The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-02-21
ALLISON OF IOWA.
A Love CONFIRMATION WITH THE
SENATOR ON 1IMELY TOPTCS

was offered 90 llim-Why IIe Refused I
The Republican Outiook-Binine's with
aeawai-The AttItudo OF the Farmers
Tho silver Question Asd Prohibition
Gov Boies n Democratic Candidate.
WASHINGTON. d. C.. Feb 17.-Thc writer be
gan social talk with Senator William b. ALI
son during the week. and asked permission t
come into his house next morning and con
clude It, One OF tho happiest existences about
Washington Is that Of this widowor Senator
who has kept house with his mother in law
Mrs James w. Grimes. widow OF the war Gov
ernor OF Iowa. these many years. He built O
comfortable homo on Vermont avenue. which
Isl sanctum rathar than salon. everything
In taste. books plentiful and tho subjects OF
thom refining. pictures comforting without be.
ing costly. and Allison. while popular In society.
loads regular life without any ascetic rules:
he smokes. tolls anecdotes. and keeps the
golden moan between tho democratic repre-
sentative and the gentleman. He Is ono VI tho
most wholesome mon about Washington to
look upon with his suuarish head it's brown
hair but little touched with gray and both
hair and beard full his SIX in warm and Itubens-
like. hie eyes blue and large Ho dresses with
particularly. likes his duties and has refused
many things which might havo given him o
greater following and made him sorry. On
this touched: Have you any objection to
telling mo Just how you declined tho Treasury
Department once or twice.
II think that ought to DO published here
after However. will tell you for your own
Information. Tho written portions OF these
affairs nrc OF record. though never yet printed.
About February. 1881. Gen. Garfield wrote mo
to Washington asking me to come out to Mem
tor on u certain date. ! took tho train ut
Washington for Cleveland and found upon tho
same train Senator sherman. ! told him where
l was going. and he snil that Garfield had
also written for him. but that ho was ono dav
after hsappontmcEt. whilo ! was lust in time.
told Sherman that no had better see Garfield
alone. as ho manfes,y was first meant to be
soon by tho President elert;, | would mean
timo so TO tho hotel in Cleveland and
Garfield could telegraph up to NO
whom l should como down to Mentor.
Sherman had tho morning thorc and I was
sent for in tho afternoon. Garfield sand to mo:
Allison. think g.! shall want you to go in my
Cabinet want you T. be my Secretary Of tho
interior. think.' Al tho time had two. three.
or four years yet to scivo in the Senate. 20
litical matters la Iowa wcro not favorable to
my rcsignins from tho Senate. Mr. Wilson Of
Iowa. now my colleague. was out OF public lie
Mt tho moment. WI, u popular man in tho
state. aud was thought to desire TO como to
tho Senate in place of tiov kirkwooi. At least
kirkwood felt slightly approhensiyo that thcro
might be competition for his seat desired
to have Garfield appoint ono otthese men In his
Cabinet. Tho circumstances were moro favor
ablo to KirEwood perhaps than to Wilson. Both
these men had been my friends and had sus-
tslned mo in my contests for tho Senate 1
named Mr. Wilson to Garfield He said that
Wilson Ind made some opponents in Washing
ton In tho course Of his legislative services.
and that Ito would bring upon his head trou-
bles II he appointed Wilson. Having addressed
myself to this end. ana ing that it would he
useless. l said: Garfield why will not old
sam OF Iowa 30 into your Cabinet" That is n
frst-rato idea suid Garfield. but will he
Gomez Think no will. bat will make it u
point to SEQ az soon I get to Washington
Garfield again said that this was happy idea
When l returned | told Klrkwood about
Il. and invited him and Wilson to come
70 my house. and VIZ met hero in this room
pc a happy sol ution to ali OF them. 1t would
ieaye wilson clear to come 10 the senate aud
! DO not know but this "xncty suits me-
e. thpe ny M as GInss sho ssf n
Fl Garfield arrived in Washington city and
rh called 10 on i him at the lgGs House.
il may have been Wednesday ;' or Thnrsay
Or SATURDAY.. / forget which. 10 my surprise
be sd to me Ason am s"nT I? put XIV
this VIII noI o at oil. cannot take that de:
partnient. A,tor, our conversation Mt Mentor 1
ssreed t" gov krkwoyd nna T hs mStts M'ta
friend must be considered. To tnks this
:: enemy iSS iiIs;' Will SAID h. WIS going
how can fix it: I will Just reverse tho posi-
aSd Way Sr Of th the
interior: In fact. / have written you q |
evening" rctusca to se. 'a What f that lcttc 's
VAS amt there found that he had me booked
writing him u letter declining that position.
and tho Sccrctaryshin Of tho Treasury also and
disappointment in Iowa unless the original
p pros n, = was carried put. Tho next day
feeling. Perhaps no thought l Ind been
maxi making arrangements for myself. | called on
wool was made Secretary OF the Interior"
Offer You the Interar ' Depa Gs%S meant 10
~ 1r has nways eS%n tint he sent for
Think that porSa iH his Rh senator
Sherman caused Mr.. Window to be- selected. / |
h ca sdr tss msny
s6iS ewing a to the nature t OF his nom
the speaker to presont John .Sherman's name.
The nomination coming to him. hs felt that no
rhngements OF his official family Had been
In u. situation to take any place. would have
preferred tho Treasury Department as In tho
nature of my studies. tastes and duties Tho
Interior Department did not want at. all. The
Treasury Department mover meant to take"
Had anything else happened to make Gar
ne!d WaverinG IT TIA; critical period 7"
fields mind tho den hat no ought to have in
h;s Cabinet Con. Gresham Davis was u very
any man who had so much personal knowi-
enGe about al his colleagues in the Senate
what orch OF Them Vas about and their weak:
that he was the. principal man to secure the
nomination Of Abraham Lincoln in 1850. He
made all tho bargains and promises and did
the work IN the. different delegations which
brought to Lincoln's original small nucleus u
Seward, Inthe course Of time Davis thought
no could be nominated himself. The intrusion
lem more involved to Garfield"
Whilo You have boon happier by avoiding
Cabinet positions. you may have disappointed
some nnOnle by not advancing Ynursnif p, |