Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-05-29
A KnOwledgeous Republican Gives
the Whole Story Of the Graf
ton Conference and the
BuckhannOn Caucus.
Freer and Morris Sleep in, One
Grave, While Farnsworth Con-
sOIes Himself BY Sucking
a Stick Of Taffy.
How the GreenbaCk Party Was Sold
Out and Why It Was
Purchased.

\ REGISTER scribe happening to run
against distinguished Republican politi.
clan and one who knows as much of the in
side working of his party in West Virginia
as any member oft the scribe took advan-
tage of the Jolly good nature and frankness
Of the gentleman to draw out some pargicu-
lars in relation to the late bargain and sale
of the Greenback party in this State to the
Republicans.
YOU will promise not to give me away
in this thing | will unfold some of the Sc
crets of the movement and YOU will see
when am done that we Republicans work
ed the thing very sly-deyilish sly-and the
poor bewooled Greenbackers didn't know
they had been sold until the title had been
passed and the deeds recorded But we
had q narrow escape after ALL for through
the prompting of some of your prominent
Democrats that were skirting around the
Buckhannon convention some of the old
fogy Grcenbackcr> got an insight to
the merits Of the thing before we rot ready
for It's disclosure and it came very near
bursting the Convention. Our boys had to
do some pretty tall living to keep them from
boiling But to commence at the begin
ming will go back to the Grafton confer
ence. You are sure now YOU won't give
me away in this thing?
Assuring the gentlemen that he had no
need to fear anything in that direction, and
that his name would be held in strictest
secrecy, he continued
Well YOU see WE had the devils own
time at Grafton. When Thompson and
GoShuru came down to MartinSbUrg we
found that it wOuldnt do to negotiate with
Go>hon for he was all bent on having
fusion all one way-nothing hut Green
back candidates. We wanted it all one
way. too, but it was the Othet way. We
wanted all Republicans on the ticket So
we read Go,horn ont of the Conference and
took Thompson and Liggctt into the caucus.
Thompson was there rs n representative OF
Barbrr 50 we felt safe in negotiating with
them. The trouble was that Barbcc
wanted the Fusion nomination for Governor,
and the first big racket was to get him out
of the way The next racket was, after
Barbcc wa, disposed Of to get RepubIt-
can that would suit Us.
Did YOU canvass ANYBODY el>cS name
than MAXWELL?
oh. YES we talked about Logan, and
Flick. and Pierpoiut, aud several other
prominent Republicans. But Won see they
all rather leaned toward the IntelIigenccr
faction and we didn't want them. We
wanted a man that was in sympathy with
It's. John Mason would have suited us, but
John was a railroad attorney and wasn't
very good timber to run this year on our
fusion platform. Besides he was inclined
to act With the Blaine gang at Martinsburg
and he didn't suit MS. Now yOn SEE
Maxwell had been in accord
With H. in the AtkinSOn-Pler-
point fight and Maxwell was bidding high
for IL He has money and it was thought
hr was willing to put 1t up. ltiS not neceS-
sary to 90 over the entire ground but, It Is
sufficient 80 say that AtkinSOnS paper, the
Evening Journal was totterin" on ITS last
lees. and an iutimation from Maxwell that
be- might advance the money to put II on Il
better basis settled W.. We took Maxwell
.os our man and took chances on what We
should get AtkiuSOn'S will was the law OF
the Conference 80 We adjusted fusion on his
basis
SO then. | understand that it was agreed
af Grafton that Maxwell should be named
hy the Republicans rs the candidate that
the GreenbackctS should nominate at BicE-
hanuou2
Exactly. And more than that, we
agreed on Burt and Kendall, and was will
inc 10 rive the nomination for Treasurer to
a straighto outI IGrreubacker; 'rovided they LEFT
ms the two JUDGES and Attorney General
Ia does look rs if YOU had fusion all one
wav
@Ccrtainlv that was the way we wanted
il. and il was the only way We would have
it. Bu; tell YOU We came very near ship
nipr M on it. Your confounded paper, the
RrGISTER. cot on to it Il little too soon and
Tho cxpoSure il made rilcd the Greenback-
rr, ali over the State You see our plan
was Ia Sip our BOYS out over the State aud
in a'quict way work mp Grecnback d"Iega-
tiou>. 10 the BuCkhannou Convention that
would accept our plan for fusion. We had
a good start in that line for LIGGETT who Is
one of ATEuy>oN : principal deputies, has u
nominal connection with the GreenbacS
rartv. tie gut himself appointed as dele
aat,. from. Cli ell county and also proxy
III. u
hat section Our calculation was that the
GrernlackcrS aS q rule are an lmpecunlouS
Scf and don't have money to spare To ht out
roTncal delegations. and we didn't expect
That there would be mach of a delegation at
hickbannon. We calculated that a few ot
the leaders from different sections would ha
tbe-c and a. thev were all on the hunt OF
ogEce We calculated to bait each one ot
Them with some little crumb, and then wtih
our own proxy delegates to rush our STAT"
through With a nip and hurrah AMI appaTeo;
harmony.
When wegol to Buckhanuon. TO our vrrg
,,reot surprise we found the Convention MI,
;n,, ma with s,raight-out old-taShionad
GTeephock farmers from all parts of the
S,o,c They had heard through the en-
rosnre made in the REGISTER that there was
io,nr sort of a sale on hand, and without
knowing exactly what it meant 'heT Ter'
,L"ro 10 olive Ms racket. Aud they did II
49, There were men with old shad-5e!het
81 800 and high-crowu hats that had beea
80, g,,,, an their wedding day fifty wears ago.
N-or mover saw such gathering iheY
didn't know any Of the tricks OF moaeri: !;
politics. and there we had the advantage OF
Them. But they were honest IN srPp9r' 9'
their principles, and there they had the al
vantage of us. No argument We coald nSa
,';,b Them could avail ANYTHING, Ne
couldn't buy them, we couldn't coax them
,,o- go copld we drive them. The situa:io1
iool,ed bilious for while, and at oaa tan