Omaha daily bee., 1895-11-24

always thought Governor Foster of
| Ohio had about as much to do with
the nomination of Garfield as anybody.
There is no doubt that John Sherman was
extremely disappointed by his failure Of
nomination nor that Garfield was excess
sively sensitive touching their affairs at
this time, and there has always been
certain cloudiness and an occasional ten
| dency toward an electrical disturbance about
the circumstances of the nomination.. The
defense of those who easily consented to-,
| and then actively aided in, the nomination
of Garfield, was that 1t was not possible at
any time with the material in that con-
| yention to have nominated Sherman. l
have found myself impressed that there
was some reason for taking that view Of
the subject, and this impression upon my
mind has grown out Of two facts; one, that
neither the state nor the city of New York
has ever estimated Senator Sherman at his
just valuations and the other that at that
time Senator Conkling, who knew of the
firm leadership of Sherman in opposition to
the third term, was very resentful and bitter
and was unreserved in his expressions. He
felt more hostile to Sherman than to Blaine
and was more denunciatory of Sherman IL
that convention than he was OF Blaine. This
those who sat beside Conkling have told me-
II know that Mr.. Blaine did not believe
Sherman could be nominated. Mr.. Blaine did
not believe II was within his power to nomi-
nate Sherman. He knew also that a major
lty OF the Blaine men OF tne NEW 1Orh ueie-
cation who refused to vote for Grant and
voted for Blaine would have voted for Grant
| as against Sherman; and that If the break
had come in that way, II would inevitably
have nominated Grant. Blaine was watching
Conklng through the wire with intense
scrutiny of his strategy and did not think he
could transfer the votes going to himself so
as to nominate Sherman. ! do not know that
he wanted to do this, but l do know he
wanted to beat the third term movement.
This was not because of objection to Grant
personally, but on account OF the principle
involved, and Of a resolve TO beat Conklng.
Mr.. Blaine selected General Garfield as the
man to whom the transfer of the Blaine
votes could be successfully made for this
purpose, and he did transfer his votes, solid
with the exception of one colored delegate
from Virginia, who apologized to Mr.. Blaine
for not voting as he wished and said 1t was
worth $500 to vote as he did. This is my
understanding of the circumstances of the
nomination of General Garfield, and thought
then. and l think now, that the man who
ought to have been nominated at that time
was John Sherman
"Do you believe that Garfeds action was
strictly frank and honest during that con-
vention; that he did all in his power for the
nomination Of Sherman?'
STROvE FOR SHERMAN.
mo man ever approached the presidency;
no man ever was, in the estimation of his
most fatterng friends, possible president
in the line Of evident public movement and
practical business without being beset by such
friends. No mani speak, of course,
OF no man IN our own country, and the eX-
preston Is naturally limited to that extent
ever loomed up SO as 10 be nationally in
cuded within the list of presidential candi-
dates who had not fool friends-over Jealous,
urgent, violent. fercely foolish. In the con-
ventions ! have attended-and / have been
attending conventions since 1861 have seen
dozen men disturbed by what l would call,
If it were not bad language, 'dam-fool
friends and you know nothing seems to de-
siroy the equanimity, the philosophy, the
courage and the common sense OF an Ameri-
can citizen like having a lot OF fellows
whooping him up for the presidency. / sup
pose Garfield was shaken by them--by their
roaring
II have never seen a man announced on
the platform as our next president'-and |
have seen good many-who didn't look as II
he liked 1t and wanted more Of It. Now II
was pretty hard ON Garfield to have people
running to him and telling him he was GER
tainly the coming man, and that the only
thing certain about John Sherman with re-
gard to the presidency was that he could not
be nominated, even though, as all said, he
was the best equipped man In the country
The fact Is, this got to be stereotyped
phrase with the politicians who professed
friendliness to Sherman and was carried to
such an extent that the formula the best
equipped man In the country became almost
an insult. But Mr.. Sherman might, perhaps
possibly three exceptions the country has