The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-02-04

The Evening Sun recalling the politi- cal history of 1882 in which French played so important a hand says:
 It is not a stretch of the imagination to say that stephen B, French made Grover Cleveland president of the Unit ed States. The part he played at the time was one of the most sensational in his sensational career, though neither French nor any of the others realized it at the time. 1t occurred during the re- publican convention, held in Saratoga in September, 1882,
 The republican party in this state at that time was divided into two factions that were almost equally strong just then, and which waged war at each other with bitter fury. They were the Stalwarts and 'Half-Breeds, and Chester A, Arthur. then president of the United States, was the ruling spirit of the Stall wart faction. French was one of Ar thurs ablest lieutenants.
 Judge William H. Robertson of Vest chester was one of the most stanch of Breeds and was collector of the port here at the time. Governor Alonzo B. Cornell was candidate for renomi- nation, the candidate of the Half Breeds. The administration had die tated the nomination of Judge Folger for governor.
 The fight in the committees before the convention was called to order was, perhaps, the most bitter in the history of the republican party in this state. Every inch of ground was fought over and over again, and neither side let up in the fight for an instant
 FIGHT IN THE STATE COMMITTEE. French was police commissioner here at the time of that convention, or, rather, when the state committee met for all the battle was fought in the state committee
 The facions tested their strength in a fight for the chairmanship of the com mittee. Every vote was needed in the committee and Collector Robertson was not on hand when it came to counting of noses. So French, who said that Judge Robertson had promised to SUD- l port Folger, sent this telegram to the | collector:
 Ut is of utmost importance that you come here on the 3:30 train. State com- mittee meets tonight. Answer you will come. Commissioner" 1 John w. Vrooman was secretary of | the state committee, and at the meet l ing that night French walked in with this telegraphic proxy:
 New York, Sept. 19.
 ''The Hon. s. B. French, Grand Union I Hotel, Saratoga:
 | cn D Dnt 1 sIl11r f Ina naA ing of the committee and oblige.
 "W. H. ROBERTSON (Paid)." | That telegram was shown to the off, 1 eers of the committee, but not scanned closely, and the right of French to vote was not questioned. But the Half l Breeds were indignant that Collector | Robertson, an uncompromising Half Breed, should select such a rabid Stal- wart to represent h'n, rather than one of the Westchester delegates already on | the scene. It was known at once that l French would vote for the StalWart or Folger candidate. Instantly the cry went up that Collector Robertson had deserted the Half-Breed camp, so as to hold his office under the administration 1 The Half Breeds had control until then The supposed desertion of Robertson 1 threw some of the Half Breeds into a panic and caused others to waver in 1 their allegiance. That, coupled with the fact that Robertson's proxy voted l for the Folger candidate, operated in I such a way that a Half Breed voted for the Folger candidate and the StalWarts won fby just two votes. That settled it. 1 If the Folger man had been defeated 1 Cornell would have received the nomi- nation in the convention. But Folger was nominated and his opponent on the democratic ticket was Grover Cleveland who was unknown then outside of Buf- l falo, where he had practiced law and l been elected mayor.
 HIS CANDIDATE. FOLGER, DE- | HEATED.
 The Half Breeds knifed Folger at the succeeding election and good many republicans, in order to rebuke the ad- ministration for meddling in the affairs of the state, voted for Cleveland.
 The result was that Folger was snow l ed under, and Grover Cleveland made | his first bow to the voters of the coun- | try. Cornell would not have been snow | ed under.
 But the most interesting feature came out after all the mischief had been done | in the state committee. Just so soon ] as Collector Robertson heard that French had acted as his proxy he sent l this telegram to the late James w. Illus 1 ted:
 I General James w. Husted, Saratoga l Stephen B, French has no authority, and never had, to represent me in the state committee His unauthorized ap- | pearance was an insult to the Vest chester delegates and a fraud upon me. l It is machine tactics over again. I ''W. H. ROBERTSON" 1 Gen. Husted did not make the tele- gram public until after the convention 1 had adjourned.
 l Commissioner French, when his at 1 tention was called to Collector Robertr sons telegram, manifested the greatest astonishment He said he knew that 1 Judge Folger had been assured of Rob- ertson's support and he had expected a solid delegation for Folger from Vest I chester.
 | He was surprised when the delega- l ton appeared with Cornell faction in | 1t. French said he supposed that the telegram authorizing him as proxy had been sent in answer to his telegram to the collector. The telegram, he explain ] ed further, had been brought to his