The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-01-31
GARFIELD AND HILL.
THEIR PLAN ROR A NEW POLIr-
ICAL PARTY
Approved by BIaine-The Proiect
Nipped I'm the BUD by Presi-
dent Garfleld's Death.

New Y ork World: Daring the If g.
time of Benjamin H. Hill, Col. FIaak
A. Burr enjoyed an il innate acquaint-
ance with MIN. Ben Hill, said Col.
Burr yesterday, "wss the origin a'or Of
one OF the biggest political projects
ever attempted in this to1Ltry. Som
after Gen. Garfield was elected, Demo
cutI-lta1ing men like Hill-fearing
that men OF the Malone stamp would
get the upper hand, entered into an
organization for the preservation OF
what they were pleased to call the
bft,er elements North and South.
The movement looked to revolution
iziDg all existing pa ty lines. Hill
wrCt 10 Gen. Gar field broaching the
subject. Garfield responded, asking
for particulars as to The plan. They
were given, and when Garfield came
to Washington to take the oath OF of
fee there was conference between
the President elect and the lead
ing men OF the South. An
agreement was made then. Ia
brief, the terms we're some
thing like this: The Southern
gentlemen were to all sign their
names to a circular acknowledging
that the war was over, in fac, and
that the results growing out Of IL were
all accepted in good faith by the South
ern people. They also recognized that
they were enc people and that the
Northern citizens had no desire 10
bumiliate their Southern brethren.
All this was 10 be stated in a clear and
diplomatic way. Then, the Southern
statesmen agreed 10 accept tle .fnal.
cial policy Of the Republican Iarty.
For this Gen. Garfield promised to
turn over the Fede,a' patronage in the
South to the Southern Sensto's. The
pan was approved by Blaine, and il it
bad been carried out il would have
broken up the two existing parties OF
to-day. CART sld's dta.h nipped the
project in the bud. Il needed patron
age to carry it out.
''Ssr ator Hill told mo the tt1ry him.
self, yhen / met him in Philadelphia,
where he was undergoing surgica
operation on his tongue. He said he
would give me the correspondence be-
tween Gen. Garfield and himself, and
he fought it should be published.
Well, he returned home to Ge orgia;
a second operation was performed on
his tongue, and shortly eftsr he passed
away. Just before his death, however,
he wIote me q letter, saying that it was
his wish that / should have his GORE.
spondence. After his death l wrote a
nut, TO Ben. Hill, jr., inclosing his
tharto lattar n n1 ooGad him 10 ,,Iaaoa
forward the correspondence to me.
The son replied, saying that he recog-
n;zsd his fathers wish in the matter,
and would comply with my request il
l insisted upon it, but the family
thought thar the publication of the
letters would arouse useless contro-
versy, and hoped / would not press
the point, and / did no."
~ can testify that the main pc mt Of
the story is true" raid Mr.. Frank Hat
ton, who was standing by. when l
went into the Postoffice Department"
he continued, III found thst all the
postofiice patronage in the South had
been turned over to the Democrats.
For instance, / found wriitsn across
Florida case: DO nothing until you
hear from Sens )rs Cal or Jones' II
was the same in the other Southern
Safes, but 1 am afraid / paid very lit
tie attention to these nCtss.' / did net
believe in building up the Republican
party in that way"
WHAT MR.. BEN HILL, JR, SAYS.
Atlart, Constitution: "a reporter OF
the Constitution at once hunted up Mr..
Ben Hill, and found him in his Office
in the cut tom house building. Hand
ing the article from the World to Mr..
Hill, he read 1t carefully and then
said: This is not the fret time that l
have heard of the matter mentioned
by Mr.. Burr. My father was on init
mate, person nal relations with the late
President Garfield, and believed that
his administration would treat the
South with more justice than previous
ones. / have two letts written by
President Garfield to my father sfter
his election and before his inauguIa-
ton, fully justifying this belief. But
l do not believe any agreement was en-
tered into between them as stated by
Mr.. Burr. l cannot think Mr.. Burr
has been correctly reported. He GER
tainly never wrote 10 me inClosing
any letter from my father asking for
the alleged correspondence with Mr.
ENN1