The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-02-16
Secretary Bristow.
SOME FACTS IN RELATION TO HIS ALLEGED
CANDIDACY FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL Or


FICE.
Especial Cor. of the Cincinnati Gazette.l
WASHINGTON, Feb. 8.-Every one In
the land knows that Gen. BristOw is
widely and most favorably talked OF Tor
the presidency. And this Is the whole
extent OF his being a candidate. None
but those who know the man, and come
into frequent contact with him, can APP
prcciate the full stupidity Of the late
stories-first that he had withdrawn in
favor of Morton, and next that nc
either had been true, this fact would
have demonstrated Bristow's unit
ness for President. TO have
formally declined in any interest, before
even q State association OF department.
clerks had nominated him, would have
made him the laughing stock OF the
nation. But, for all that, only those
who know the man and the position ne
has assumed from first to last in regard
to this subject, can rise to u full appre-
citation of the stupidity Of those stories.
However, it was not to refute such
nonsense that this letter wns begun but
it seemed to form good text from
which to say q few words about Bristow
as q Presidential candidate.
SILENT CANDIDATE.
In the first place, every one In Wash
ington talks more about the matter
than he does. Until within few weeks
he has constantly declined to converse
on the subject at oil, even with those he
knows to be his firm friends. But Of
late SO much has been said from one
end of the land to the other in regard to
the matter, that he has been obliged to
listen, at least, to friends who do talk on
the s,lbject~-and hitherto he has even de-
clined to do that. But he still refuses to
allow his friends, with his sanction, to do
anything whatever looking toward work
ing up q nomination for him. He will
not even hear suggestions that the i'm
mense patronage of his department
might be made available i'm such work
1t Is perfectly well known that very
prominent officers in the Treasury De-
partment, and elsewhere In its service,
are active supporters OF other candi-
dates. And they will remain such to
the end. for all the influence the Secre-
tary will exert to change them.
Further than this, he has been NOR
bidly sensitive lest the details OF the
work OF reform he Is carrying on should
day by day fall into the hands Of the
| press and so create the impression that
| he was seeking for effect. Every cor
respondent in Washington will testify
that, while all matters Of news pertain
| ing to the regular performance OF the
| public business can be readily obtained ut
| the Treasury Department, it has always
been most difficult, and often impossible,
! interesting features of the Secretary's
| work OF reform. Speaking from an ex-
perience Of ten years among public men
| In Washington, and from such an OPP
portunity for observation as daily news
gathering gives, it is within bounds to
say that Gen Bristow Is by far the most
| difficult man from whom to obtain any
news rejecting credit upon himself met
with In all that time. Since the prolni-
nence given tho whisky trials first
brought his reform work into general
notice, he has been extremely sensitive
lest it should be supposed that he
WIS prompting the publications
made from Washington. Time and
again he has requested the sup
preston Of most interesting informa-
| ton connected with his vigorous admin
istration Of affairs, which would only
have added to his popularity with the
people. He has often gone further than
this, and made its suppression u condi-
ton of retaining his friendship. He has
been charged, by those who sought to
stir up trouble between the President
and himself, with seeking to ignore the
President in the work he has under
| taken, and to have in view his own ad-
| vancement alone. It is doubtful whether
any secretary in like circumstances has
ever before consulted q President so
constantly and so fully. There certain
| ly has never been one who has more uni
formly insisted that the President
should have the credit for whatever has
been done.
SO far from putting himself forward as
| I.,<<. k.,e f.stA
his friends think, obstinately, set him
self against everything that looked in
that direction. And his friends who
charge obstinacy upon him in this
respect are right. With his permission
no formal step will be taken to bring
about his nomination. He has set his
face like q flint against all who APP
proach him to suggest that by such and
such means delegations can be secured
for him. Even within the last few
weeks, when the press has been filled
with the discussion Of his chances, and
when SO much we'll calculated to turn
any mans head has been printed in in
liuential quarters, some OF his friends
Of many years standing have not ven
tured to talk to him upon the subject.
This is the kind Of candidate for Presi-
dent that Gen. Bristow is. Ii he is
nominated, it will be because the nomi-
nation seeks him, and not because he has
ever stopped to intrigue for it. But
while he persistently refuses to have
anything to do with the matter, there
are many thoughtful men in the party,
and many, too, who lay claim to no init
mate acquaintance with him, except as
his work has made him known
to the whole country, who are
convinced that he is far the
most available man for the Gin
cinnati nominee. Thesemen feel that
the question for that convention to de-
termine is, not who can be nominated,
but who can be elected. There are sew
eral who will not have such strength be-
fore the convention as to make their
nomination probable. There arc several
now at work packing and committing
delegations in advance, who confidently
expect to be able to force themselves
upon the party.
There is danger that some one of
them, either by manufactured strength
or by bold bartering for strength which
others have acquired by similar means,
will be able to crowd himself upon the
people. It is by no means certain that
such men can be elected. The number
of prominent men in the party who feel
certain that Bristow can be is rapidly
increasing. H. V. b.
THE KELLOGG TROUBLE.