The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-01-04
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS CARRIER,

when n Candidate fOI spsNksF Of the House
He was Defeated BtCAuIO OF His Black
EspubllCSuism.
Cap IA ClfrfIdAd Leader,
Senator shermap'y election as PreAident
Of the Senate recalls the mOst noted
Spsakership contest in our history, when
Sherman had been but four years In Con-
gress, and YVES the leading candidate for
the speakership, 1t was at the beginning
Of the session Of 1850 and 1850. Forty
four ballots were cast, and tho HOuae con-
lsumed nine weeks Of continuous sitting in
thu election of q Speaker. 1t sat and
wraugled all through the holiday vacation,
and il was not until February taSt choice
was made. II was time oil great political
Excitement, Tho parties for and against
the great rebellion were almost equally
divided. John Brown had Just
boon hung, Buchanan was TaysTlng
In the balsRce, and the Southern slave
holders were bowling out denunclations
against the Union and the North. On
the flint ballot there were a number Of
candidates voted for, but BoCoCk, Of Vir'
Vinla, Galushs A. Grow, Of Pennsylvania,
and Johu Sherman, OF Ohio, vera IN the
lead. BoCsCk Was q Democrat, and was
afterwards member Of the Confederate
Congress. But both Sherman and Grow
were for the North end for the Union.
On the second ballot Grow was dropped,
and hIs support went 10 Sherman, giving
him. with other additions, l07 votes when
it only required III TO elect 10 the bal"
lots went on from day to day, shermaRS
vote rising and falling, and Gomingat one
timO within three oil an election, when, at
tho ul0sa OF the thirty'Dinth ballot, he
withdrew, and his vntR was cast Tor Will
liam Pennington, Of New jersey, who, on
the torty.6rsI ballot, received ll5 votes,
and on iha lorty.lourth ballot was elected
Speaker by a bare majority, receiving III
votes.
In talking some time ago with Senator
Sherman on this subject he spoke Of the
Helper book, an Abolition treatise which
| IL was said hO had recommended, and
which Mr.. CLARK, of Missouri, had de-
nOuuCed ina resolution, and had proclaim.
cd that no man who would sign such q
recommendation was 1T 10 be Speaker Of
the House, Said Mr.. Sherman: THE
hook was not 60 bad, but had really not
read It. 1t would have been thought
nothing Of II publiehed In later days l
denied the Recommendation and oven the
reading Of the book, but l WAS looked
upon, as they said, Gs being black Re:
publican candidate, and was denounced
In most Of the speeches Of the Southern
meM as such. l had an assurance from
Henry Winter Davis, OF Maryland, that be-
Sould vote for my candidate or for me II
at auy time could assure him beforehand
that The vote would secure an election.
At last had enough votes 30 that had
[ voted Tor myself I'would have come
within two OF an election. Had been
able to nave secured my election at this
tine think would have voted for my
self, no great was the necessity to tile Coun.
try that we have Republican Speaker.
With Buchanan as preHidenta Democratic
Speaker would have changed the whole
aspect Of political affairs and no one can
tell what would have been the result. l
did not think Fought 10 risk my friends
longer voting for myself, and | made such
an arrangement with Briggs, Of New York,
and Garrett Adraln that they should vote
for Pennington provided | withdrew. AT
the time the vote which elected Penning.
ton came, one OF these men wnyered, and
feared lie was going back on his promise.
I went to him and told him my honor was
concerned in this affair, and that be must
keep his agreement. was never more
angry than at that time. My remarks,
however, renewed his courage, and Pen.
nlngton was elected, my three outside
men voting as they had promised. The
committees were organized on Northern
basic, l being appointed Chairman Of the
Ways and Means Committee. In the ses.
sions that followed was treated very well
indeed, and do not think there was =
single measure Of miue III which did not
BllCceed,