New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-27
nrpEW ANSWERS SHERMAN
.ovr INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE
SIS CONVENTION.

-rrNKS THE OHIO SENATOR MUST HAVE
prEy msINFoRMED WHEN HE SAID THAT
TUE NETWORK DELEGATION DECIDED
TO SWING TO HIM AFTER MR. De
pry wITHDREw-THE REASONS
FOR THAT WITHDRAWAL
INSIDE HISTORY OF
THE SATURDAY
NIGHT DINNER.
.,.os Senator John Sherman's memoirs were
I'D many statesmen have felt that they were
lied upon 10 make some explanation of the
-, that they took in certain political events
h,ch Senator Sherman touched upon and with
,,ch ne connected their names in not exactly
. complimentary manner Senator Sherman's
,harce that those who ", re managing the cam
,a,gn for General Russell A. Alger in the Re-
publican National Convention Of 1883, purchased
southern delegates caused quite stir. and the
accusation has been answered by General Alger
IN pointed reply. There were many other
statements in Senator Sherman's book which
were fruitful themes Of political gossip and the
convention OF 1855. since his book printed.
has assumed considerable interest. Mr.. Sher-
man in the city last week and he gave an
interview. in which he said some things supple
mental 10 what is in his book. In this inter-
view he said.
in close touch with everything that hap
pened n the convention of 1855. After the weary
pao..'s nav LEANED the CONVENTION untll Satur-
;er Wa 10 ascsriajn whether the mes could be
the oa.otns was 10 toe resumed. Until mat time
had developed no strength in the New-York dele
cation one delegate favored my candidacy, but
the vote OF the delegation was cast unit, and
the influence Of MS vote was lost ,.,.,.
was gwen on Saturday night and the delegation
aeV na x0' M Tecoedos that Se Te Was
change in the attitude Of the diners unit! after
Senator Ekins and other OF General harrisOls
friends persuaded ex-senator Piatt ana otner men
his Would be the decisive ballot After nat they
were 10 Join my column and that would have nomi
mated me. General Harrison's friends did such eff
vsntion took matters into rs own hands and nom
mated Genera, Harrison on that Monday morning.
NteK promise from General Ha4rison eHsaging
pat-oHage Of New-9ork state in the event Of his
nomination and election. That may have had some
ventlon engagement; carried any explicit promise
as 70 Cabinet place 1t undoubtedIy went no
age IN NewYo and in that respect Pres.dent
Harrison sood 10 rs bargain he heVe i 90 ny
cab'net which he wanted.
That interview IS the one that has stirred UP
the New-York politicians There are many men
in New-York politics to-day who were delegates
70 that convention and remember the incidents
Of that famous dinner wildly. Ex-senator Frank
H!scock J. Sleat Fassett and others have taken
Senator sherman 20 task on the score Of mac
curacy. and say that at the dinner In question
NJ pledge to sherman was taken by the delega-
ton but that on the other hand il was left in
the hands Of the big Four" with the tacit un-
Outstanding that the delegates would 60 to Har-
rison. That dinner which Senator Sherman re-
fers 10 was given by Chauncey NJ. Depew.
Mr.. DEPEWs DINNER.
When Mr. Depew was asked about the dinner
and the comment that Senator Sherman had
made upon II. he said:
Senator Sherman's book. especially that part OF II
relating 10 the Republican National Convention OF
1855 naturally evokes a great deal OF criticism The
time-neary eight years ago-and the confusion
which always attends exciting scenes in the con-
yention will easily account for the discrepancies IN
the narratives OF many OF the gentlemen who since
the publication OF the book and Senator sherman
interview upon It, have contributed their memoirs
so 10 speak But obituaries are for filing not for
reading as a rule. In this instance. however, Sena-
tor Sherman has succeeded In drawing out an ex-
ceedngly lively corpse Il is certainly very serious
charge that one candidate purchased delegates.
thereby injuring and taking away from Iowa's
ravorlte many witch the successful cand-
dates won by the bargain Of his patronage
After the adjournment OF a convention the az is
always fun OF rurors OF this kind. and generally
repeated with such vlgor and circumstantiay as TO
make the thing seem exceedingly plausible
CHARGES OF A BARGAIN.
Blu, they rarely. II ever. are true. There al
ways enough o; course. OF overt promises made by
the represen :ative5 OF candidates TO substantiate
the charge OF a bargain. But the candidate when
in office repudiates these pledges TWO grounds
firstly. that not and would not have been
party bargain 10 get the position. and, secondly
that no such contract was ever made known TO him.
These promises to secure influence always
precede and attend National convention. They
are. however. the promises OF the campaign man
ayers and not OF the candidate himself
My recollections OF the convention and the nom
nation OF General Harrison quite distinct. The
New-York delegation and others, TO the extent Of
ninety-nine votes had their ballots for for
several days Finally the Iowa, Nebraska and
Kansas delegations 10 me and made very
earnest appeal. They said that the anti-ralroad
sentiment was so strong in their State that man
who held the position OF officer Of a railway
company could hold the party vote The leader Of
one Of the delegations. who. by-the-bye was also a
railroad attorney said that in the district and in
the schoolhouses in the neighborhood meetings had
been held in order 10 outbid the Democrats and
that Republican orators from the villages and cities
had made the railway question their topic that they
had preached to the farmers that every cent they
paid for freight and fares went directly into the
rockets OF the biOated milionaires in Wall Street.
and that they studlously ignored in their argu-
nents that any portion OF the receipts OF a rail-
road company went for wages, or for maintenance,
or for repairs or for the enlargement Of facilities
and had especially denied that the investors. whose
money had built the road. were entitled TO any re-
turn whatever as they were notorious highway
robbers
OBJECTION TO RAILROAD MAN.
They told me that II remained in the field and
New-York insisted that nobody else could carry the
State II might lead my nomination as party at
tenn, that could not succeed without New-York
State and that II | nominated the momentum
o. the party with the large majorites Of the state
would be sufficient 10 carry the electoral vote on
r.iln The head.