Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-03-07

wy ""u O'o0 " uC'Cs AlcTk OdTI30U, /,
Of the United States House; Gen.
Keim, M. G. from Berks; G. A.
Worth, cashier Of til, City Bank;
Aid. Phoenix, and many other sound
men are favorably impressed with
it.
81 think you take the wrong view
of the political bearing of this mat
ter, though l act without reference
to that. Hitherto all the devotees
of social reform Of any kind-all the
advocates of 4 higher destiny for
Iabor-all the combatants against
unjust and false social principles
in short, all the social discontcnt Of
the country has been regularly re-
PEELED from the whig party and at
tracted to its opposite. This forms
a heavy dead-weight against u.s."
Even at that time, for the date Of
this letter is Feb. 10, ls4l, Greeley
complained Of the opportunities of
needy politicians in the following
indignant st. ain:
ave have nothing new here in
politics, but large and numerous
swarms Of oftice-hunting Iocusts
sweeping on to Washington daily.
All the rotten land spectators and
broken bank directors, swindling
cashiers, etc., are in full cry for Of.
flee! office! and even so humble a
man as | am is run down for letters!
letters! None Of your half way
things! Write strong! Curse their
nauseous impudence! Some of them
l give such blessing as will stick
i'll their crops these many days;
some Of them, God knows most re-
luctantly, l give letters, for, because
l can't help it. l've a good mind
to advertise in Tile National Intel
hgencer that all persons are forbid
harboring or trusting otfice-seekers
on my account after this date. Shall
we never be rid of this internal rush
for spoils? My soul is sick Of it,"
"'rhe first intimation of Mr.. Gree
ley's desire TO go before the people,
tor representative Office was re-
ceivcd," says Mr.. Weed, Gin ls46,
when he came to Albany and in
hesitating manner inquired if l
thought he could be nominated in
some of our strong whig count es
as delegate to the State Constitu-
tional Convention, adding that he
thought he could be useful in such
a body" Mr.. Weed informed him
that if he had spoken a little sooner
he would have been gratitied. AS
it was it was too late, though appli-
cations were made to the Conven
tons of two or three counties.
After remarking that on two or
three subsequent occasions, Mr..
Greeley Indicated willingness to
accept nominations, Mr.. Weed gives
his recollection of the famous disso-
luton Of the political firm Of Sew
ard, Weed and Greeley, as follows:
1854 Mr.. Greelev called on me
at the Astor House, and asked if l
did not think that the time and cir
cumstances were favorable to his
nomination as Governor? | Ireplied
that | did not think the time and
circumstances favorable to his cleo
ton, If nominated, but that my
friends had lost control OF the State
convention. This answer perplexed
him, but few words of explanation
made it quite clear. Admitting that
he had brought the people up to the
point of accepting a temperance
candidate for Governor, remarked
that another aspirant had "stolen
his thunder" In other words, while
he had shaken the temperance bush,
Myron II. Clark would catch the
bird. In addition to the fact that
Mr.. Clark had become the temper
ance candidate, l informed Mr..
Greeley that "know-nothing" or
"Choctaw" lodges had been secret
ly organized throughout the State,
by means Of which many delegates
for Mr.. Clark had been sccured.-
Mr.. Greeley saw that, to use an ex-
preston then understood, The "slate"
had been broken, and cheeri'ully re-
linquished the idea of being nomi-
mated. But few days atterward
Mr.. Greeley came to Albany and
said in an abrupt but not untrlendly
way, sIs there any objection to my
running for lieutenant governors
replied promptly, "Certainly not,
if on reflection you are willing to
take the nomination" "Why should
l not be willing to take it? You say
that l have many enemies. l know
that, and if they should all fall upon
me and defeat my election the office
is not important, and the party would
not be injured. l should rather like
to try conclusions with them" l
then reminded hlm of cry raised
in the Philadelphia national conven
tion when Abbott Lawrence, of Bos-
ton, was named for Vice President
to run with Gen. Tyler for Presi-
dent, and when a dozen men sprang
to their feet and shouted tina. it
would not do to have "cotton at
both ends of the ticket" Mr.. Gree
ley laughed and said: 81 suppose
YOU mean that it won't do to have
Maine la at both ends of our State
ticket?" After little more CONVEX
sation Mr.. Greeley became entirely
satisfied that 4 nomination for Lieu
tenant Governor was not desirable,
and left me in good spirits.
l went to the State convention
prepared to acquiesce in the nomi-
nation of Mr.. Clark for Governor,
and only caring that the other NOM
inees should be so selected as to
strengthen the ticket. No candidate
for Lieutenant Governor had been
designated. Many delegates were
anxious to ballast the ticket by the
nomination of candidate for Lieu
tenant Governor who WAS not COM
mitted in favor of prohibitory or
Maine law legislation, and yet who
would not be obnoxious to temper
ance men. Several names were can
yasscd, but none seemed to unite
all interests until that OF the late
Henry j. Raymond was suggested.
That nomination wounded Mr..
Greeley deeply. He had chcerfnlly
L., /.