The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-17

or the events described and the manner or
narrating them, When all these elements
combine autobiography possesses a charm
peculiarly its own "Recollections OF
Lifetime" by General r.. Brinkernon. OF
Ohio, possesses in a high degree the attrac-
lions of frankness. a pleasant anecdotal
style and many interesting experiences.
During the eventful years OF the last half
century there are but few men who have
had a more varied career or have been
connected with more events OF interest
than General Brinkerhoff In many ways.
as educator, lawyer. editor, soldier, states
man. orator and philanthropst he has been
active and prominent. Now, at the ripe
age of seventy-one years, he writes his
"reminiscences. An autobiographer has the
advantage OF knowing the facts OF his life
better than anybody else and also OF know
ing what is best worth narrating General
Brinkerhoff gives the salient points OF his
private life and public career from child
hood to old age. General readers WILL of
course, find most interesting those parts
which relate TO public events with which
the author was connected. and prominent
persons with whom he was at different
times associated. One passage OF this
can, General Brinkerhoff became. in 1869,
an ardent advocate of free trade and was
employed by the Free-trade League 10
speak and work for the cause. In the
election OF congressman in 1870 several
revenue reform Republicans were elected
and the free-traders INDUCED the hope or
getting control of the ways and means
committee in the House. The author says;
In the Congress quite number OF Re
publicans were tariff reformers, especially
in the House, and among them We're such
as Garfield, of Ohio; Allison, of Iowa; Fin
keburg of Missouri, and Others. There
were enough of them TO compel recogni-
ton in the election of a speaker and the
appointment of committees. In fact by
combining with the Democrats, they could
elect speaker but of course this would
be last resort. Mr.. Blaine was candi-
date for reelection as speaker or the In
coming Congress, and he soon discovered
that he was likely to have opposition from
the friends of tariff reform in his own
party, and that ii might be serious, and
so he finally invited a private conference
of free-traders In New York. OF course,
this conference was entirely secret. Mr..
Blaine stopped at one hotel, and the tariff
reformers, of whom L was one, were at an
other. We appointed committee OF three
| TO meet Mr. Blaine, which, If remember
rightly, consisted of William b. Allison,
Horace White and Charles Nordhon. After
conference our committee reported that
Mr.. Blaine was willing to agree that in
| case he was permitted to be reelected
party he would agree that majority of
| the ways and means committee should be
| tariff reformers, and that its chairman
| should be tariff reformer satisfactory to
| U.S. and desired us to name him. This prop
| ostion of Mr. Blaine was quite a surprise
| TO all of us, and of course 1t was very sat
| isfactory, and we accepted IL and named
Garfield as our man for chairman of the
| ways and means committee. With this ar
| rangement consummated the conference
came to an end and Mr.. Blaine had no fur
| Their opposition. The managers of the Free
| trade League, however, felt that some one
| should be on hand at Washington to look
after legislation, and especially to see that
the arrangements with Mr. Blaine were
| carried out properly, and SO / was APP
pointed to attend to it,"
After referring to the conferences of the
| tariff reformers held at his rooms, attended
| by both Republican and Democratic MEM
| bers, the author continues:
1--WE were fully assured that with ways
| and means committee and Garfield to lead
| 1t we could control the House in favor of
revenue reform. We were entirely correct
| in our calculations, provided Speaker
| Blaine kept faith with u.s. but unfortunate
| ly he did not and we were left in the cold
| Blaine was slow in announcing his COM
| mittees, and many days passed by without
definite action. L saw him frequently but
| did not press him, as / knew he had diff
| ficult task. At last, one day when the
| House was in session, Blaine saw me on
| the floor and sent page with a note ask
/ ing me to meet him In the hall. He then
| called Some one to the chair, and as he
went out of the south door / went out of
| the north door, and went around and met
him. He took me down to the basement
and into a room he called his den. He
| then locked the door and went to a cup
board and brought out some refreshments
| and we sat down at a little table After "a
| while he told me he wanted TO talk to me
| about the ways and means committee and
| to ask my opinion in regard to "A cast of
| the committee that was in his mind He
| took pencil and a slip of paper from a
| drawer and wrote down nine names and
| then turned 1t around for me to read. I
| saw that he kept his finger on the paper
| and that he did not intend to let me take il
| away, and so / took a little time to study
| It's makeup and get it clearly I'm my
was not carrying out his agreement
| because Dawes was at the head as chair
| man, and not Garfield. / saw, also as |
1 looked over the list that a ma jority of the
| committee were not revenue reform men,
| although II was combination calculated
| to deceive any one not fully posted on in
dividual records. That a breach of faith
was medftated was evident enough but
| just what to do about IL was not so evil
| dent, and SO asked questions to gain time
| as well as information. I asked him why
| Dawes instead of Garfield was at the hea Il
| He said, That is what want to talk about
| especially, for | find Ii will make trouble
/ to give Garfield the craftsmanship and II
seems to Inc that Dawes is sufficiently i'm
| harmony with you people to be satisfactory
| and the very fact that he Is not an extreme
| man Will be an advantage to you I'm the
| House Garfield, he said. had not had suffi-
| Gent service on the committee TO entitle