The morning call., 1893-12-17

instance made him host OF friends in the
North, though 1t cost him his seat in Con-
gress; the second-well, he isn't out of the
woods yet.
Grover Cleveland is responsible for the
Kenfuckian's cham ionship of the fair
sex, and whether the object of the Presi-
deuts favor is thankful for his opportuni-
ties TO do chivalrous deeds is a secret
which he proposes to keep as such.
MIR. Willis first entered the public lists
as champion of an America u woman,
one who lived in his own State. and this
time his trumpet sounds notes OF defiance
20 enemies of Liliuokalani, who, according
to Mr.. Cleveland. is the Queen of Hawaii.
A biographical sketch states that Albert
). Willis WAS born in Shelby County, XIV,
January %, 1S43 that ne received com.
mon school education early in life, and
was graduated from the Louisville Law
School in 1866. He was elected County
Attorney in 1870 and reelected four years
later. Subsequently he was elected to Con-
gress. and served in the Forty. fifth, Forty
sixth, FoTty-seventh, Forty-eightb and
Forty-ninth sessions. He failed to be re-
elected to the Fiftieth. and thereby hangs
the tale of his first public appearance with
a woman.
President Garfield appointed Mrs. Vir-
GINA Campbell Thompson Postmistress at
Louisville. Ky. She is the widow of a
Union officer and the daughter of Alexan-
der Campbell. founder of the Campbellite
church. President Arthur made no change
there, but when MIR. Cleveland took the
reins of Government in hand in 1885 a
score of bluegrass Democrats filed appli-
cations for the place which Mrs. Thomp-
son was enjoying. But Mr.. Cleveland did
not quite see why he should relieve her of
her duties. and when the clamor of Louis
unbearable at the White House the chief
executive referred the matter to Congress-
man Willis. in whose district the turmoil
existed. He reported that as far as he
could ascertain Mrs. Thompson had well
fulfilled the duties If her office; that she
was capable, and that not even the charge
so dear 10 the administrations heart of
Offensive partisaDship" could well lie.
Indeed he saw no reason for the change
and recommended that none be made
Upon the receipt of this report President
Cleveland at once sent to the Senate the
name of Mrs. Virginia Campbell Thorn D.
son, reappointed Postmistress at Louis
vile, and that body promptly confirmed it.
Then there was howl of rage in the
land of blue grass, whisky and horses.
The colonies fairly boiled over in their
wrath. That t00thsome phrase Ito the
victors belong the spoils" had been oblit-
Grated. For the first time since "de wah"
they had Democrat in Office and he had
thrust them aside in favor of the widow
of a Union officer. But they could only
gnash their teeth and wait.
| In the fall of 1886 they had their revenge.
| Willis again came up for reelection 10
| Congress. this time for the fifteth session.
| Ii was one of the biiterest cam paigns ever
| held In Kentucky. From the opening to
| the close be was denounced by the politi-
clans. who had declared war POutrance.
| He was hanged in effigy several times and
was numerically caricatured on trans
| pareDcies and in newspapers. mo milk
| and-w water statesman can represen Ken
lucky in the halls of Congress-; "To the
vlctors belong the spoil>"; "Wanted a
| man with backbone to go TO Congress-"
These were some of the phrases that were
| painted on the banners carried in the pro-
cessiOns throughout the streets Of Louis
| Vile.
On election day every colonel that could
move went to the polls and the politicians
came out victorious; Willis was defeated.
| Though he had lost the office and suffered
| in the opinion of bis tOwnsmen, yet he
gained many friends bv his championship
of that woman. and 1t was probably due to
| his course then. and to repay him for the
| loss suffered by his action that Mr.. Cleve-
land made him Minister Plenipotentiary
aud Envoy Extraordinary to Hawaii
Therefore the man who had succeeded
in keeping Mrs. Thompson in office at
| Louisville was selected to reinstate Liliuo-
kalani upon her throne. In this second
case he has evidently not been as success
| full as he was iu the first instance, and the
cause in which he Is enlisted is not so
| pleasant to the American people as the
! first one was.
| What will be the result of this last ap-
pearance Of the Kentuckian with a female
accompaniment it Is difficult to foreteli,
woods yet.