West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1882-07-14
> LncKEEss An4DEn.
Hey Near Dnsfer webster Came
BeiAg President.

-, "
HsC Near D1sf<r webster Came to
Hei9g PRECEDENT.
Detroit Post add Tritune.
1T lie not generally known, said Thur
l"w Weed 10 me Monday evening after a
rubber at .wL.si-for though he can no
longer make oat the faces Of friends, he
can still see cardc when placed iu a good
light-''It Is not generally known how
near Webster came to beng Presideat.'
1T Is generally known" said, .'tha,
he was q candidste for the Wing nomina-
ton i've times and missed 1t every time.
YES" he scquiesced, bat he came q
good deal nearer than that-a good dea |
nearer. I had always been among his
NEST profound admirers, and wanted 10
zee him President In 1910. But il became
obvious to me during ihs white, that he
couidntget the nomination that Harri-
son was leading. j veal dawn to Wash.
ingten early in the spring. ana called him
into the cloak room. 4 think 1 shall be
the Wing candidate he said. I express.
ed my doubt Of IL. 1t looks TO me like
Harrison 7 answered. He almost sheer
cd at the idea. He naturally had but lit
lie respect for mere military men, and he
exclaimed. III is impossible that a man
80 ignorant as Ae and so lacking in every
quality Of chief magistrate can be nomi-
mated for such place l told him It
was simply q question of who could poll
the most votes. Then got him to cit
down and look over my 6glres. They
didn't convince him. sof course.
why, you don't act as II you believe
1t YOURSELF be said, for yot, have chossn
Scott delegation from your own State ,
That was to prevent the appointment of
8 Gay delegation I paid, and CLAY can
not be elected II nominated. But Mr..
Webster i went on, Il haven't come to
Washington TO get you to withdraw ysur
name, but to ask you to accept tho nomi-
nation for Vice President In case Harrison
shall be elected for the first place No.
he wouldn't listen to such n proposal. and
ne refused with quite as much spirit AZ
the occasion called for. So ! came home
and Harrison was nominated and John
Tyler was made his Vice, and BY the
death Of Harrison, Tyler became Presi.
dent Haohth after the election. Webster
cav the fatal mistake he had msae, and
the next time I saw him-he was then
Tyler's Secretary of State-he confessed
IL to me.
well, curiously enough, tina, wasn't
the last of his fatal mistakes. In Is4s the
very same thing happened right over
again. In 1874 Clay had been defeated
and taken out Of the way, and now Web
ster thought he would walk over the
course. saw that General Taylor was
pretty likely to be the pan. for after the
Mexican War there was great Juror over
Taylor. During TIP spri,g before the
nomination l went over 70 Marshfleld
We'll, what do you think of it this time p
ssked MIR. Webster, with smile OF secur.
i,y.
i think this tine said, that Gen
.eral Taylsr will be the man.
HE was astounded. 1t didn't look 90
a AL to him. He thought 1t a very wild
guess. DO you seriously think he ask
cd, that such man can be nominated?
assured him that thought it very prob
toie. Taylor was then designated by
those who did not admire him as AN jl;it
crate frontier Colonel who hadn't voted
Tor forty years, and Webster peemed to
'ynpathlze with this view. 1 then ap.
pealed to him to accept the nomination
Tor Vice President under Taylor. He re-
menbered his former mistake, and smiled,
ana said at last that he would cousult his
no best friends, George Ashmsn, of
aiassaehusetts, and Senator Wilson, of
New Hampshire, and do as they said.
They were summoned and came
net them at Mr. Websters and presented
ny figures. They were nonplussed at
iFst, but ,sane finally to my conclusion
hat Tsylors nomination was probable
Ind they joined me in advising Dir. Web
tier to be content with the second Mace ~
he frat should prove beyond his reach.
pc reluctantly consented TO It ami 1 was
authorized 70 see the arrangement carried
'ut' just at that poiOt bis sen, Fletcher,
;ame home from town. and he ridicuIed
ne scheme 90 energe,icslly and So bitterly
nAt bis farmer returned to his original 90.
itioB, and refused to have anything to do
With my proposal. Well, the Vice Presi-
iency went begging. The name IF Fill
more was Iuddenly sprung on the Conven-
ion' snd hs Wsg ppt pp the ticket. TAy-
or epd be EeFe elected. Taylor died in
our menths and Fillmore became Presi-
lent, a3a Webster went down to Wash
ngtsa and served him as Secretary OF
STATE, as he had similarly served the acct.
iental Tyler. think the ss!g of curious
niihaps di1 q good deal to sosr him. and
1eThQrsa halroI 70