The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-01

IMAM kept It wsegine at both ends until she
bumped the pier again on her return.
'"bIr. sherman. I should like to see You Presi-
dent, said old Barker, 'bEt my son Wharton
thinks Jim Garfield is the best man we can put
up So does Wayne MacVeagh.'
cat this time Garfeld's name had not been
mentioned by anybody in any quarter. publicly,
in connection with the presidency. He was the
leader of his party in the House, and had before
him the prospect of becoming Speaker, il he
chose to accept the place. Perhaps if it had not
been for old Barker's remark he would have
been Speaker instead of Keller in the Forty
seventh Congress. What old man Barker said
set John Sherman to thinking, and he had sew
eral consultations with his brother-in-law.
Moulton, about it. Feelers were put out around
Garfield, but he could not be caught. He de-
MED uniformly that he had ever thought OF be-
coming a candidate, and the only thing he said
that could be construed into a betrayal of his
ambition was a remark he made on one occasion
enough for that by and by When Sherman
wanted to have Garfield himself make his NOM
ination speech for himself tSherman), before
yaying word TO Garfield he talked it over with
Houlton.
".Oh, yes; have Garfield by all means said
Moulton. III he has any dasiens on bis own ac-
count it will tie him MP beautifully
$50 Sherman asked Garfield to make the NOM
mating speech. Garfield, in turn, was wary
about accepting. He had by this time become
little set mp by the suggestions OF number of
marplots, and began to think he might be a
dark horse in the convention He told his
friends that Sherman had asked him to make
the nominating Speech and ne had taken q little
time to consider the matter. It is unnecessary
to mention with whom Garfield finally con-
suited, but the advice was: Go ahead and
cept. Make your speech, and we will to the
risk That was the first small cloud John
Sherman's horizon. then no bigger than a mans
hat, but destined in short month to swell into
a whirlwind of defeat. Garfield accepted it. and
in time no fact will be more certain in
history than that the famous opening
sentence of his speech was entirely matter of
prearraugement History may be ransacked
for a finer dovetail of cunning with cunning
than Garfeld's speech and the work of his
friends in the galleries of the convention hall.
"Who shall be your candidateP said Garfield
with his first breath he stood before that
great mass of men, and then the galleries an
swering shouting back with the roar of the
sea, Garfield Garfield
''The scene can, never be forgotten. 1t was
IL a child had touched the electric button that
should hurl the world into chaos again. All
that Garfield said was that simple little
tence, who shall be your candidateP and thou
sands of men took it up the signal Of his con-
sent and connivance in the plot TO make himself
that candidate. If it had not been for Colonel
Moulton's unlucky advice to John Sherman.
Garfield could not have touched the electric
button that convClsed the convention and threw
into chaos the several factions that stood op-
posed like strong armies on the battle field