Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-24
How the Colorado Senator Was Forced
Into the Cabinet in '82.
DON CAMERON HELPED TO Do 1T.
A Story About the Biggest Sheep Owner in
the United States.
SENATOR EYARTS AS A BON vIVANT
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE D1srArcH.l

his only opponent oil any prominence 10
Tabor, who has to buy all the votes that he
gets. Senator Teller is one of the most re-
markable men in this country. He is the
SON of a farmer in Western New York, and
he has the blue blood of the Knickerbockers
in his veins. His ancestors came to this
country from Holland in 1889, and the
present generation is the first that has not
been able to speak the Dutch language.
His father was in ordinarily good circum-
stances and young Teller got good educa-
tion, studied law and went by stage to Den
yer in 1855
Central City was then a great mining
town and Teller moved there and practiced
law. He is one of the brightest lawyers in
Colorado and he has made several fortunes
in his practice. He has lost as well as
made, and he is now a comparatively poor
man. He left his law office in 1876 to be
one OF Colorado's first Senators and he left
the Senate for the Cabinet in 1882.
COULDN'T HARMoNIzE.
When Teller was Senator, the million
aire, n. P. Hill, was also in the Senate, and
the two did not get along we'll together.
Hill was Jealous of Teller and he was SO
angry with President Arthur when Teller
was made Secretary of the Interior that he
became Arthur's enemy as far as he dared
| to be. BE never got over his disgust at
Teller's appointment, and he is now oppos-
ing Teller's election to the Senate.
The story of Senator Teller's appointment
| as one of President Arthur's Cabinet Min
| listers has never been published, and the in
side history of it was known only to three or
| four statesmen. These were the President
| himself, Senator Teller, John A. Logan and
Don Cameron. Now Arthur is dead, Logan
| is dead, and Senator Teller, at my request,
| gives the story through me to the public.
| The truth is the place was forced upon him.
| 1 had chat with him regarding it the other
night. Said he: 81 had not the slightest
desire for the position, and it was ten days
| after the place was offered to me that con-
sented to accept it, and I could not we'll
afford the expenses of q Cabinet Minister.
Ny wife did not want me to take it, and
| refused to accept it as long as I dared.
Ex-senator Chafee was q candidate for the
| the place and so was Senator Logan. Don
Cameron and myself were pushing Chaffee
for it.
| SORT OF A JOHN ALDEN.
Zone Monday morning was called out
| OF the Senate by the Presidents private
secretary, Mr.. Phillips, who told me that
! President Arthur would like me to come to
the White House at 10 o'clock that night
and talk with him about the appointment Of
| Secretary of the Interior. / supposed that
he referred to Mr.. Chaffee's candidacy, aud
when l. saw him again presented Mr..
| Chaffee's case. We were discussing the
matter in the little private room which
Arthur reserved for himself, in one corner
| of the Presidential Mansion. As was going
on about Senator Chaffee, President Arthur
said:
There is no use Of talking of Mr..
Chaffee's appointment. have decided that
shall not have a man for my Secretary of
the Interior who is not lawyer, and who is
not fresh from good practice. Ex-senator
Chaffee has not the qualities that I want for
my Secretary of the Interior
ST was rather nettled at this" Senator
Teller went on, "And I referred to the fact
that number of the past secretaries had
not been lawyers when the President said:
I will tell you the elements that want in
my Secretary of the Interior and the kind
of man propose to appoint. The Secretary
of the Interior has to settle more important
cases during the year than the Supreme
Court, and he investigates twice the num-
ber of legal questions as the Department of
Justice. Hence the man must be good
lawyer. He must have some experience
with public affairs and with public men.
He must come from the West and Presi-
dent Arthur went ON to tell ME the other
qualities which he wanted his Secretary of
the Interior to possess.
STRUCK ALL IN A HEAP.
Gas he went on saw that he had some
one in his mind, and racked my brain to
figure out who he was driving at. I ran
over man after man from my locality, but I
could find none who had the qualities he
mentioned. His talk grew hazier to me as
he went on, and at last he concluded, lean
ing over and putting his hand on my knee,
and saying: Now, Senator Teller, / have
decided that you come the nearest to filling
these requirements OF any other man know,
and want to offer you the place.
II was thunderstruck. jumped to my
feet and excitedly exclaimed: But I don't
want it, Mr.. President I am in the Senate
and can't leave it. cannot afford it, and
you must not offer me the place, for cannot
accept it. Besides, I am here to push the
claims of Mr.. Chaffee.'
1.-THE President begged me to sit down and
talk over the matter. I complied with his
request, though said there was no use in
talking about it, and our conversation lasted
until 2 A. M. as LETT begged the Presi-
dent not to tell anyone he had offered me
the position, and reiterated my statement
that could not take it.
REFERRED TO CAMERON.
president Arthur replied: 4 don't want
you to decide tonight. Think over the
matter until Thursday night On Thurs
day met my appointment and upon my
again refusing, the President asked me to
90 and see Don Cameron at the Senate and
talk over the matter with him, and to tell
Cameron to come and see him after he had
had his conversation with me. saw SEN
ator Cameron and Cameron urged me by all
means to take the place. He said: If the
President will not have Chaffee, you must
accept the place and am tor you
81 gave Senator Cameron my reasons for
not wanting it. He said; You cannot help
yourself. You will have to take it, and
with that he left to 60 to the White House.
The next day when came ont OF the Senate
Senator Allison met me with sly wink in
his eye and asked me if the Governor of my
State was q Republican and whether he
would appoint a Republican successor to
my place in the Senate. saw from this
that the story was out, and the next there
was line in New York newspaper saying
it was rumored that had been offered the
portfolio of the Interior.
CONSTITUENTS HEARD FROM.
'This statement was telegraphed To
Denver, and I got 100 kilograms next day
'ging me to accept the position. In the
time Don Cameron telegraphed Chaffee,
was in Florida, to come to Washing
&LoA ha mi mt hoxr