Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-06-17
How Wisconsin Did It.

Hon. j. b. Cassoday, one of the
Wisconsin delegation in the Chicago
convention, ISSUES the following state
ment in the GAINESVILLE Gazette, of the
manner in which Wisconsin came to
vote for Garfield
In view of the many wild and un.
truthful statements made in regard to
the alleged combination or agreement
by which the nomination of Mr.. Gar.
field was effected, it may be we'll to
state the exact facts, and thus dissi-
pate all speculation. 1t is well known
to all, that the % ballots on Monday
closed without any substantial change
in the result. Many delegates real.
lied that to continue balloting in that
way icr another day. would necessa-
rily tend to embitter the respective
friends of the two leading candidates
throughout the country, and thus
greatly weaken the party, especially,
If either OF the candidates should be
nominated, and hence felt in duty
bound to break the monotony, if pos
sible, by the selection of a new man.
Accordingly, about twenty delegates,
including Ssnderson, Winkler and
myself, from this State, met at the
Massachusetts headquarters, at the
Gardner House, Immediately after the
adjournment on Monday night. The
result of that meeting was that Gov
ernor Smith, of Vermont, General
Benjamin Harrison, of Indiana, and
myself, were appointed committee
to confer with the Blaine and Sher.
man leaders, and see if anything could
be effected. 1t is enough to say, that
Messrs. Hale. Frye and Hamlin would
listen to nothing except what would
result in what they claimed was GER
tain, the success of their chief on the
coming day, although they were
pretty plainly told that it would be
difficult to hold Indiana much longer,
and that, so far as the committee
were advised they could not get any
additional strength. The committee
then called upon some of the Sher-
man leaders. They had no sugges-
tons to make, and the interview was
soon Interrupted by the Blaine lead
ers calling on the Sherman leaders
for conference, and as it was then
midnight our committee withdrew
without hope of effecting anything.
AS the committee was about to sepa-
rate, the hope was expressed that we
would find it practicable for our re.
speotive delegations to act together
the next day.
The next morning it was ascer-
tanned that nothing was effected by
the conference of the Blaine and
Sherman leaders. Thereupon, most
of the Wisconsin delegates had an in.
formal conference with each other,
and the result was that Sirteen con.
cluded that under all the circumstan.
ces, the wisest thing for them to do
was to unite, sooner or later, and
make break for Garfield, who had
become exceedingly popular with the
entire convention, and whose great
ability and acknowledged leadership
in the House of Representatives for
many years and his integrity of char.
acter had endeared him to the great
mass of the Republican party of the
nation. On the assembling of the
convention, General Harrison and the
supporters of Washburne in the Con-
necticut, Illinois and New Jersey del
egations were informed that, unless
additional votes were forthcoming
for Washburne, Wisconsin would
break for Garfield. Gen. Harrison
thereupon expressed very high re-
gard and confidence in Gen. Garfield,
and although he made no promises,
yet he left us to infer that if Wiscon,
sin broke for Garfield, Indiana would
follow. as it did. The balloting com.
menoed, and Washburne's friends
stood firm. On the 32d and SD bal.
lots he got "A votes-8 more than he
had received the previous day. Vi
these, IL came from Indiana. When
Indiana was called on the 34th bal
lot, the Washburne vote dropped
from IL to 8, when a portion of the
Wisconsin delegation at once deter
mined to break for Garfield, and did.
Neither Garfield nor any of the
Ohio delegati nor any of the
Blaine leaders, had any expectation
that any such break was to take
place. The break was forced, be-
cause the Blaine and Sherman leaders
seemed determined to stand firm &c
the last for their respective chiefs,
and because it was believed that the
name of Garfield was so firmly estab.
+ !ished in the confidence of all, that
any reasonable prospect of his nomi
nation would at once break the col
umns of the contending forces and
unite majority of the convention or
him as the nominee. The Wisconsin
delegation claim no especial credit
Garfield had the respect of the entire
convention from the first, as was man
ifest by the cheers which greeted hi.
first appearance, and he steadily grew
in favor to the last. The break was
successful only because it was in har
mony with the judgment of the grea1
mass of those cool-headed delegates
who were more DESTROYS of serving
their party and their country than to
serve any man. j. B. CAssoDAY.