Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-01-31
SPECULATION ON THE sPoILs.

11Itothcr Batch of Gossip Bearing on the
Presidential Question.
Washington Special, Jan. %.
For two days or more reports have been
circulated simultaneously from this city and
Philadelphia to the effect that at the meet
ing of the Pennsylvania Republican conven-
ton, which meets in Harrisburg next We'd
nesday, there was to be positive avowal by
some of Gen. Grants friends, having the
authority to make the same, that Grant was
not candidate for the Presidency, and
would not permit his name to be presented
to the national convention. This state
ment was mado with good deal of posi-
tiveness; indeed, so much so that for
the nonce it created not little
nervous anxiety among Grants friends. For
the past twenty-fou hours nearly every close
friend of the ex-President has been subject
ed to an interview, and no single one of
| them believes either the report or that it is
fact that General Grant desires or has au-
thorized any one to declare that be either is
OF is not candidate.
Your correspondent has given the subject
of the rumor good deal of attention, and if
very creditable source of information,
which is usually quite reliable, is correct, the
foundation for what is believed to be O
canard can be traced very close to Secre-
tary Shermans 1t is alleged that the
author of the rumor is Mr.. John
w. Frazer, of Philadelphia. This gen.
tleman is one Of Secretary Sherman's most
superserviceable friends. He is engaged in
writing biographical sketch of Sherman's
life and public services, and is also engaged
in preparing pamphlet, to bo entitled 'The
Dangers of Third Term" It is known
that he has Sherman's confdence-so much
so that the secretary wrote letter to Post
master Hartranft, of Philadelphia, soliciting
for Frazer place in the Philadelphia post
Office. Failing to induce Hartrsnft to care
Of him, Sherman wrote to Snowden, the di-
rector of the Philadelphia mint, beseechipg
the latter to give him place.
1t will be remembered that some months
ago there appeared in the New York Sun
letter signed 81. w. F." stating that there
was positive information in Philadelphia
with Grants friends that Grant did not in
tend to be candidate. At that time the
general impression was that John w. Forney
was the author of this announcement, and
until he repudiated the letter it created a
good deal of excitement. If, as it is alleged
and believed, Frazer is the author of this
supplementary statement that Grant is to
withdraw, there can be but little doubt that
Secretary Sherman knew all about it, as his
relations with Frazer are of an exceedingly
confidential nature.
70 go back to the alleged withdrawal,
Gen. Grants friends here laugh at it. They
say that there is no man who can declare for
Grant that he is candidate, or that he is
not candidate. 1t is a subject to which he
does not allude himself, or permit any one
to question him about. His staunchest
friends say that since the day Grant returned
to the American shore he has never con-
versed upon the Presidential topic with
any one, nor has he by word or act intimat-
ed what his feelings on the subject of
the third term candidacy are. The mean
ness of bis enemies, though, to take advan-
tage of his absence to circulate reports
which are calculated to change the Presi-
dental outlook by crowding him off the
track before it is known whether he ever
cared to be on it, is 80 apparent that it
ought to react to the disadvantage of any
rival candidate who would stoop to use such
devious means to further his own ambi-
tious schemes. 1t is tho old Bristow game
being played over again-trying to build up
by pulling down; and if Sherman had the
wisdom of serpent he would see it. His
ambition seems to have run away with his
senses.