Daily globe., 1883-07-31

parts of the country to come there, because
felt the necessity of the
nominees presence, and because knew if
ne old not come our contest was as good as
lost. The most persistent and continuous
agltator, as. 1 said before, was Arthur
hlmself. He meyer lost an opportune
moment to urge me to insist that Garfield
should come to New York. He seemed to
reel the shaky foundation upon which his
nomination rested. He had wit enough to
know that he was born under the broad,
outstretched wings of Roscoe Conkling.
he had instinct enough to know that unless
that eagle whose pin feathers had warmed
him into political life was brought to the
front, there was no chance for either him
or Garfield. Therefore Arthur wanted
Garfield to come to New York. He wanted
Conkling to meet him. Conkling, the
manly man he is,
DECLINED TO MEET GARFIELD
or any body else to make trades. He was
out of the business of political tradesmen,
but the conference met. Under the cloud
of statesmen and visitors, Garfield came
to New York. There was large meeting
and many speeches. The meet
ing and the speeches were
not the object of the gathering.
In my private rooms at the Fifth Avenue
hotel. 1 had arranged a personal inter
view between Gen. Garfield, on the one
hand, and Gen. Arthur, now president, the
Hon. Thomas G. Platt, the Hon. Levi P.
Morton, the Hon. R. q. Crowley, and Sena-
tor Cameron of the other. I was also
present, at the request of Gen. Arthur and
fTQn (Torfin1d nd IL
had to say. was not participant, but a
listener, at the request of both sides, like
an umpire in base ball game. I heard
all that was said. kept no notes, as the
Sun suggests, except the notes of memory.
What is your recollection of what took
place there, and what if any overtures were
made and by whom?
1T would not be just for me to say'' re-
piled Dorsey, sand after all the persecu-
t1ons have submitted to under Gen.
Arthur, it would not perhaps be fair for
me to tell. AS to the demands made upon
Gen. Garfield, and the form and manner
in which they were made,
the only answer have to
make is, that Gen. Garfield promised
absolutely and unequivocally the position
of secretary of the treasury to Levi p
Morton in the event of his election. He
also promised that the dominant faction
in New York should control the federal ap-
pointments in that state. He also led us
all to believe, myself among the rest, that
Mr.. Conkling's wishes when they were
properly and rightfully expressed, would
be conformed to. The chief object of the
conference was to
BRIDGE THE sTALWART CHAsM,
and if possible placate the powerful Conk-
ling. Conkling, as I saw, would have
nothing to do with it. could not get him
within the shadow of the Fifth avenue no.
tel. He disdained TO go there. He refused
peremptorilly to meet Garfield. It's no
use, Steve,' he said one night. Il won't GO.
What's the use? If you want to take that
fellows word for any thing Che referred to
Garfeld) you can do it. Damn him, I've
known him too long. I wouldn't believe
him on oath.'"
"And yet" said the correspond
ent, "Conkling took thestump and
did some heavy work for this ticket"
eyes; but nobody knows the hard work
it cost to get him to do it. It seemed
that Conkling would rather approach a
polecat than go near Garfield meeting.
To dodge US he slipped off fishing in the
Thousand Islands. I had steam yacht
up in Alexandria bay, and hurried up and
put the yacht at his disposal. stuck by
him and leased and
WORRIED AND WORKED WITH HIM.
He put me'of by saying he wanted to go to
the Sanquenay river. I said: Go if you
want to, but you will have to help US out
or lofo Fi1ooIiu ha orraad IN 1af
me make an appointment for him in the
preside. He thought I could no go that,
but it wasn't any trick at all. 1 flew to
Grant, and of course he said yes. The
appointment was made. Conkling ap-
peared, and his speech did more than any
other single agency to win the fight. He
made other speeches in Ohio and Indiana,
and did a world of good, but he never
could speak to me of Garfield
bat he would say, 'Steve, he'll go back on
you.' When the national convention met
on July1st, 1880, at the Fifth Avenue hotel,
there appeared to be great difficulty in
agreeing upon officers of the committee to
conduct the campaign. I think Gen. Logan
was made chairman of a subcommittee,
with Chandler, of New Hampshire, and
Charley Foster, of Ohio, to report the
names of such persons as they might agree
upon for chairman and secretary of the
national committee. Messrs. Chandler and
Foster were strong Blaine men. Gen.
Logan was Grant man. After session
of many hours it was agreed that Gov,
Jewell, of Connecticut, should be chairman
and myself secretary. When the commit
tee made its report there was no dissent.
I declined the secretaryship or any other
place of responsibility on the committee
when my name was announced. But at
the earnest solicitation of Gov. Foster and
Gen. James Barnett, representing Gen.
Garfield, and after receiving several
telegrams from Garfield himself, and after
being pursued by the most earnest
solicitation of Gen. Arthur, the nominee
for vice president, finally concluded to
accept the place. 1 did it with the deter
lnination to pay all my personal expenses
myself, my clerk hire and indeed the whole
cost of running the committee. I own a
large house in New York, 1 threw that
oren and used it exclusively as commit
tee headquarters. 1 hired my own clerks
and paid them, paid their hotel bills and
my own. The campaign cost me inclusive
of the $4,000 sent to Gen. Swain for
Garfeld's expenses over $4,000"
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