 An ally of Senator Richard Mentor Johnson , who was a primary voice against the practice of debt imprisonment , Rowan made a notable speech denouncing the practice on the Senate floor in 1828 . A consistent opponent of internal improvements and tariffs , even those that would benefit his own constituents , he voted against a measure allocating federal funds for the construction of a road connecting the cities of Lexington and Maysville . The vote was ill @-@ received by the people of the state , and Rowan 's popularity took a significant hit . When the bill was re @-@ introduced in the next congressional session , Rowan voted for it only after receiving significant pressure from the state legislature to do so . The bill passed in this session , but newly elected president Andrew Jackson vetoed it . 
