The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-04-08
4 Big Political Project.

During the lifetime of Benjamin H.
Hill, Colonel Frank A. Burr enjoyed an
intimate acquaintance with him. "Ben
Hill, said Colonel Burr yesterday, "was
the originator of one of the biggest
projects ever attempted in this country.
Soon alter General Garfield was elected,
Democrats, leading men like Hill, fear
ing 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 bet
ter elements, North and South. The
movement looked to revolutionizing all
existing party lines. Hill wrote to Cen
eral Garfield broaching the subject.
Garfield responded, asking for particu-
lars as to the plan. They were given.
and when Garfield came to Washington
to take the oath of office there was a
conference between the President elect
and the leading men of the South. An
agreement was made then. In brief,
the terms were something like this:
The Southern gentlemen were to all
sign their names to circular acknowl-
edging that the war was over, in fact,
and that the results growing out of it
were all accepted in good faith by the
Southern people. They also recognized
that we were one people, and that
the Northern citizens had no desire to
humiliate their Southern brethren. All
this was to be stated in a clear and
diplomatic way. Then, the Southern
statesmen agreed to accept the financial
policy of the Republican party For
this General Garfield promised to turn
over the Federal patronage in the South
to the Southern Senators. The plan
was approved by Blaine, and if it had
been carried out it would have broken
up the two existing parties of to-day.
Garfield's death nipped the project in
the bud. 1t needed patronage to carry
it out.
Senator Hill told me the story him.
self, when l met him in Philadelphia,
where he was undergoing surgical
operation on his tongue. He said he
would give me the correspondence be-
tween General Garfield and himself, as
he thought it should be published.
Well, he returned home to Georgia; a
second operation was performed on his
tongue, and shortly after he passed
away. just before his death. however,
he wrote me letter saying that it was
LILO WISH uudo L HdNO tLlS COI-
respondence. After his death / wrote a
note to Ben Hill, Jr., and asked him to
please forward the correspondence to
me. The son replied, saying that he
recognized his fathers wish in the mat
ter and would comply with my request
if insisted on it, but the family thought
that the publication of the letters would
arouse useless controversy, and hoped
l would not press the point, and I did
not"
Il can testify that the main point of
the story is true" said Mr.. Frank Hat
ton, who was standing by. when |
went into the Postoffice Department. ."
he continued, 81 found that all the
postoffice patronage in the South had
been turned over to the Democrats.
For instance, found written across a
Florida case, DO nothing until you hear
from Senators Call or Jones' 1t was
the same in the other Southern States,
but | am afraid l paid very little atten-
ton to these notes. / did not believe in
building up the Republican party in
that way. IN Y. World.