The Hawaiian gazette., 1894-01-16


the object that dragged him into
the public gaze. This does not re-
fleet to the discredit of Mr.. Willis
contrariwise, as Tweedledeedum
would say. The first instance made
him host of friends in the North,
though it cost him his seat in Con-
gress the second-well, he isn't
out of the woods yet.
Grover Cleveland is responsible
for the Kentuckian's championship
of the fair sex, and whether the OBJ
ject of the Presidents favor is
thankful for his opportunities to do
chivalrous deeds, is a secret which
he proposes to keep as such.
Mr.. Willis first entered the pub
lie lists as a champion of an
American woman, one who lived
in his own State, and this time his
trumpet sounds notes of defiance
to enemies of Liliuekalani, who,
according to Mr.. Cleveland, is the
queen of Hawaii.
A biographical sketch states that
Albert S. Willis was born in Shelby
County, KY, January %, 1913;
that he received a common school
education early in life, and was
graduated from the Louisville Law
School in 1866. He was elected
County Attorney in 1870, and re-
elected four years later. Suisse
quently he was elected to Congress,
and served in the Forty-fifth, For
ty-sixth, Forty-seventh, Forty
eighth and Forty-ninth sessions.
He failed to be reelected in the
Fiftieth, and thereby hangs q tale
of his first public appearance With
= woman.
Prcs.dent Garfield appointed Mrs.
Virginia Campbell Thompson post
mistress at Louisville, KY. She is
the widow of a Union officer and
the daughter of Alexander Camp
bell, founder of the Campbellite
church. President Arthur made no
change there, but when Mr.. Cleve-
land took the reins Of Government
in hand III 1885 a score of blue
grass Democrats filed applications
for the place which Mrs. Thompson
was enjoying. But Mr.. Cleveland
did not quite see why he should re-
lieve her of her duties, and when
the clamor of Louisville politicians
became so loud as to become I'M
bearable at the White House the
chief executive referred the matter
to Congressman Willis, in whose
district the turmoil existed. He
reported that as far as he could
ascertain Mrs. Thompson had well
fulfilled the duties of her Office
that she was capable, and that not
even the charge SO dear to the Ad-
ministration's heart of offensive
partisanship" could well lie. In
deed, 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 Thomp-
son, re-appointed postmistress at
Louisville, and that body promptly |
it.
Then there was a howl of rage in |
the land of blue grass, whisky and |
horses. The colonies fairly boiled |
over in their wrath. That tooth
some phrase ITO the victor belong
the spoils" had been obliterated.
For the first time since ode wah"
they had a Democrat in Office and
be 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 to Congress, this time
for the fiftieth session. 1t was one
of the bitterest campaigns ever held
in Kentucky. From the opening
to the close he was denounced by
the politicians, who had declared
war Poutrance. He was hanged
in efigy several times, and was I'M
caricatured on trans
parencies and in newspapers. "No
milk-and-water statesman can re-
present Kentucky in the halls of
Congress "To the victors belong
the spoils;" Wanted a man with
backbone to go to Congress" These
we're some of the phrases that were
painted on the banners carried in
.he professions throughout the
streets of Louisville.
On election day every colonel
that could move went to the polls,
and the politicians came out VIC
Willis was defeated. |
Though he had lost the Office and
suffered in the opinion Of his towns