Connecticut western news., 1894-12-06

having immigratcd to Pennsylvania This ancestor was Quaker and was obliged to leave England on account of religious persecution. His descendants lived in this part of Pennsylvania until 1880, when Lepn Abbett's father removed to Philadelphia, where he learned the trade of natter He gave a liberal edu- cation to his son Leon, who, after term at one of the common schools, was grad uated in 1853 as bachelor of arts at tho high school of Philadelphia and Ave years later received tho degree of master of arts.
 He entered the law office of John W. Ashmcad, then United States district at- torney for the eastern portion of Pennsyl- vania, and was admitted to the Pennsyl- vania bar in 1857 and began the practice of law in Philadelphia On his twenty sixth birthday, Oct. s, 1882, he was mar ried to Miss Mary Briggs of Philadelphia and removed from that city to Hoboken, N. J. His wife dicd l4 years ago. Hc took great interest in politics and joined the Democratic party, whose cause he served by many eloquent speeches during the exciting campaigns of those troubled times.
 He was admitted to tho Now Jersey bar, and in 1864 he was elected to the as- sembly, representing Ho5okcn in tho leg islaturc for two years. He was recognized as the leader of the Democrats in the New Jersey assembly. On the expiration of his second term he removed to Jersey City, but acted as corporation counsel for the city of Hoboken for thrcc years, rc- signing in 1868.
 His Political Activity.
 At the Democmtic state convention which met in Trenton in 1868 to nomi- nate presidential electors and governor he wns choscp as chairman. He was also corporation Attorney for the town of Un- ion and corporation counsel for Bayonnc In ls69-70 he was again n member of the assembly and during both of those years was speaker of the house. In the former year he was unanimously elected success sor to Judge Randolph as president of the Jersey City board of education. In 1872 he was a delegate at largo to the national Democratic convention at Baltimore
 He was elected to the state senate from Hudson county in 1874, serving for thrce terms and being chosen as president of that body. In April, 1876, he was ap- pointed corporation counsel for Jersey City, an office which he held for seven years In the summer of 1876 he went to St Louis as delegate to the national Dem ocratic convention. He was unanimously recognized as an able lawyer, skillful politician and a very energetic man in whatever he undertook.
 The Democratic state convention held in Trenton in 1883 nominated him for governor on the second ballot, and he was elected in the following November by a very large majority. He took personal part In the canvass, and for nearly two months worked night and day, travelling. speaking and supervising. giving himself less than five hours sleep each day. His administration was noted for its able and practical character. One of the laws which he strongly adva ated was the general cor poration net of 1881, under which the di- rect state tax Is paid by corporations and only the school rate falls directly upon tho individual taxpayer.
 Unsatished Ambition.
 On the expiration of his term as gov ernor he resumed his law practice going to New York city, where he had an office on Broadway. He was candidate for United States senator in 1887, but a CO., alition of disaffccted Democrats and Re- publicans In the legislature prevented his election. But when he came before the people again in November, 1889, as can didate for governor he was easily elected Governor Abbott had n lifelong anbi- tion to Le a senator of the United States, but when his last attempt was made, in January, 1893, he could not muster votes enough in Democratic caucus to make a respectable showing, and James Smith, Jr., obtained the nomination and was elected.
 He was nominated by Governor wcrts | in March, 1S93 to the supreme court bench. Al iiough so much of his time had been necessarily devoted to public affairs Governor Abbott did not neglect his pro fessionL duties. He was head of the law | firm of Abbott S Fuller