The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-12-24
A WOMAN'S WORK.

| The caucus nomination of Genera
John S. Williams as the democratic
candidate for United Stages Senator
in Kentucky shows that the demo-
cracy of that state are now thor
oughly saturated with granger ideas
and greenback doctrines. His COM
petitors for the nomination were all
committed to the reconciliation OF
the old silver dollar, and to the re-
peal of the resumption act; but they
had not identified themselves with
the cause and its fundamental pIin-
ciples as enthusiastically and unre-
Iservedly as he had, and they, as
lawyers and politicians, were far
more identified than he, in the pop
ular mind at least, with railroad,
bank and city influences.
But another interesting motive
power not discussed or even alluded
to in the newspapers, had good
deal to do with the elevation of this
granger to the United States Senate
from seat held thirty years ago in
the lower house of the state legis-
lature. General Williams is a
native of Montgomery County,
about go years old, a tall, athletic,
fine-looking, impulsive and high
spirited, but genial man, and an
eloquent speaker. He was a rising
young advocate and an active wing
till the war broke out, when he was
elected captain of a company of
Kentucky volunteers, of which com
pany the nrst lieutenant was Roger
w. Hanson, then only Is, who was
afterwards titled a brigadier gen.
eral in the confederate service at
the battle of Stone River. The time
of his company having expired be-
fore they had engaged in serious
battle, they marched 500 miles with
him to participate in expected
battles between Scott and Santa
Anna, and arrived in time to take a
gallant part in the battle of Cerro
Gordo. This frolic is what gave the
name of "Cerro Gordo Williams" to
their Captain. He then served a
year in Mexico as Colonel of the
Fourth Kentucky Volunteers, with
out having anything to do but gar
Irison duty in the City of Mexico.
After that war he represented Clark
County in the Legislature, but
never held another civil Office till
InoW, though, from his strong inter
est in political questions, he always
took an active part in party con-
tests. Owning large farm in the
Blue Grass region, he undertook to
Icultivate a whole township in Plat
lCounty, Illinois, and was conducting
perhaps the largest farming opera
tions in that State except those OF
the SulliYants, when the war be-
tween North and South broke out.
| He was opposed to secession. but
his frank and perhaps violent ex-
preston in regard to the policy
of the republicans made il
heavy for him to take 9
Sudden departure, leaving his
Illinois possessions to the mercy Of
Icreditors and confiscation acts. As
a Colonel of Kentucky rifemen, and
subsequently as General, he did 6
great deal of good fghting,and came
out of the war, as did many others
with record of a brave and patri
otto man, and with nothing else tt
live on.
i But a " ealthy widow, a former
brilliant belle of Boul bon County
married him and set to work tx
make him Governor or Senator. The
politicians have beaten her in two
lwell-contested struggles, but in the
third she has beaten them, and vii
carry him in triumph to Washing
ton, where she will so captivate al
the newspaper correspondents that
they will find it difficult to be harsl
to her Senator. If he had remained
without better-half, as he did fol
about twenty years before his only
child became a wife during the war
, he would have been content t.
serve as a high private in politic
all his days. But the lady, VIII
was thirty years ago the most dar
ing and skiIlful horsewoman il
Kentucky, had other views for him
The two together will probabl,
make a frst-rate Senator.-Kansa
lCItV Times,