settled in Ross county.
He studied and praetieed law at Chill
lieothe, and became a rising man
about 1880, when he was elected to
the United States House of Represen-
tatives, as q Democrat, by a majority
of one vote over Governor Duncan
Macarthur. The vote which gained
him the victory Is said to have been
cast by a Whig. While travelling on
foot, in his bOyhood, to Ross county,
he stopped at farm house at a time
when his pecuniaTy resources were
about exhausted. The lady of the
house was faYorably impressed with
the young traveller, and befriended
him. During the contest with Nc
Arthur for Congressional honors, in 8
speech somewhere in the district, Mr..
Allen referred to the incident. The
woman who had befriended him hap-
pened to be in the audience, and
recognized him, and pleased at his
advancement 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
Wing candidates for Congress in the
field, but they both agreed to with
draw from the gubernatOrial contest
and enter thc list for Congress. TO
divide the Democratic vote, General
Murphy was induced to come out rs
Democratic candidate, but he only
got fifty votes, and, as before stated,
Allen had majority of one over Nc
Arthur.
The unGritten history Of the old
times attaches little romance in this
connection. At the beginning Of the
Congressional contest Allen was the
lover of McArthur's daughter, and be-
tween them there was an engagement
to be married. But it is said that af-
ter McArthur's defeat the Governor
broke off the matrimonial engage
ment; and the lady afterward married
q Kentucky gentleman, who died be-
fore the expiration of Aliens term in
in the House. Governor Macarthur
died about the same time.
At this point we deem it proper to
bring in another little romance, not
entirely foreign to the main story.
The bitterness of politics in those
days seems to have been carried into
social circles. 1t is said that q gentle
man who was an ultra Democrat, and
great admirer of the then rising
young man, Allen G. Thurman, had
q daughter who, much to her fathers
chagrin, married Wing. In making
his will the old gentleman disposed. OF
his property in such a way that the
Whis husband could not acquire title
in it. This lady also became widow;
she afterward met Allen G. Thurman,
the admired of her father, and is now
Mrs. Senator Thurman.
1t was at the wedding of Judge
Thurman that Mr.. Allen met Miss
Macarthur (by this time the widow OF
the Kentucky gsntleman). 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 q widower.
Mr.. Allen was elected to the United
States Senate at the Legislative ses-
sion of 1856, by a majority Of one
vote, and commenced his term with
Van Buren. He was reelected about
1872. He was cotemporary with Clay,
Webster, Benton. and other men dis.
tinguished in the councils of the ma
ton, and 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 re-
pudiated the demand for "54.40 OF
fight" for Oregon, Allen denounced
the administration as having deceived,
and the President as having spoken
falsely to him. He Indignantly re-
signed the chairmanship, course in
which he was warmly justified by
General Cass, the next man on the
committee, and who declined to sue
ceed to the Craftsmanship, the natural
Parliamentary course.