Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-07-12
WM. ALLEN, OF OHIO.
DEATH OF A VETERAN DEMOCRAT.
He Expires Yesterday Of Old Age-A
Sketch Of His Eyentful Career
A Politician of the
Old School.

plication Of diseases incidental to adj
vanced age.
Sketch of the Deceased.
William Allen was born in Etonton,
n. c., in 1906. He was a seli-made man,
and rose from humble birth to the po-
sition OF a prosperOus4awyer, member
of Congress, seat in the United States
Senate, the Executive chair of the
great State of Ohio, and finally re-
fused the nomination for President
of the United States, which undoubted-
! ly he could have had, had he chosen to
! accept it. When he was about four years
of age his family moved to Lynchburg,
Va, and Young Allen lived there until
he was l6, when, with companion, he
started on a long tramp over the noun
| tains for Ohio. AT that time the man
who became so famous in the politics of
this country was pale, lank boy, who
| had been educated in the local
schools, and who was principally notice
| able for his keen blue eyes and long
haxen hair. He had brother and
half-sister living in Ohio, and
|
to seek his fortune in the Buckeye
State. His companion on this long and
tedious trip, during which he carried
| his entire fortune on his back, was a
Kentucky hog drover. 1t was winter,
and the walk over the Blue Ridge was a
severe one. The mountains were COW
cred with snow, and it was with great
| difficulty that the path was kept. They
walked twenty-eight miles the first day,
and spent the night in the little town
OF Liberty. On the night OF the second
day they reached the foot of the danger
Gus and dreaded Blue Ridge, and on the
morning of the third commenced the as
cent. For nine hours they pushed on,
dragging themselves painfully through
snow drifts and over fallen tress. Then
the strong Kentuckian fell exhausted by
the wayside. Young Allen, whose in
domitable will still kept him on his
blistered and burning feet, made great
fire of the dry wood which he was for
tunate enough TO find in mountain
nook, fed his companion and himself
with the coarse fare he had provided at
the foot OF the mountain, and then hav-
ing done all he could do, he went to
sleep. The night passed quietly, and
next morning the travellers once more
set out on their weary tramp. So they
went on from point to point, enc runter-
ing no great danger, but overcoming
many difficulties by the way.
Arriving at the home of his sister, in
ChillicOthe, he was welcomed by her
and her husband and by their little son,
Allen G.. Thurman, now the distin-
guished United States Senator from
Ohio and prominent Democratic can
MSass'w Mas warmly welcomed, however, it was
evident that his relatives were business
people who wasted no time, for hardly
had our young traveller recovered from
his lameneSS when he was placed IN the
Chillicothe Academy, with the under
standing that he was Olerrn all he could
in rs short Il time as possible. lie re-
mained for two years in the school,
and then, when he had just completed
his eighteenth year, he determined to
study law, and was admitted to the Office
of Judge Scott, then Il leading member
of the Western bar. He finished his
reading i'm the office of Col. King son OF
Rufus King, of New York, and when
not quite 2l went down TO Portsmouth,
where the Supreme Court was in session
and was admitted TO the bar. lie work
ed hard, advanced rapidly and soon be-
came a partner with Col. King. When
little more than 81 years OF age he was
recognized as the most promising law
yer at the Ohio bar, and before he was
-, a murder CaSe-the most important,
intricate and delicate which had been
tried in the State for ycars-was in
trusted to him. Arrayed against him
were nearly all the great men Of
the profession, but he won the
case. About this time he had
grown so rapidly in public favor that
the Democrats, or Jackson men, as they
were called, determined 10 make him
their candidate for Congress. At this
time the district in which he lived was
conceded to the Wings by majority OF
from 1900 to 1000, and OF course the
nomination was rendered to him simply
as a compliment, not with any idea that
ne could be elected. He accepted, how
ever, with the determination to make a
close and thorough personal canvass,
and if possible to get the seat. Fortune
favored him in the outset. There was
division in the ranks of the opposition,
and after most exciting contest, in
which Allen did some hard riding in
stumping the district, he was elected by
one mdiOdV-his own vOte-in total
vote of 10000.
lie was re-nOminated and ut the next
election ran far ahead of his ticket, but
was defeated. When he called at the
White House to bid farewell to PreSi-
dent Jackson, of whom he was a warm
friend. Jackson expressed much sorrow
at his defeat, and calling to his Secreta-
~, asked for the appointment-booE.
| When it was brought, he turned to Al
len and said:
"Mr. Allen, | want to keep YOU in
public life Run your eye through that
book and see what place you think
would suit you"
Without hesitation the defeated Con-
gresham, setting an example which,
unfortunately, has not been very extern
sivcly initiated, replied: Il am very
much obliged to you, Mr.. President,
more obliged than can tell you; but |
cannot now, and | do not think | ever
will, accept any office by appointment.
| If am to stay in public life, it must be
! in position to which the people elect
| me-"
"You are right, sir" said the Presi-
dent, in his short, blunt way, and he
closed the appointment book. Allen
returned 10 Chlhcothe, and quietly
practiced law for nearly two years.
During the exciting Presidential cam
paign which resulted in the election of
! Martin Van Buren over Harrison, Mr..
Allen worked with much energy To
to secure the success of Democratic
candidates for the Legislature, and
when the contest was over he had the
satisfaction OF Knowing that his party
would have majorityof one on joint
! ballot. He went to Columbus on
private business, and was unexpectedly
elected United States Senator, In
March, 1887, he took his seat, the
Youngest man ever elected to the United
| States Senate.
1t was while Allen was serving his
second term in the Senate that the
memorable Democratic Convention of
l i II IL .l,1.,