Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-02-15

! - .''j ! : N''I r ~ ~ the 'i'Jtt:
H." 'anl;. 81 ri.n' j re-d Mr.
, I'.mII",,,!r VIII Enthusiastically make Il
! H;r"n- rIm'h,r"t" Ia" -ntlrr county
wants hi" It VIII h.,v" E!!n. 1t reads
/ Xix" r:,t"m1 np"lI, ice advertisements
! doesn't il: Row does it feel to he
! waI:"d lN Mn entire cuuuty. Mr. Dun
me3de:"
. 1T is" be confessed rather pleas
i ant II true, Wh, are you:
And >n&'t'nIH. VIZ u laugh. size was
gone, an.id riattSr of boots
Alone he addressed the morning.
''She SAID ! am strong | wonder. aln
| | StrUng->tUng enough?' And. search
! Ing his S"nE for the answer. he heard
no negative.
! This chronicle. we neglected to state.
begins at the beginning OF the end Of
an epoch. The epO"h has been vari
! ouSly styled golden 2ge. n period of
! prosperity. an era Of expansion. 1t was
| all or that-tO n few. For Others
though they did not see it. 1t was Il
| recession. truce in the struggle. old
! hE lAAC IlSClIS USlN tue lIslIlS anu
| the strong.
William Murchell was a distinguish
ed member of q class whose climbing
proclivities are not subdued by the in
| Cident Of lowly start. He was born
| In the obscure hill town Of New Chel-
sea soon after Andrew Jackson and
| his contemporaries promulgated and H.
| Illustrated the immortal doctrine. ITO
the victor belong the spoils." In the
fashion made popular by Abraham Lin
| coin and other great men he secured
an education and on the day he attain
ed his majority was admitted to the
| practice of law in Benton county.
About the same time he entered the
broader profession of politics. being
then a lukewarm Wing.
His military services are perhaps
best dismissed with the mention Of
certain gold medal struck in his honor,
by special act Of congress. for gallant
conduct on the field Of battle. The in
vidious have made much of this deco
ration. However. II probably required
! a finer courage to resign from the colo
nelcy Of his home guard regiment on
the eve Of GettySburg-this indeed was
the fuct-to accept the less exposed Of
Ace of aid to the governor at the CAPT
tai than to face the hail Of rebel bull
lets. There are many ways Of express
ing ones patriotism. Inter he served
his country as parliamentary for Benton
county. Afterward lie passed through
many gradations Of political prefer
ment. rs representative in the general
assembly Of his state. as state sena-
tor. as state treasurer and finally as
United States senator. which exalted
office he held until-but We anticipate
our history. He became In addition
leader Of his party organizations. an
euphemism employed by those who oh
jected to the term boss"
William Murchell's creed was that
of respectable but practical. man.
He was teetotaIer and a Presbyte-
rian elder and believed in the doc
trine Of generalization and in a literal
scriptural hell for those not numbered
among the elect. He believed devout-
ly In the avowed and tacit principles
Of his party. although he was not big
oted and would on OCCASION take n Sc
cret hand in the affairs of the opposi-
ton. He had more than once read
ont of the party foolhardy young men
who ventured to oppose his leadership.
He lived during at least two months
Of every year in the town Of his birth.
either IN the square. white frame
house on Maple street or at the farm.
three miles west. which he let ION
shares" New Chelsea was quaint.
old fashioned town lying at the head
of the WeehannOck valley. quite CON
tent with its population Of 5000 and
with the honor of being the county
seat. which Murchell's influence had
prevented from being moved to Plum
vile. that thriving little factory city
fifteen miles away.
Down Main street one fne June aft
ernoon he was walking with that air
Of abstraction which sits 80 we'll on
the great.
He has big possibilities" Uncou-
sciOuSly the senator spoke aloud.
His companion seemed to under
stand the reference Hes all right"
he answered. State Senator Jim
Sheehan was a big. fat gentleman with
furtive, twinkling eyes. a modicum OF
coarse good looks and a rolling. cock
sure gait bred OF no misfortune. He
was a son OF power. Fifteen years be-
fore he had gone 10 PImmvile to WORK
in the mills. an uncouth. unlettered
IriShmaD. Who could tell a good story,
hold unlimited quantities Of liquor and
was not unwilling to work when mOu-
ey could not be had otherwise.
But not long for him had been the
CRIME and roar and muscle racking Of
the mills Money could he had more
easily. Plumvillp WAS booming. There
were streets to be graded and paved.
public buildings to he constructed. Jim
went into politics and because be waa
n good vote gettpr" and had Il GER
tain rough talent for tn" game acQuir-