Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-07-06
LUCKLESS LEADER.
How Near Daniel webster Came &c Be
ing President.

at is not generally Known" said
Thurlow Weed to me Monday evening
after a rubber at whist-for though, he
can no longer make out the faces of
friends, he can still see cards when
placed i'm a good light-"It is not gen.
orally known how near Webster came
To being President"
at is generally known" said, that
he was candidate for the Wing nomi-
nation five times aud missed it every
time"
AYES" he acquiesced, "but he came q
good deal nearer than that-a good deal
nearer. | had always been among his
most profound admirers, and wanted to
see him President in 1910. But 1t be-
came obvious to me during the winter
that he couldn't get the nomination;
that Harrison was leading. L went
down TO Washington early in the
spring, and called him into the cloak
room. L think / shall be the Wing
capdidate,' he said. l expressed my
doubt of it. who will be, then" he
asked, 1T looks to me like Harrison
answered. He almost sneered at the
idea. He naturally had but little respect
for mere military rNen, and The eXcialm-
ed. 1t is impossible that man so ig-
norant as he and so lacking III every
quality of a chief magistrate can be
nominated for such place tod him
il was simply question of who could
pOll the most votes. Then | got him to
Sit down and look over my figures.
They didn't convince him, of course.
"Why, YOU don't act as you believe
il YOURSELF he said, for you have
chosen Scott je,ega.ion from your own
State That was TO prevent the ap-
pointmenG of a Clay delegation said,
land CLAW cannot be eleceed If nominal
ted. But Mr.. Webster went on, L
haven't come to Washington to get you
to withdraw your name, but to ask
YOU to accept the nomination for Vice
President in case Harrison shall be
elected for the first place No, he
wouldn't listen to such proposal, and
he refused with quite as much spirit as
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
President a month after the election.
Webster saw the fatal mistake he had
made, and the next time | saw him
he was then Tyler'S Secretary OF State
hecOnieSSed il to me-.
"Wen. curiOusly enough, that wasn't
the last of his fatal mistakes. In ISIS
the very same thing happened right
over again. In 1914 Clay had been de-
featcd and taken out of the way, and
now Webster thought he would walk
over the course. | saw that Gen. Tay-
lor was pretty likely to be the man, for
after the Mexican war there was great
Juror over Taylor. During the spring
before the nomination / went over to
Mar>hticld. Well, what do you
think of it this time?' asked Mr.. Web
ster, with a smile of security.
al think this time L said, that
Gen. Taylor will be the man.
ale was astOunded. Ii didn't look
| ~ at ali TO him. He thought it a very
! wild guess. DO you seriously think
I he asked, that such man can be
nominated?' l assured him that |
thought it very probable. Taylor was
then designated by those who did not
admire him rs IAN illiterate frontier
colonel who hadn't voted for forty
years and Webster seemed to sympa-
thfZe with this view. | then appealed
To him to accept the nomination for
Vice President under Taylor. He re-
| mcmbered his former mistake, and
/ smiled, aud said at last that he would
/ consult his two best friends, george Ash
man, of Massachusetts, and Senator
( Wilson, of New Hampshire, and do rs
/ they said.
"They were summoned and came. |
met them at Mr.. Webster's and pre-
/ sented my figures. They were non
! plulsSed at first, but came finally to my
| conclusion that Taylor's nomination
was probable. and they joined me in adj
| vising Mr.. Webster to be content with
/ the second place if the first should
! prove beyond his reach. He reluctant
/ IL consented to it and | was authorized
! to see the arrangement carried out,
Just at that point his son, Fletcher
came home from town, and he ridiculed
( the scheme so energetically and sc
bitterly that his father returned to his
original position, and refused to have
anything to do with my proposal. Well
the Vice Presidency went begging.
The name OF Fillmore was suddenly
sprung on the Convention, and he was
put on the ticket. Taylor and he were
elected. Taylor died in four months
and Fillmore became President, anC
Webster went dOwnto Washington anC
served him as Secretary of State, as hi
had similarly served the accidental
Tyler. think the pair of curious mis-
haps did a good deal to sour him, anC
perhaps helped to make him reckless:
| i'm his personal habits.