Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-04-20

the key to the Lincoln committees
plan of arrangement. New York was
seated at one extreme end of the vast
hall, with no state for neighbor that
was not already hopelessly for Seward.
At the other extreme was placed Penn
sylvanla, at so long remove that the
voices of Seward orators of New York
could barely be heard by the doubtful
delegates of Pennsylvania.
Close about the Keystone state, On
the side toward New York, were
packed the faithful Lincoln delegations
of Illinois anu Indiana, and also the
New Jersey delegation, which was &C
counted but tail to the Keystone dog.
There were convenient passages
leading from the Pennsylvania seats to
ante-rooms which were also directly in
communication with Illinois, so that
when delegates from Pennsylvania be-
took thmselves from the hall for con-
sultation they were reasonably certain
to meet delegates from Illinois or In
diana primed with an argument for
Lincoln. The Ohio delegation was
placed on the other side of Illinois and
Indiana.
Il took my seat" says Mr. Medill,
among my old friends of the Ohio
delegation, as personally knew near
ly all of them, and did what mission
soon espied me, and, without cere-
mony, ordered me out. He made bit
ter little speech for my benefit and for
the edification of the Ohio delegates
within hearing. My friends among the
OhiOans came to my rescue and told
me to stay, and l did, and we had a
nice little argument. 1 remained
with the Ohio men.
After the second ballot whispered
to Chairman Carter of Ohio: Now is
your time. If you throw the Ohio vote
for Lincoln Chase can have anything
he wants.
"'H-how d-u'ye know?' suffered Car
ter.
'Iknow, and you know I wouldn't
say SO if l didnt know. Ask Judge
Davis. He holds the authority from
Lincoln
80 Carter got up and boldly an
nounced Is or 10 Ohio votes for Lin
coin, though the delegation had not
been polled. Giddiugs challenged the
vote, but after an acrimonious wranglc
on the poll it was found that Carter
hadn't 'nigged' more than one or two
votes. That Ohio vote put him up
alongside of Seward. The next ballot
brought the victory, anu the naughty,
lord-like Seward goose was cooked
Il don't know that this arrangement
OF seats in the convention was poten-
tial for the nomination of Lincoln; but
l have always believed that if Penn
sylvania had been placed within the
sphere of Thurlow Weeds influence we
shouldn't have come within SO votes
of success. AS for Ohio, if that state
had been near New York it would
never have broken for Lincoln as it
did, and the result would have been
Stewards nomination, and defeat at the
polls, for all the pro-slavery and con-
sentative elements would have COM
bined against the irrepressible con-
fiict' man and crushed him, thus elect
ing Douglas"
After Mr.. Lincoln became president
his relations with Mr.. Medill contin-
ued to be of the most friendly charac-
ter. The two men met occasionally in
the White House, and they maintained
a steady correspondence. Commune
cation was kept up between the presi-
dent and Mr.. Medill through the me-
diary offices of Schuyler Colfax and E.
3. Washburne. Mr.. Medil1, when he
wanted to reach the president, would
write long letter to Colfax, CRITICS.
ing, questioning, doubling. And
stralghtway Colfax would repair to the
White House in the evening and read
the letter to Lincoln, noting as he went
along the presidents defenses, replies
and counter assertions, which, indeed,
the letter had been framed to elicit.
And these in turn would form the body
OF Celfax's reply to Medill.