The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-11-30
INGALLS, SAYS NAY
DECLARES THERE WAS no TREASON
III GARFIELDS NATURE

Generous aud Sincere, He had the In
trinity of Being Like Clay In the Hands
of the Potter, which Disqualified Him
from Being an Able Executive-Ingalls
had Always Known that John Sherman
was Sore, Showing it at the Time of
Serving on the Funeral Committee.
The Chicago Times-Herald, which
reached Wichita yesterday, has the fol-
| lowing interesting interview with In
gals:
And now John J. ingalls, adds a chap
ter TO the history Of Garfield's nomfna-
tion-a history that John SherTnaRs
books is drawing from the hitherto seal
ed lips OF American statesmen and poll
| ticaans.
The ingalls, chapter came IN the
course of Thanksgiving ewes CONVEX
safion, during which the eloquent Kan
san turned his conversation from the
grave TO the gay-now speaking with
| effective nghtness of the foibles which
| furnish cause for tfankfulness aft this
season. now with the serious comment
of tHhe more weiglty affairs of govern
ment Men and politics are annfyzed
by The aster of the art Of narrative
and expression Subjects as varied as
the emotions expressed by Jefferson
on the stage were strung through the
evenings talk.
In the warmth Of a coy parlor IN this
winter beleagued town the ex-senator
observed t'hat There was nothing on the
outside to be particularly thankful for,
FL L. no
to1-ia and spent the afternoon reading
the newspapers and writing letters.
After dinner ne lighted cigar and re
Taxed in conversation. A article in
newspaper he had thrown aside turned
his talk ito the events prior to the nDrn-
fnhition of James A. Garfield for the
presidency.
THE GARFIELD EPISODE.
Have you read Senator SheIman's
| book?" asked the listener.
NO" was the reply. Not yet: only
the extracts printed IN the newspapers
| about the Garfield episode.
''What do you think Of the extracts
and the criticisms of Senator Sherman's
treatment of THE matter?''
1.-The extracts are milder and more
guarded than I should have anticiDar-
ed, and really do not seem TO justify
the course they have provoked from
Garfield's friends"
Have you amy personal recollections
OF incidents CONNIE cted with the Gar
field episode, as 1T is called?"
81 happened to be IN Washington on
business when Garfield died in Septem-
ber 1881" said Mr.. ingalls,, land was
one Of THE senators named to attend the
remains Ito Cleveland. Mr.. Sherman
was also a member of the committee
and the train had hardly left the city
limits before we fell into conversation
about THE dead president, his charac-
ter and his career. Mr.. Sherman spoke
with intense feeling, and the impression
left on my mind was that he believed
he had been deliberately betrayed by
the men chosen to advocate his nom
nation"
A SINGULAR COINCIDENCE.
"Have you any personal knowledge
of anything that would tend to show
Garfield's attitude prior ito his nomin-
atom"
For weeks before the convention Of
1880 there We're vague, mysterious, IN
tangible rnmors and whispers of Gar
field in the air around the capitol at
Washington. 1 was Sitting one day in
May in the senate restaurant with a
senator now prominently mentioned
as a candidate for the presidency. We
We're talking about the contest then ap-
preaching and agreed considering the
bitter rivalry among the aspirants. the
nomination of Garfield appeared to be
a not improbable outcome.
''Just at that moment, by singular
coincidence, Garfield entered the room.
We called him TO our table and he
Joined in our repaSt. We mentioned the
II
told him what we had been talking
about. and jocularly rendered hirn our
congratulations and best wishes for his
SUCCESS. He made an embarrassed att
tempt at repaFitee and turned the cCcl-
V6rSaltiOn, but his tone and manner befE
mo doubt in my mind that the subject
was nsGther novel nor repulsJve TO him.
He was then a representative in con-
gress, United States senator elect and
a delegate to the national convention
an extraordinary accumulation OF hon
orS unique IN political history. He was
justified in regarding himself as a ia
vorTIte of fortune and child of destiny.
As / recall THAT conversation IL seems
like the incredible climax of romance
that within less than eighteen months
he was nominated for the presidency,
elected, aSsaSsinated and entombed.
Il was in college with Garfield at
Williams" said Mr.. ingalls,. though
not in THE same class, and our relations
were cordial and friendly until his
death. He was incapable of intrigue
treason OF Stratagem, but his temper
amegt was emotional and ardent and
his Sessibil1ty was excessive. HIS mind
was capacious and his nature generous
and sincere. The fatal defect in mis-
Character was an infirmity Of purpose
that made him like clay in the hands
Of the potter. and disqualified him for
administrative or executive functions.
Mr.. ingalls, smoked his cigar in ST.
lence for a few minutes and then DRIFT
I'd to other subjects. He spoke of abe
morrow's day Of Thanksgiving. and felt
thankful THAT on uhEs night he did not
have ITO be picking ihis way over 5cy
tagging and across muSly crossings.
What do you think. senator" he was
asked. ARE some OF the things the geo
pie ought 10 be most thankful for To-
morrow -
Well there are many things to be
thankful for. The worst never hap
pens, and We ought TO be thankful for
that We ought TO be thankful for all