The Portland daily press., 1878-04-05
FRIDAY MORNING, APRIL s.

swept Mr.. Hayes to the front, largest and
strongest came the New York delegation, cast
ing their 6l votes for Mr.. Hayes, carrying out
the wishes and if the newspapers are to be
credited, acting under the telegraphic requests
OF that spoiled darling of Mr.. Curtis and the
Civil Service Reformers, Mr. Senator Conkling,
singing as II were a new song:
From the desert / come to thee
On stallion shod with fire,
And the winds are left behind
In the speed OF my desire
for the divorce of patronage from politics. Up
dashed also that Sir Gaahad of Reform, Mr.
j. Donald Cameron, then Secretary of War
by the grace of Grant, now Senator of the
United States by command of the people"
of Pennsylvania, swelling the pea of victory
with his clarion cry:
My good blade swoops the ballots in,
make my calling sure
MY strength is as the strength of ten,
Because my heart is pure
of political vile aud guile, and gave to Mr..
Eaton's "hieher elements in politics" what the
boys would call valuable lift in the form of
twenty EIGHT votes for Mr.. Hayes, his own eager
ballot included. Then came up the help of the
Lord against the mighty, the Indiana delega-
tioD, that had been laboring with zeal aud
knowledge for their great Senator, one of the
last of the grand old War Governors, Mr.. Nor
ton-on whom be peace!-who, suppose had
all his life been like st. Paul, not one whit be-
hind the very chiefest apostles of Reform-and
stood that those whose duty it might be should
make themselves qualified" by throwing
twenty-five votes for Mr.. Hayes: and up like
Venus from the Summer sea of Reform, rose
Senator Patterson of South Carolina all gar
landed with its ''cool blossoms of water and
foam," and cast his sacred seven for Mr.. Hayes;
and across country, from the Mexicau-vexed
borders OF Texas, rode Governor Davis slick
ety split" to throw down his thirteen votes for
rIghteousness-though it occurs to my memory
tDaL the Reform organs guccAadaQ thor
oughly in assembling their love for Governor
Davis during President Grants administration
than for any other Southern Governor, with
the possible exception of Governor Ames,
Of Mississippi. But Governor Ames, of
Mississippi, was also not wanting, but acting
In asserted and presumed concert with that
other devotee Of reform, General Butler of
Massachusetts, tore in with his sixteen votes
Tor Hayes and the Higher Life. And down
his Hill of Gold leaped that champion of re-
form, the silver-tongued Senator from Nevada,
with his cohort of six Reformers from tn q
Comstock Lode, and they stayed not for brake
they stopped not for stone, they swan t 9
Ohio where ford there was none, and the sheen
of their spears was like stars on the sea, as
they galloped into the Convention aud threw
down their ballots and bullion on the highest
plane OF their zigzag march to Heaven. In
short to avert further detail Mr.. Hayes re-
ceived on the seventh ballot 271 more votes
than he had on the sixth, and of these 152 votes
or about three fifths of the whole, were fur
nished by that Band of Brothers. seven sons of
ator Conkling, Senator Cameron. Senator Nor
ton, Senator John Patterson Senator Jones.
Governor Davis of Texas, and Governor Ames
of Mississippi. Who can doubt that the spirit
of reform "by command of the people" came
flying all abroad and breathed upon these
mighty men of valor till, out of the wide, wild
welter OF Possibilities, President Hayes became
Living Soul? GAIL HAMILTON.