Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-06-29
THURMAN AND HIS UNCLE.
/ GOSSIP AND STORY ABOUT SOME OF
THE OLD STATESMEN OF OHIO.
Allen G.. Humans Quarrel with Bill
Ailen-Thurman's Boyhood His Char
actcr and Blaine's Bulogy of Him-IIow
He Lives at Columbus.

Allen-Ihurmans 5oyhoou HIS thnr-
actcr and Blaine's Bulogy of nim-How
He Lives at Columbus.
Special Correspondence
WASHINGTON, June ell met Allen &.
Thurman's son here at Washington the
other day He is tall, broad shouldered,
fine looking fellow of 80, who has nothing
of the political bent of his flthcr. He
told me that Judge Thurman was very
well, that he is now living in his new
house at Columbus and that his health is
better than it has been for years. met
Senator Thurman at the convention of
,1SS4, which nominated Cleveland. and in
Iterviewed him as to his condition at that
time Chicago was filled with politicians.
and not few of them went about with
red bandanna handkerchiefs tied about
their hats in honor of the Ohio senator
Mr.. Thurman was receiving calls by the
hundreds, and he had stood the siege very
well. He told me that he weighed 240
,pounds and he had the stomach of an os-
| trich. He was undoubtedly much disap-
pointed in not getting the nomination,
! though this years convention has in some
measure made up for the past, and his
life during the past ten years has not been
one of roses.
He was brought up in Chillicothe, O.,
and was nephew of Senator Will
! liam Allen. Allen did a great deal for
him, but Il feud arose between them, and ii
was, it is said, the lack of Aliens support
Sthat prevented Thurman from getting the
presidential nomination at the time Tilden
| was nominated. met relative of Bill
| Allen at Chilicothe some time ago and had
a long talk with him about the Allen
| Thurman feud. He told me it began III
! 1873 and it came from Thurmans desire
for the presidency. This was the yeal
that Allen was elected governor OF
Ohio. The Democratic party was in a baC
way and Thurman wanted Il reelection tC
the senate Allen had gone into retire
ment at his Fruit Hill farm, and when he
, was asked if he would accept the nomina
| ton, he said that he did not care for tn,
/ governorship of Ohio. 1t was nothinl
sbut a place for the signing O,
justice Of the peace commissions, anC
Fit was only a blank petit larceny Office
lanyway. 1t was not until just before tn,
convention met that Allen consented tC
take the nomination, and he finally &C
,cepted it only because of a telegram which
Thurman sent him asking him to take tn,
lplace for his sake and for the AXE of tn,
lparty. The story of the campaign is wei
known. 1t put Allen to the front in Obi,
politics and Thurman fell to the rear
Talk at once sprang up of the advisabilit,
of nominating Allen for the presidency il
1876, but Thurman in the meantime ha'
Igrown jealous and gave him no activ,
support in This second campaign for TIN
governorship.
The result was that when Thurman wa
"a candidate for the presidency at st. Lou
Allen did not offer him his support. an,
fthe other elements of the Ohio Democrac
went against him. The Payne and Jewet
factions had their own candidates in tn
field and Tilden got the nomination.
The above story | give for what it i
worth The man who told it had the pos
session of all of Aliens papers, and there i
no doubt in his mind but Thurman woul
ihave been presidential candidate lon
lago had he courted rather than slighte
his uncle. ~
| Senator Thurman is, however, a create
Imam than was the noted Fog Horn
Allen. lie is broader minded, better edu
icated and more highly cultured ALE
was sort of rough diamond, who's
polishing was all done in the school c
active politics He had one of the strong
est voices that was ever heard in tn
United States senate, and he was know
here as Fog Horn Allen or the Ohio Gonl
Z Senator Edmuuds says Thurman is til
greatest lawyer in the United States.
was at Chillicothe that he first studio
Jaw, and there are citizens at Chillicotl
who remember him as boy. | met on
of these during recent visit there, and
asked him what kind of child youn
Thurman was He replied
"Allcn g. Thurman 5 father was name
Pleasant Thurman. He was a travelin
Methodist preacher, and when he can
here he settled down and took up I'll
business of wool carding and spinning
He brought his boy Allen and his vii
with him, and young Allen Thurman wa
rather fine looking boy, with big hea
and fairly good face. His head was
little too big for his body and he was NJ
what you call beauty. The Thurman fan
lily were poor, as were most preacher
families in those days, and Aliens moth,
taught school to help fill the family poke
book. She was bright woman and
was from her that young Allen got h
first instruction. He afterwards went
'IHt tlIllltblHt NHltiI w as Iutll
very good school. He then got Il positiC
in the postoflice here as a clerk, and viii
sdealing out letters learned surveyin
He then studied law and practiced till
Swent into politics. He spent all his DO
hood here and he had made something
"a reputation when he went to Columb,
to live" ~
"What kind of man was Senat
Allen | asked.
eve call him Bill Allen down here
was the reply, land we all liked him. I
lived most of the time at his farm ne
there and his grave is over there in Il
cemetery. His wife lies there too al
Allen thought everything of her. s.
died at Washington while he was in co
igrcss. 1t was before the days of railroa
land he carried her body home over t
mountains, riding on horseback beside t.
wagon in which they put the coffin.
lsat up every night with the corpse and
had his little daughter along with hi
This daughter is now married and S
lives here. The senator and his wife
tside by side over there in the graveyard
DR., Scott, who was Bill Aliens son-i
tla~ and who married the little daught
who made this dreary trip over the mour
aims, told me that biography of Senat