Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-08-14

The following sketch from the y. ..
Journal, of the life of VIM. Allen, the
Democratic nominee for Governor OF
this State, will be read with Interest:
VIM, Allen was born in North Caro-
lima, and in his younger days was
ssddler. While yet boy he walked
to Ohio, and settled in Ross county.
He studied and practiced law at Chilli
cothe, became rising man about 1880,
when he was elected to the United
States House of Representatives, as .
Democrat, by majority Of one vote
over Governor Duncan Macarthur. The
vote which gained him the victory is
said to have been cast by q Whig.
While travelling on foot, in his boy
hood, to Ross county, he stopped at
farm house at time when his pecunl-
ary resources were about exhausted.
The lady of the house was favOrably
impressed with the young traveller,
and befriended him. During the con.
test with Macarthur for Congressional
honors, in a speech somewhere in the
district, Mr.. Allen referred to the incl
dent. The woman who had befrlended
him happened 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 ex-
ceedingly spirited one, and is noted in
the ancient political history of Ohio.
When Allen was nominated by the
Democrats for Congress, Macarthur was
Governor of Ohio, and the Whig NOM
inee for re election to the same office.
There were two Wing candidates for
Congress in the field, but they both
agreed to withdraw when Macarthur
consented to Withdraw from the guber-
material contest and enter the lists for
Congress. To divide the Democratic
vote, General Murphy was induced to
come out as q Democratic candidate,
but he only got fifty votes, and, as be-
fore stated, Allen had majority OF
one over Macarthur. .7p5. :,
The unwrittep history of the old
times attaches little romaRce 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 after
McArthuyss defeat, the Governor broke
| off the matrimonial engagement, and
| the lady afts rward married Kentucky
gentleman, who died before the expira-
tion of Aliens term In the House, Gov
ernor 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
seem to have been carried into social
circles. 1t is stated that gentleman
who was an ultra Democrat, and grea'
admlrer of the then rising young man,
Allen G. Thurman, had . daughter
vino. much to her fathers chagrin,
married Whig. In making his will
the old gentleman disposed 0fthe prop.
erty to his daughter in such way that
the Whig husband could not acquire
title in It. This lady also became
widow: she afterward met Allen u
Thurman, the admired Of her father,
and Is now Mrs. Senator Thurman.
It was at the wedding Of Judge
Thurman that Mr.. Allen again met
| Miss Macarthur lby this time the
widow of the Kentucky gentleman.
The old love was renewed; they Wert
--i.d and lived happily t9gsthe
nntii maii the destb - Mrs. Alien, Allen, y yhlfE at
occurred before the explra....
Aliens Senatorial term. Mr.. ALLEN
has ever since been widOwer. '
MIR. Allen was elected to the United
States Senate at the legislative session
of 1856, by a majority of one vote,
and commenced his term with Van
Buren,. He was reelected about 1842.
He was cotemporary with Clay, Web
ster, Benton and other men distin-
guished In the councils of the nation,
and his rank was among the intellect
ual giants of the day. During the ad-
ministration of President Polk, he
was chairman of the cummittee on
Foreign Relations. When Polk repu-
dated the demand for st54. 40 or fieht''
for Oregon, Allen denounced the ad-
ministrati0n as having deceived, and
the President as having spoken falsely
to him. He Indignantly resigned the
chairmanShip, a course in which he
Was warmly justified by General Cass,
the next man on the committee, and
who declined to succeed to the chair.
mansfip, the natural Parliamentary
course. . $1,000 -s.-.;- b
Senator Allen, now about sixty-seven
years old, has been in retirement 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 a meeting. in Chilli
cothe in the interest of the recruiting
service, and he made another speech at
an 9th Of January Democratic celebra-
tion few years ago. In his political
life he was an anti-tariG man, or what
is called NOW s'tariff for revenue only"
He was with the Democratic party on
the slavery and other great questions,
and is now regarded, on authority, as
simon-pure specimen of Bourbon De-
mocracy. His proper location is prob
ably among the fossil Democrats who
Guard" .--