The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1895-11-09

limits OF anything that could be called an
advanced civilization, but Columbus, O.,
the home of his latter years, Is far east Of
the center Of population.
When he emigrated to Ohio 1t was on
fho border Of the far west; when he entered
khe United States senate he was accounted
rather as representative Of the enst His
hrst political lessons were from the living
Jefferson and Madison; he witnessed tho
phonomenal growth Of Jackson; outlived
the eleven presidents who succeeded him,
and took the leading part In reconstruct
ing the old party and impressing Its doc
trines upon the third generation.
He was born Nov. IS, 1918, in Lynch
burg, Va, his father being q minister of
fhe Methodist church, and his mother the
qnly daughter Of Colonel Nathaniel Allen.
His mothers half brother, William Allen,
bot seven years older than himself, walked
from Lynchburg to Chillicothe, o., in
1e2o, and soon attained such prominence
be- o lawyer and orator that at the early
Ago Of 90 he was elected momber OF con-
eress, beating the popular Whig governor
* the state, Duncan Macarthur, by one
vote and only four years later he was
elected United States senator. After ris-
ing to such high rank In his party that the
nomination for president was practically
offered to him, he suddenly retired, re-
4 mained In private life twenty-five years,
then emerged to be elected governor of
Ohio in 1873 In such phenomenal cam
tAign as to give him the political sobriquet
M "Rise-up william" Allen.
Allen @. Thurman went to Chillicothe
with his parents in 1919, and that place
was his home until 1858, when he moved
to Columbus His mother was his best
nnn IN ha hA ha
Chillicothe academy, which institution he
lsft when 10 years old. He served as an
assistant in land surveying for short
time, and then studied law with his uncle,
Allen. At 81 he became private secretary
90 Governor Robert Lucas, reading law at
odd times with Judge Swayne of Colum-
bus. In 1885 he was admitted to the bar
In Chillicothe, and was taken Into part
nership by his uncle. In 1888 the uncle
went to the United States senate, and in
1B44 Mr. Thurman was elected to the ma
tional house.
On Dec. 1, 1s45, Mr.. Thurman entered
the Twenty ninth congress as its youngest
member, just as his uncle had entered the
senate the youngest man ever chosen to
that body. He declined a denomination,
and In 1s47 returned to tho practice Of law.
In 1851 he was elected to the supreme
bench Of the state, and served thereon till
1855, the last year as chief Justice. This
led to his removal in 1853 to Columbus
His judicial opinions are models Of clear
statement and logical adherence to ele-
Inentary law. In no other department. Is
his greatness so generally recognized as
In this. The senator, the politician, the
candidate for vice president may be harshly
criticized, but Judge" Thurman always
commanded respect.
Judge Thurman was pronounced war
Democrat, though he endeavored 10 avert
resort to arms. His attitude in that try
Ing time was thus explained by him after
ward:
II did all could to help to preserve the
Union without war, but after 1t began I
thought there was but one thing to do, and
that was to fight 1t Out. therefore sus-
tanned all constitutional measures that
tended in my Judgment, to put down the
rebellion. never believed in the doctrine
Of secession"
In 1867 Judge Thurman was nominated
by the Democrats of Ohio for governor,
against the popular general and ex-oon-
gresham, Rutherford B. Hayes. The re-
suit was simply astounding. The Republi-
can majority for some years previous had
been over 10000 yet after superheated
rhinphiBu tne Noue III an Oh yshr was
much larger than ever before. General
Hayes majority was less than, 5000, and
the legislature elected was Democratic on
Joint ballot. Judge Thurman barely
missed the governorship, and as soon as
the legislature convened he received the
FAR higher honor Of the senatorship.
Early In 1875 the namo Of Thurman be-
came prominent in connection with the
presidency, butho was a pronounced hard
money man." and Ii was not his year In
Ohio. The next winter in the senate he
took strong ground In favor Of the electoral
commission. and the issue of that method