Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-09-03
yoT1rYTNG zach TAYLOR.
.o.u,nnce Delayed by his KReGns-
BIS 90 Pny Postage @n the Letter.


.. Acceptance Delayed BY his Refns-
BIZ - 20 Pay Postage "n tiae Letter.
,..adays saws a Washington CORE
aont q train of cars is barely suffi-
sgoa' - accommodate those who travel
eisndreds of miles charged with the inn
no~ ant duty of informing a candidate
In has been nominated for the presi-
III M Long speeches are made and the
et6cation costs many thousands of dol
nOs'" Rut this is not all The candidate
net write letter Of acceptance, giving
80 views on pretty much every subject
- can think OF. These jouoneys, pa
rsdes speech markings, and long letters
70 Of comparative recent origin.
The convention that nominated Gen
al Tavlor met in Philadelphia June z,
,sls The chairman was the Hon. John
vorebead of North Carolina. On the
1o,b If that month Governor Morehead
addressed General Taylor a letter Official
!, notifying him OF his nomina-
,ion The distraction into which
me Wing party was thrown by General
Tavors nomination was not made less in
the ensuing thirty-dye days by the silence
~ General Taylor Governor Morehcad,
n reply. TO inquiries by leading Wings
-notably Mr.. Weed-said he had posi-
lively written to the general, and
be knew no reason why the reply was
not forthcoming General Taylor
was such a crochcty old fellow, and
Whip leaders in general knew SO little
ri him personally, thatit was not thought
best to stir him up ON the subject. Let
ters from the old soldier were appearing
IN different quarters. some OF them not
altogether satisfactory to the Wing lead
era but not word came from him about
the nomination 1t began TO looe like
an indpnity. Mr.. Weed, to whom more
than any other man General Taylor owed
his nomination, was desperate under the
suspense. Meetings were proposed, and
one was actually called in Albany look
INC to the reputation of the nomina-
ton. When it met, however, other
counsels, prevailed, though the suspense
continued.
On July % the postmaster at Baton
Rouge, where General Taylor lived, adj
dressed the postmaster general saying
that with tue report of the current quar-
ter from that Office two bundles of let
tiers were forwarded for the dead letter
Office, they having been declined on ac-
count of the non-pGyment of the post
age by the senders. II was in the ten
cent and non payment time. OF the forty
eight letters thus forwarded to the dead
letter office the Baton Rouge post
master said a majority were addressed to
General Taylor who had declined to pay
the postage on them and take them out
of the office, because his mail expenses
had become burdensome. The general
had since become aware that some of the
letters were of importance. and asked for
their return. In due course the letters
were sent back to Baton Rouge. Among
them was Governor Morehead's letter
notifying General Taylor of the action
of the Philadelphia convention.
General Taylor's response was dated
July 10, month and five days after the
letter of notification was written. 1t
had lain in the Baton Rouge postoffice
four weeks after General Taylor refused
to pay the ten cents postage
General Taylor's acceptance was
touched in respectful terms, in a
letter not exceeding two hundred and
fifty words. H. expressed his thanks
for the nomination, said he did not seek
It, and that if lie were elected President,
for which position he did not think he
possessed the requisite qualifications, he
would do his best. He discussed moth
ing, laid down no principles, and gave
no Indication of what course he would
pursue. In this the general cut it too
short to satisfy the Wings. He had to
write another letter-one Of considerable
length-to his friend, Captain Allison,
IN which he set things right. The
authorship of this letter was the subject
OF no little conjecture. If living, Thur
low Weed and Alexander III. Stephens
could she'd light on the subject.
After that the campaign went ahead
smoothly and successfully. Although
Mr. Weed makes no mention of this
matter In his book, it was one of the
l most annoying episodes in his eventful
hle.