Pettit, Thomas Stevenson, 1843-1931.

Journalist, Politician.

Pettit, a native of Frankfort, began his journalistic career working in a print shop. In 1864 he purchased the Owensboro MONITOR. His editorials criticizing the Republican Party and the war policies of the Lincoln administration quickly resulted in an arrest by military authorities and his subsequent banishment to the Confederacy. Upon his return after the War, Pettit found his newspaper office had been destroyed by the federal army. He reestablished the MONITOR and entered politics, serving as reading clerks in both the Kentucky and U.S. House of Representatives, and as private secretary to Governor James B. McCreary.

Pettit made an unsucessful bid for Congress as a Democrat in 1882 and represented Daviess County as a delegate to the 1890-1891 state constitutional convention. Pettit left the Democratic party in the 1890's, first winning election as an independent to the General Assembly, then running as the People's Party candidate for governor in 1895. Pettit campaigned for Goebel in 1899 while the People's Party nominated someone else. The People's Party objected to "Goebel's law," the measure sponsored by Goebel in the General Assembly establishing partisan control over local election boards. The law resulted in the invalidation of Republican William S. Taylor claim of victory in the 1899 election.

From the description of Thomas Stevenson Pettit papers, 1864-1932. (University of Kentucky Libraries). WorldCat record id: 14761818