The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-04-27

agent left. The loss of a fortune did not
excite him, but it turned his thoughts to-
ward himself and his family. At the end
OF this quarter of an hour he got into a
laxative mood, and you know he chatted
very freely with those he trusted He be-
gan to talk about his boys and how well
they We're doing. At this time the finan-
clal prospects of the family were very
bright, and General Grant proudly told me
how Colonel Fred had resigned from the
army and was doing well as the president
OF railroad in Texas. He referred to the
prosperity of Buck Grant with the firm of
Grant & Ward, and said that Jesse was
making money in his mining operations
With loving enthusiasm he went over
the different enterprises that the boys
were In; and then said that as he and Mrs.
Grant had enough to keep them in comfort
as long as they lived he could see no reason
Tor him to jeopardize the good name that he
believed he had by entering into any such
scneme as the one proposed to him. After
TINS experience no one could ever make me
DeneVe that Grant allowed his name to be
used by Grant 81 Ward as they used it..
lie truth Is he knew nothing about Ward S
methods. He believed that Ward was a
great hnaucier, and the Grant boys thought
the same. The truth is that Ward never
let them have any insight into the bust
ness. II they had made any inquiries
about it he would say: We'll, now, if you
think you can run this business YOU can
try 1T. But one head is enough. am
willing to give up any time that you want
me to leave, but while / am here | must
have my say At times, however, Wards
mistakes were so apparent that they were
forced to go to him, but he always turned
them OFF. AT one time there was a mistake
OF $4,000 in an account, which was so plain
that Ulysses s. Grant, lr., went to see him
| a nor ~ L i
not explain 1t, and he gained their conf.
dence more than ever by saying: Yes,
that is mistake, and the bill is wrong. J
Buck Grant told me that the family be-
| lleved in him after that more thoroughly
than ever before. 1t was not strange that
they had faith in him and at.the time of the
failure, 1t was forgotten that men of high
financial standing were as badly deceived
as were the sons OF General Grant"
The conversation here turned to Grants
relations with Conkling, and Mr. Dawson
told me how Grant received the news of
the designations of Conkling and Platt in
the Senate
This happened" he said, "while Gen
eral Grant was in Mexico. We were Sit
ting at table in his room when the news
came, and General Grant picked I'D the
back of the letter and wrote telegram
upon it to j. S. Work, of New York, the
secretary OF the syndicate of which he was
the nominal president. He addressed
Work, because we had cipher Geographic
code in common, and he gave me the tele-
gram telling me to translate it and send it
to New York. Here is the telegram as
General Grant wrote it, said Mr.. Dawson
| handing me a sheet half-covered with the
autographlc writing of General Grant in
pencil. 1t read as follows:
81 hope the legislature will support its
Senators. The treatment they have re-
! ceived is scandalous and ought to be re-
ouked: Without New York, the present
administration could not have come into
power. Without the active support of the
present Senators New York could not have
been carried Republican,
This telegram, " continued Mr. Dawson.
was sent by me in cipher, and had il
reached New York it might have changed
the whole course of American history.
1t did not get through, however, and it
lodged at Vera Cruz. 1t would have gone
through had 1t not been sent in cipher, but
General Grant was supposed, by the lead
ing tinancier of the United States and the
Leading hnancier of Mexico, to be inter
ested IN Mexican investments. These two
great capitalists controlled the telegraph
wires Of both countries, and they thought
the cipher dispatch was business one
and stopped it. General Grant did not
know 1t was stopped until he began to re-
ceIve kilograms he did not understand and
failed to receive replies to business tele
grams which he had sent. We found.
shortly after this. that one trade which
might have been made to the advantage of
American capital was lost in this way. It
was the purchase of the Vera Cruz railroad
which was offered for sale but which was
lost because General Grant could get no
replies from New York. concerning it. This
n "a rnln oh
the ears OF the government of Mexico
through General Grant, and it caused con-
siderable governmental correspondence.
General Grant," Mr.. Dawson went on.
received several kilograms from Wash
ington asking him to mix up in the Conk-
ling Garfield trouble. He received an
autograph letter from Garfield at Vera
Cruz, but he did not answer this until he
got to New York. The trouble started him
to talking about Conkling, and he told me
that the thing that first attracted him to
Conkling was the fact that Conkling did
not come to him while he was in the White
House with advice to do this or that as TO
policy or Tor the purpose of asking appoint
ments. He said that one of the first things
be saw when he got into the White House
was that if he wanted Conkling's advice
he would have to ask for it. He said that
when he did ask, however, he found Sena-
tor Conkling very free to give it. and told
me that he had never known of Senator
Conkllng coming to him on question of
public policy without first receiving a hint
from him that his advice would be accept
able. At the same time General Grant
gave me Instances of a number of prorni-
nent men who were quite the opposite.
Ii VIII not be necessary to mention any
names. Suffice 1t to say that those to
whom he gave the most at their own solicit
tation IN the way of offices for themselves
and friends were the first to leave him
when they thought they could profit them
selves by different political course or by
espousing the cause of his enemies.n
What was his real position in regard to
third termln / asked
General Grant," replied Mr.. Dawson.
went out of his second term perfectly
satisfied with his public career. He was
glad he was free, and he wanted to STAY
free, He told me while in Mexico that
after he came from his trip around the
world some moves were made by the
friends he thought the most of and those
who were dearest to him, politically and
otherwise, to make him again candidate
for the presidency. He said he did notsup-
pose it would amount to anything and for
a time did nothing. As the movement
gained strength he had more than once
thought of writing a private letter in such
manner that it might be given to the
press stating that under no circumstances
would he accept the nomination. But in
each case the reason for the delay was the
argument that these men were his friends
and that they were depending upon him.
He thus held off until it was too late for
him to decline without injuring them He
told me that ub to the end of his second
term he had made it a rule never to scheme
Tor anything, but to accept any Office or
duty at the call Of his country. AS far as
he was himself concerned know that he
did not desire a third term and dnrinrr IL