Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-05-01

s Daniel Manning.
ALBANY, April 19.-When Daniel Man
ming tool possession OF the office OF Secre-
tary of the Treasury many people ex-
pressed much surprise upon learning that
it was the first office he had ever held.
When the statement was made that he had
accepted the dignity with reluctance and
| only after much persuasion, there was an
expression of much incredulity. Both
| statements were true. The personal
/ friends and intimates of Mr.. Manning were
| surprised and i%ncredulous too. Firmly
| persuaded that he would not enter the
Cabinet, they were incredulous when the
| announcement was made hat he had &C
| cepted the portfolio, and completely sur,
prised when they found the announcement
to be true. 1t was the reversal OF the
policy of a lifetime.
Mr.. Manning belonged to that school OF
| statesmen who are content to be called
| politicians while they WELD the real and
| substantial power; who let others whom
| they lift up to bear the insignia of office
| and set down again when they are no
longer useful, sui tain the cares. vexations
| and responsibilities of officehelding; who
prefer. from behind the scenes, to dictate
| policies to parties and governments, and
| find their pleasure md satisfaction in see
ing puppets dance when they pull the
strings; who prefer to be the poll ical Provi-
dences rather t an the m,rtals obliged to
| content themselves with the bounties the
| political Jupiters are pleased to bestow.
| Mr.. Manning was not without ambition,
but it was not the ambition OF ofieehold-
ing. He was better pleased to Sac Senators
| and Governors in his ante-chamber sueing
for favors than to be the object OF the
awed admiration OF the p%opulace. His
political %ur.ceptors were Cagger, Cassidy
and Richmond: they never held office, but
wields d great power. MIR. Manning never
intended to hod Office, but power he
sought From this policy he never devi-
ated until he had realized the dreams OF
| his early manhood aud stood the leader .
THE POWER, THE MASTER.
OF a National convention-the maker of
1 a Presidential nominee. In that supreme
moment when banners were waving upon
air made tremulous ny the blare Of bands
and the shouts If excited men. when the
leaders OF a great national party were
W NuOAA IA uPOh LII
the ambition OF a lifetime was achieved
mi the dreams of early manhood were
realized.
What were the thoughts that fitted
across the mind of this man at that proud
moment? Did he think of the years of
struggle through which he had passed to
arrive at this point? Did he recall the day
when, as a roller boy in the office of the
Albany Argus, he began the activities OF
life? Did memories of the years when he
was the devoted follower OF William Cas-
sidy, his city editor on the Atlas. and sub
sequently on the Argus, when the two jour
nails were consylidated-all the long years
when he was the trusted lieutenant OF Gag
ger and Cassidy in the city and county pol
itirs of Alb :ny-rise up before him in con-
trast with his present position of power. !
will guarantee no such thoughts filed his
mind. At that moment he was busy with
the thought OF how hecould automatically
force Thomas A.. Hendricks into the posi-
ton OF second place on the ticket, punish
the friends OF Mcdonald for refusing an al
with New York, and the friends of
for their futile boom of the
morning that gave him SO much trouble to |
and yet secure the electoral
vote of Indiana. The latter would be far
more characteristic of the man hal the
former, and it was further characteristic OF
him that he accomplished his purpose to
letter. Mr.. Manning has wasted little
time in sentiment, yet b is not wholly DIES.
OF II. When the NOMINEES he hao !
made was elected, under a curious sense of
obligation to him who had repaid him for
all his long struggle by being successful un-
der his manipulation, he turned a somer-
sault of policy, for against his inclination
and his better judgment, he accepted Office
lnder him through sentiment OF gratitude.
he did this at a time when he meant that
HIS POLITICAL CAREE SHOULD CLOSE.
He had been for some fifteen years one of
,he owners Of the Albany Argus and presi-
lent OF the association known as the Argus
Publishing Company. He was in supreme
control Of that establishment. He had
a fortune-modeIate as fortunes
60, large if judged by the a~nte-bellum
'tandard, but sufficiently ample to permit
lin to live in comfort, nay luxury. He
lad been chosen president of one of the old
st banks of the country, having a high
tanding in the financial world. he was
recognized as a person of consequence in
lis native city, and his advice was sought
n all PUBLIC movements. Life was begin
enough to prevent time from
langiDg heavily on his hands. and not SO
much that he would be robbed OF his COM
ort. His ambition was achieved; be bad
ION a high place in the political history OF
is country and State. He proposed to
Even the most powerful are not
of circumstance. The man for
HON he had done SO much demanded fur
her service. The leaders in other States, ,
nxious for a retention OF the party power
gently gained, and impressed with the
bility he had conspicuously shown at Chi
ago, urged it; but stronger than all was
he pressure OF those political friends by '
hose aid he had mounted, and who in
urn wanted to be served. He failed to be ,,
great by weakly submitting to the
ressure. {
1t is strange that his political life, 80 full :
I activity as it was, can be wholly stated {
a sentence or two. He entered city andf {
)unty politics under the management O I
ageer and Cassidy. was their trusted 4
eutenant. carrying out skillully in the I
laze OF publicity the plans they wove be- G
ind the scenes. hen they died he be. I
me the leader Of the local organization =
aturally, for ''the boys for s, veral years :
ad found it difficult to believe that it was =
agger and Cassidy who moved the MACH I
sfy and MT Manning. True, he was not I
-rmitted to retain possession without a u
ruggle, frr there were other ambitious :
en- in Albany, and among them Mr.. $
who. for ma,y years, gave Mr.. n
aiming much trouble. Finally, in 1874, V
Samue. j. Tilden was coming to :!
Ipreme power in the party, he gave such \
to Manning as enabled him to n
Y his antagonist by the heels and then II
aimed him as his own. From that time n
1t Mr.. Manning was Mr.. Tilden's y
TRUSTED AND CONFIDENTIAL !.
I'd when, in 1880, the sage of Gramercy e
he handed over tn leadership to Fl
r. Manning. This he held until he entered
e Cabinet of President Cleveland, and p
tn a success certainly greater than falls n
the lot of most men, having gained SUBJ Il
antial triumph for his party each year of W
3 leadership save the first. In 1881 o
der his lead the Democrats gained the a
,gislature for the first time in thirteen Ia
ars; in 1882 the party regeined the Gov. d.
nor and cal ried the new Assembly; in Ia
1873 all the State officers save one; and in tt
"a he carried Cleveland through success
ly to a presidential nomination, which di
) party confirmed by sending Democratic
to the Electoral College. A bril- "
mt record this, and in substantial results NJ
ceeding the record OF his astute patron, .