Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-09-12
The last Saturdays Chicago Herald

There is still great deal OF curiosity
in political circles as to the terms of the
bargain made by Harrison and Platt,
The boss has been feeling so good since
his meeting with the President that he
has not wholly succeeded in his obvious
determination to keep the terms OF the
treaty a secret.
There are the best Of reasons for be-
lieving that Mr.. Platt has again been
promised the Secretaryship Of the
Treasury. Some say he has the prom
iSe In black and white, but doubt that.
Platt is too much of a gentleman to ex-
act such humiliation OF the President OF
the United States. His charge OF bad
faith when he failed to secure place
in the Cabinet three and half years
ago was made not so much against Har-
rison as against Elkins.
The Saturday night when it appeared
Harrison was beaten in the Chicago
convention Of 1888, and that the con-
spiracy to nominate Blaine would be
carried out on Monday, Steve Elkins
took the train for indianapolis. He saw
Harrison and came back with letter
from that eager individual creating
Steve minister Plenipotentiary and en-
voy extraordinary to the Chicago Con-
vention.
ELKINs MADE THE PROMISE.
Thus authorized, Steve promised
Platt the Treasury portfolio in the
event of Harrison's nomination and
election, and Platt turned in and helped
nominate Harrison. But when Platt
came to claim the reward Harrison re-
pudiated the contract. Elkins denied
having pledged his principal, and poor
Platt was left out in the cold, He did
not give up without struggle. No man
In America ever brought more pressure
to bear for Cabinet appointment. The
entire National Committee. State Com
mittees, Senators, and Representatives
pleaded for the New York boss.
Bnt Harrison was obdurate and Platt
missed fulfillment of the great am bition
Of his life. His hatred of Harrison
then became fierce and implacable. His
avowed policy was to get all he could
in the wap Of spoils out Of the Presi-
dent, whom he despised, and then turn
on him and rend him. Platt played his
game to the end. But Blaine's bungling
and Harrisons office-holding brigade
won the prize for the latter at Mime
apolis, and Platt retired to his tent.
When he made his peace with Har-
rison at Ophir farm it is easy to believe
the story whispered about here to the
effect that he set as the price Of his
support the cabinet seat which the
tricky Elkins deprived him of four
years ago. This time he has Harrison's
own word for 1t, and in the event Of
success at the polls will take care that
he is not a second time deceived.
Willy STEVE FOUND OUT.
The passing Of Elkins has been rather
interesting. Willy Steve is out of the
swim. His capacity for usefulness is at
an end. He has been found out. A
clever man Elkins is-a good fellow,
generous, mpanionable. But as a
managing politician he has a fatal
weakness-indifferen co the truth
He is so sharp that he cuts himself
Finesse, deception, broken promises are
his stock in trade. For time q man
of extraordinary shrewdness, genius
for deception, may succeed In the
higher walks Of politics, but in the end
he invariably loses cast and capacity.
This has been Elkins' experience.
There is not a prominent party leader
in the country who trusts him. There
is not one that will place confidence in
his word as to political matters, or that
is willing TO deal with him as a medium
of communication with his chief the
President. The present National Re-
publican Committee wants none Of FL
kins. They decline to have anything
to do with him. When he last visited
the headquarters at Fifth avenue and
Forty-third street they politely snubbed
him, and Harrison has had tip to
keep Elkins in the War Department.
FAILURE IN THE CABINET.
Elkins has been failure in the Cabi-
net. He was taken in for two purposes
to get Blaine of the track and keep
him of, and to help the President win
a denomination. He made somewhat Of
a mess Of the Blaine business. True,
he secured from Blaine the fatal Feb
ruary letter, but after that he was
snubbed by both Mr.. and Mrs. Blaine,
and when the latter became angry at
Harrison about the Coppinger matter
she took charge of her husbands polit-
ical fortunes and brought on the unsuc-
cessful coup of the resignation. Harri-
son had supposed Elkins astute enough
and Influential enough with the Blaines
to avert this, but he was DO match for
Mrs. Blaine.
Then, when a part of the West Vir-
pinia delegation voted for Blaine and
the opposition, with the use Of Blaine's
name, came within an ace of beating
the President, Harrison losing conf
dence in his Secretary Of War. When
finally the leaders Of the party-Carter,
Clarkson, Platt, Quay and the others
intimated they wanted nothing to do
with Steve, Harrison concluded he had
made a bad investment in the man
whose career has left behind him trail
whitened by the bleaching bones Of
duped men.
Elkins is to have chance to redeem
himself. Ohe chance, and 1t is West
Virginia. II he secures the electoral
vote of that State for his chief all will
be forgiven. There are possiblecombl-
nations in the electoral college that
will make the vote of West Virginia de-
cisiye. Steve has accepted the contract.
AT WORK IN WEST VIRGINIA.
He hovers between West Virginia and
washington. He is at work, and word