The Portland daily press., 1892-05-20

| confident. walked into the convention
hall. 'sNot this ballot, but the next"
was the word whispered among them.
How eagerly they waited for that next
ballot! But in few minutes a new
factor, unexpected and unwelcome, en-
tered the haif 1t was cablegram from
| Mr.. Blaine to- Congressman Boutelle. It
had been received late the night before.
| Boutelle had consulted ene or two friends
| rs to what he should do with it, and
then, like the Yankee that he is, had
concluded to sleep on it before doing
anything. The message read, II think
have the right to ask my friends to re-
spect my wishes" Boutelle was in
1uandary. He did not know whether to
make the telegram public or bury it in
his pocket. Bother Blaine" said he,
.he knows how to use the English Ian
guage as well as any man in the world.
Why didn't he say what he meant in
good English" It was fearful re-
sponsibility. On the one side was good
faith with long time friend, on the
other ambition, power, triumph. Bou-
telle finally decided to make the letter
public.
He was led to this conclusion, this
fateful conclusion, by another strange
circumstance. That Sunday evening
Mr.. A. III. Low, then on the Chicago
Tribune staff in Washington, received
this order over the special wire from his
managing editor, 'sInterview John Sher-
man." The trained newspaper man obeys
orders. "It's no use for me to go up to
John Sherman's house and ask for an
interview at this time" said Low to
himself; ''he won't say a word. might
just as well sit down and wire back He
won't talk as to take the trouble to
walk up to his house this hot night" But
like the good newspaper man he is, Low
went to Shersnan's house. The Senator
was sitting on the doorstep, surrounded
by the members of his family. All were
drinking lemonade, and the old senator,
with that warmth Of hospitality which is
always his and which is in strange con-
trast to his manners at the Capitol, with
his own hands brought the scribe glass
and bade him be seated. This auspicious
beginning had fateful ending. Mr..
Sherman submitted to an interview. He
gave his opinion of the progress of events
at Chicago The substance Of it all was
that be understood the game of politics
which the Blaine men were playing at
Chicago and condemned it most severe
ly. Reading between the lines one could
see that if Blaine were given the nomi-
nation in that manner Mr.. Sherman
would forever feel that he had not been
fairly treated, for Mr.. Sherman himself
expected to be nominated the following
day if Blaine were kept out of the con-
test.
When Mr.. Boutelle came down to
breakfast after sleeping on" Blaine's
cablegram he had copy Of The Tribune
in his hand. This interview was the
first thing which attracted his attention.
he read and re-read it. Light dawned
on his troubled mind. "Mr. Blaine" he
said to himself, t'would never forgive
me if / suppressed his telegram and per-
nitted his friends to ride over John
Sherman. This settles it, and 1 shall
read the telegram to the convention"
In the convention hall the Blaine
schemers begged Boutelle to change his
| ind-threatened him, stormed at him
but without avail. The telegram was
reaa, Jne Blame movement came TO an
end. Harrison was nominated on the
next ballot.
How was Harrison nominated? BY
the shrewdness, the genius of one man.
No abler politician ever lived than
Stephen B. Elkins. He was Blaine's
manager in 1880 and 1884. He idolized
Blaine, but he never carried hero wor-
ship to the point at which he lost his
wits. In 1883 he was for Blaine if Blaine
would or could take it, but he had a Sec
Ond bow for the fiddle. If it were not
Blaine Ellins had determined it should
be Harrison. The Indianapolis lawyer
was his father-in-law's warm friend and
his friend. On his way west he had an
interview with General Harrison at the
latter's home. At Chicago he invited to
his room four men. They were Platt,
Depew, Miller and Hiscock-the ''big
four" of the New York delegation. In
that room, with only five men present,
the great convention with its 800 dele
gates and it's thousands of assistant dele
gates was ruled. These four men threw
New York for Harrison and New York's
prestige carried the nomination with it.
Mr.. Platt was promised the secretary
ship of the treasury, to obtain which has
been the ambition of his life. Why he
didn't get it know, but won't tell. It
is no business of ours anyway. But the
same sebig four" Will be at Minneapolis
three weeks hence, and you should keep
an eye on them.
WALTER WELI.MAN.