The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1895-12-19
Allen G. Thurman Passed Away
After a Useful Career
WAS MOURNED BY THE NATION
Irrespective OF Party the Great Men
OF This Decade We're His.
Admirers.

Thurman came TO close lnlS dAleihoO
at 1:15 O'Clock. The end was peaceful In
the extreme, and the soul of the greal
man left Its earthly habitatlon without
a sign OF physical distress. At the in
slant of dissolution and for some hours
before Judge Thurman had been lying
in an unconscious condition. He passed
merely from sleep temporal to sleel
eternal, and the change was hardly no
ticeable, even to the loved ones who
surrounded his bedside.
When DR.. Whitaker saw Judge Thur
man Wednesday about p. IN. ne seemed
listless and rather heavy about his eyes.
The change for the worse became quite
marked shortly after midnight We'd
nesday and at a. m. Wednesday the
family became alarmed and sent for DR..
Whitaker. At that time the doctor
found his venerable patient almost IN
conscious. Dr. Whitaker aroused him
sufficiently to ask If he was thirsty, and
Judge Thurman nodded his head in as
sent He was given a little water and
whisky, which he swallowed with great
difficulty He seemed, however, to be
partially conscious of what he was do
ing He then sank into a heavy stupor,
from which he never reused
At 10 o'clock this morning DR.. Whit
taker found his patient gradually sink
ing. He gave him u little water and
whisky, which was swallowed mechan-
ically. Judge Thurman was perfectly
unconscious and remained so until he
passed away at :15 p. m.
At the final scene all the members OF
the immediate family were at his bed
side.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.
Allen CRANBERRY Thurman was born In
Lynchburg. Va. November 49, 1878. His
father was the Rev Pleasant Thurman,
minister of the Methodist church, and
his mother the only daughter of Colonel
Nathaniel Allen, nephew and adopted son
OF Joseph Hewes, one OF the signers of
the Declaration OF Independence.
His parents move to Chlllocothe In 1919,
and he made that place his home until he
settled in Columbus In 1858, where he has
since resided. His education was In the
Chillocothe academy and at the hands OF
his mother. At the age OF 1s he assisted
In land surveying and at 81 he was prl-
vate secretary to Governor Lucas. He
studied law with his uncle Governor Will
liam Allen, afterward was admitted to the
bar in 1895, and in few years was en-
ployed In almost every lltigated case in
Ross county.
In 1874 he was elected by the democrats
to congress, and he entered that body on
December !, 1916, as its youngest mem
Der. Preferring the practice of law he
declined denomination to congress and
remained at the bar until 1851. when he
was elected to the supreme bench In
Ohio. From December, 1854. till February,
1856, he served as chief justice. and on the
expiration OF his term he refused re-
nomination. His opinions. contained In
the first five volumes of the state reports.
are remarkable for the clear and forcible
expression of his views and the accuracy
OF his statements OF the law.
In 1867 he was the choice of his party
for governor OF Ohio. Rutherford d.
Hayes, his opponent. was elected by a
majority of fewer than 5000 votes, though
the republican majority In 1866 was more
than 1900.
Mr. Thurman was then elected to the
senate to succeed Benjamin II. Wade.
He took his seat March 4, 1869. and from
the first was recognized as the leader OF
the democratic minority He was a mem
Der OF the committee on the judiciary. and
on the accession of his party to power,
In the 10th congress, he was made its
chairman, and was also chosen president
pro TEN of the senate owing to the illness
OF Vice President Wheeler. In 1874 he was
elected to the senate for a second term,
and his II years of service. ending March
4, 1881, he won a reputation for judicial
fairness and readiness, dignity and power
In debate, especially upon Questions OF
constitutional law. Besides his labor in
the judiciary committee he rendered val
liable service In the committee on prl-
waite land claims. He was the author of
the act to compel the Pacific railroad cor
porations to fulnll their obligations to
the government. since known as the Thur
man act, the passage of which he forced
In spite of the combined influence of these
companies.
atty OF the civil rights bills have since
been sustained By the United States su-
preme court In language that is almost
Identical with that of his speeches. Efforts
to secure for the rebelllous states the
most favorable reconstruction legislation
In which he vigorously persisted while
In the senate, led to the charge that he
had disapproved the war for the integrity
of the union. His true position he thus
defined In letter to a friend: II did all
/ could to help to preserve the union
without war. but after It began /
thought there was but one thing to do,
and that was to fight II out | therefore
sustained all the constitutional measures
that tended, in my judgment to put down
the rebellion never believed In the doc
trine OF secession"
Mr.. Thurman retired from the senate
not alone with the respect of his party
associates, but also with that of senators
Of opposite political views, one of whom.
James c. Blaine, with whom he often
contended In debate, says in his Twenty
Years of Congress-" ''Mr. Thurman's
rank In the senate was established from
the day he took his seat, and was never
lowered during the period Of his service
He was an admirably disciplined debater.
was fair In his method OF statement log
ical In his argument. honest In his con
illusions. He had no tricks In discussion.
no catch phrases to secure attention. but
was always direct and manly HIS
retirement from the senate was a serious
loss to his party-a loss, indeed, to the
whole body"
General Garfield. before his election 10
the presidency had been chosen to sue
coed Mr.. Thurman in the senate; but the
contest had not interrupted friendly rela-
tons of many years standing and. as n
mark OF his regard. the new president
soon after his Inauguration associated
Mr.. Thurman with William M. Evarts
OF New York and Timothy o. Howe OF
Wisconsin on the commission to the in
ternational monetary conference to be
held In Paris.
In the democratic national convention
OF 1876 Mr.. Thurman received some votes
as presidential candidate. In 1850 the
first ballot gave him the entire vote of
the Ohio delegation, with considerable
support from other states In 1884 he was
delegate at large to the national CON
vention, was again put In nomination for
the presidency. and stood next TO Cleve-
land and Bayard on the first ballot. In
the convention OF 1883 he was nominated
for vice president by acclamation.
Since that time he has retired from, ~,