The Hawaiian gazette., 1897-02-16
MINISTER WILLIS
What Patronage Did for
Him in Congress.
Did More for His Constituents
Than His Predecessors and
Then Turned Down.

SAID well known hentucklan 10 a
representative of The Star today:
ION the eve of change of national
administration, when the question of
patronage will cut so prominent a fig
ure, let me give you story showing
how disastrously patronage sometimes
bears on the fortunes of public man.
Albert S. Willis, who recently died in
Honolulu, served ten years in Con-
gress from the Louisville district, and,
it is conceded, accomplished more sub
stantial things for his constituents
than any OF his predecessors had been
able to do. He was an earnest, indus
trious, patient and capable man, who
went to the bottom of things, and kept
the interests of his people always in
mind. Among his achievements, he
secured the establishment at Louis
vile of the American Printing House
for the Blind; the appropriation of a
million dollars for the erection of
new custom house and post office
there; the opening free to navigation
of the canal at the falls of the Ohio,
and large sums for improving the
Louisville harbor. He had been of
great service to his people otherwise,
and when he offered for reelection
the last time, was one of the most in
fiuential men in the House and chair
man of the rivers and harbors commit
tee. One would suppose that con-
stituency which hal been so very well
served, and which could promise itself
so much more from man who had
shown such aptitude for legislation,
would be at pains to keep him in COM
mission. But his constituency turned
him out, And for what? A post office!
He made recommendation contrary
to the wishes and the pressure of the
party managers in Louisville, and they
beat him for denomination at the
primaries. That, of course, in a dis
triet which was then overwhelmingly
democratic, sealed his congressional
fate, and he passed off the scene.
"The story is one of credit to Mr..
Willis throughout. Mrs. Thompson, a
woman of capacity and of high social
position, was the postmistress of
Louisville and was seeking reappoint-
ment Her antecedents were demo-
cratic, but she had obtained the Office
from Mr. Hayes and had held it
through the administrations of Gen.
Garfield and Gen. Arthur, and, hav-
ing acquitted herself well in the place,
she was now asking reappointment at
the hands of Mr.. Cleveland, then in
his first term as President. The de-
cision lay with Mr.. Willis, the repre-
sentative of the district, who, both be-
cause of her good record in Office and
because she was woman, showed
disposition to recommend Mrs. Thomp-
son for another term. But the party
bosses in Louisville protested. The
Office was of some local consequence,
and they insisted that 1t should be
filled by some active member of the
party A great deal of feeling was
aroused, and, on account of Mrs.
Thompson's distinguished connections,
it extended outside of the state. 1t
was an embarrassing situation for Mr..
Willis. He knew what the threat of
the bosses meant, and he was anxious
to remain in Congress. But he stood
his ground and recommended Mrs.
Thompson; she was reappointed, and
he was retired permanently from a
body where he had attained consider
dDiG anu Idu oCi NCu llo
people in all of their larger affairs con-
spicuously well.
This is true story without en-
bellishments, and it speaks volumes
in support of the contention that pat
ronage is curse to public men. They
are much oftener shared than helped
by it, and many of them in their hearts
would be glad to be rid of it ALL Not
improbably, if Mr.. Willis could have
escaped that little ward squabble, he
would have remained in Congress for
years longer than he did. He was a
model representative, and it is posi-
lively pathetic to think of his having
been forced out of Congress for the
reason and in the way he was. y
Washington Star.