San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-08-10

oome OF tue hitnefto unpublished
facts OF history are these; In the fall
of 1880 the country was startled by the
announcement that the fusion ticket
had been elected in Maine. Almost
universal decentralization took hold upon
the republican party. A stampede was
threatened, odds upon Hsncock's cleo
ton were offered and grew larger day
by day. General Garfield naturally
sought some means for checking the
panic.
All eyes turned toward Ohio and In.
diana, and every one agreed that the
loss Of these states in the October elec.
ton meant the certain defeat of the
party in November. AS they had every
reason to expect, the national repub-
lican committee found that the disaster
to Maine played havoc with their
finances. The capitalists and great
moneyed corporations of the country
have but one plank in their political
platform, viz, resolution to always
support the winning side. When the
fortunes of the democracy began to
rise and the republicans to fall, con-
tributions to Governor JEWELS COM
mittee grew scarce, and serious incon.
venience for the lack of funds was
threatened. 1t was General Garfield
who hit upon the plan that saved the
party. After making a contract with
Levi P. Mortopu to give him a cabinet
Office or foreiglSmission if the house of
Morton, Bliss g. Co. would start the
subscription with something handsome,
he called on Whitelaw Reid and ar
ranged scheme for securing help from
Jay Gould and his fellow magnates of
Wall street. Upon the statute books
was law passed by the forty-sixth
congress in 1878. 1t was popularity
called the Thurman bill, and it pro-
vided for the establishment CT sink
ing fund by the Pacific railway, for the
purpose of extinguishing their indebt-
edness to the government. This act
was contested by the corporations, and
the decision of the supreme court was
regarded by them with great concern.
Fortunately for General Garfeld's plan,
he, as member of the lower house,
had opposed the bill, had attacked its
constitutionality, and had stepped into
corridor while the vote was being
taken, so that his name did not appear
upon the roll. 1t was very easy, there
fore, for him to commission Whitelaw
Reid to say to Mr.. Gould that if purse
could be raised to help the party in
Ohio and Indiana, he would cheerfully,
when elected president, appoint to the
vacancy on the supreme bench judge
who would vote the Thurman act un-
constitutional. Such proposition did
not involve any sacrifice of principles
on his part. Mr.. Gould was content
enough to make the trade, but he had
had so much trouble with politicians
that he had come to the conclusion to
always demand that such matters be
put in writing, not that he doubted
that General Garfield was gentleman
of honor and would faithfully keep his
word, but there were 30 many misun-
derstandings in his life. If he would
Just jot it down in little memorandum
it might be better than letter. He
(Mr. Could was perfectly willing to
make Whitelaw Reid custodian of the
letter. He didn't care about that. So
General Garfield wrote the letter,
Whitelaw Reid put it in his vault, Mr..
Gould raised the purse and Ohio and
Indiana were saved. 1t has been said
that the sum was $350,O00, and that
Secretary Dorsey pocketed all but $780,
600, but that is probably false.
Nine days after the Inauguration
President Garfield made good his
promise by sending the name of Justice
Stanley Matthews to the senate.
Sn,ou Cbon1o In, Moxico