Monday, December 8, 2008

1884 - Will tries for Washington District Attorney

In a continuing quest for information about the post-war lives of Betty and William Maury, I have learned that in 1884 Will was on what we would now call the short list of potential nominees for the position of District Attorney for Washington, D.C. In a New York Times for January 17, 1884 Will is labeled a "Bourbon Democrat", a term defined in a Wikipedia article as having been "used in the United States from 1876 to 1904 to refer to a conservative or classical liberal member of the Democratic Party, especially one who supported President Grover Cleveland in 1884-1896. . . Bourbon Democrats represented business interests, supported banking and railroad goals, . . . opposed imperialism and U.S. overseas expansion. . . "

The New York Times article goes on to say that Maury’s nomination was opposed by the senators from Virginia, William Mahone and Harrison H. Riddleberger, who considered Maury to be of "aristocratic birth and surroundings". Mahone and Riddleberger supported the then current District Attorney, George B. Corkhill.

The Washington Post for January 22, 1884 reported that the name of Augustus S. Worthington had been sent by President Chester Arthur to the Senate for confirmation to be the successor to George Corkhill as District Attorney.

2 comments:

monix said...

I'm glad to see another piece in the jigsaw of Betty and William's lives. It must be very gratifying for you when a new piece of information comes up.

Carolyn said...

It is indeed gratifying when another fact turns up about the lives of Will and Betty Maury. The search is made easier by the digitization of the New York Times and the Washington Post.