The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-23

vanis delegate had insisted on casting for
HMM the distracting moments when
the convention realized that Garfield was
to carry off the horors-the Grant men
stood firm as a rock. aud 306 votes rallied
about the Galena banner.
And now, after thirteen years have
passed over, and seventy Of their number
have gone and many more are in their last
days, this "Old Guard" enrolled in an or
ganization formed at Washington City in
January last, proposes to commemorate
the loyalty and exploits of the "3O6'' by q
reunion on the 9th day of April, tho
birthday of Gen. Grant. This year the in
ternational naval review in New York bay
will absorb such general public attention
on that date that the Old Guard celebra-
ton will be held two days earlier. and will
take place on the evening Of the 25th at .
dinner at tho Bellevue hotel in Phlladel-
phia. The president of the Old Guard Or
ganization is George s. Boutwell,, of Massa-
chusetts, who was secretary Of the treas
ury under Grant; the secretary, James r.
Davies, of New York, who was secretary
of the New York delegation in the 1880
convention. and the treasurer, Andrew J.
Kaufman. of Pennsylvania. Col. Thomas
J. Powers. of Pennsylvania. appointed by
Mr.. Harrison to the post OF naval officer Of
the port of Philadelphia. is the prime
mover in the reunion movement.
The idea of third term for Gen. Gran
commenced to be talked of early in the
Hayes administration. The old feud be-
tween Blaine and Conkling, which had
developed in the national convention of
1876 into fight between these two men
for the Republican nomination, and which
resulted in the defeat of both and the sue
cess of the unexpected man, Hayes, had
since become more bitter and deep-seated.
The brilliant. genial, smooth and polished
Blame had not weakened since the 1876
contest. On the contrary. he had strength
ened. He had q stronger and wider toll
lowing, and in the eyes of that following
he had become more brilliant. more genial,
smoother and more polished. Blaine had
grown to be q commanding figure. 1t was
plain that Hayes was out OF the race for
the 1880 nomination. But il was quite As
plain that Blaine was in it and that he had
great chance of success.
This fact was like gall to the senator
from New York. Years back, when, as
young men, Blaine and ConkIing had first
entered the house of representatives, the
member from New York, .by his singular
exhibition of self-contidence in both car
riage and speech, his dictatorial manner
ana his cutting tongue. had called out
from the member from Maine during the
heat of factionai strife the derisive appel
lation OF turkey gobbler" and peacock"
These words were never forgotten and
ranked as the years psssed over, and, in
the mind of Conkiing. at least, added Bit
terness and biackness and anger 20 the
other things that had since TRANSFERRED to
separate the two men. To Conkling,
Blaine was what red is to maddened bull,
and the eager, surging desire of the New
York senator was 10 see Blsine destroyed
AS much this motive as any other i'm
PEELED Conkling to himself urge and to in
spire others to urge Grant TO enter the
field for the nomination of 1850. For
tonkling TO contest the nomination
would simply be to repeat the contest of
1876, but with the peerless name of Grant
announced what Republican would be so
foolish as 10 enter the lists with hope of
success? And so he and the fiery Logan,
the brilliant Mat Carpenter OF Wisconsin,
and the cool, deliberate Don Cameron of
Grants nomination.
hat did Grant say? Nothing. When
the movement commenced in real earnest
Grant was In Europe. In close, Intimate
companlonship with him was John Rus
sell Dung. a; that time brilliant star in
the newspaper world, afterwards 10 be APP
pointed minister to China by Arthur at
NTH vice president OF the Reading
railroad system. Mr.. Young accom-
panied Grant through most OF his Old
World travels. and for the year imme-
diateiy preceding Grants return to
the United States in ls79. had the rsiation-