Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1901-07-24

tive rivalry Their efforts were direct
ed to conciliation and to common un
derstandlng which would rule out am
third candidate and limit the choice tc
the two chief contestants.
THE EARNEST COUNCIL OF sENA.
TOR JONES.
Of this class of advisers perhaps the
ablest and most effective was Senator
John p. Jones, of Nevada. His coun-
sci was clear-cut and earnest. "The
country wants either Grant or Blaine;
1t does not want a dark horse; If
Grant can't be nominated, then take
Blaine; if Blaine can't be nominated,
then take Grant; but don't let them
kill off each other, and so nominate a
candidate whom nobody wants." To
the writer, who met Senator Jones sew.
eral times in 1880 prior to the National
Convention, he invariably held this at
titude, and he indicated that he was as
sidiuously repeating the plea where it
| WOuiu uO lHe IuOSC BOOu.
The significance and Importance of
his position lay in the fact that he was
the close friend of Senator Conkling
and probably had more influence with
him than any other man in the country
except General Grant himself. Wholly
unlike in temperament and manner,
they had a rare intellectual affinity and
personal devotion. Then, as now. SEN
ator Jones had an extremely interest
ing personality. The range of his
knowledge was extraordinary; his mind
was singularly alert and fecund; his
not frequent speeches were perfect
magazines of research and information;
he had the liveliest sense of humor and
an ineXhaustible fund of anecdote; his
| talk was animated and brilliant, and
cleaned with wit and story and vivid
Illustration. Happily he still adorns
the Senate, and though perhaps less ac-
| tive than when he was the congenial
associate of "thc great ones gone for
ever by" his powers are yet undimm I'd.
but the past tense is used because this
is chapter of twenty-one years ago.
Besides furnishing the most entertain
ing and vivacius companionship, Sena-
tor Jones was one of the few men who
could face Mr. Conkling on equal terms
He was his peer as a Senator; he was
his match in repartee; he had neither
the timidity that shrinks nor the hon.
age that is blind; he could meet preju-
dice with persuasion, unreason with ri
dicule, and imperiousness with un-
abashed courage and consuming dis.
dain. All in all he had the position
and attributes that made him both the
devoted friend and the wholesome check
of the great New York Senator.
Though Senator Jones was favorable
to Grant, he was we'll disposed to
Blaine and firmly believed that party
sentiment and political sense dictated
the choice of one or the other. He con-
tended that Grant and Blaine both rep-
resented vigorous and aggressive party
spirit; that there was no antagonism OF
general purpose and policy, but only
the rival enthusiasm of equally strong
and earnest followers; and that it
would thwart the party will if the
friends of these chiefs who divided the
party between them, should carry their
contest to the point of defeating both
and throw &e nomination to some un.
known and unprecedented third can
didate who represented no popular de-
mand. This argument Senator Jones
ingenously and steadily pressed on Mr..
Conkling and the other Grant leaders
through the weeks proceeding the Ma
tional Convention.
BLAINE READY TO SEE HIS RIVAL
CHOSEN.
There were other circumstances and
incidents calculated to exercise an in
fluence in the same direction. Mr.
Conkliug could hardly fail to be beeply
impressed by an expression of Mr..
Blaine which came to him at that time.
Henry a.. Blair then Senator from
Hampshire was one of Blain's active
and Jealous supporters. In talking
with Mr.. Blaine one day he suggested
rather novel idea. He said in substance:
you know Mr.. Blaine, that / am your
devoted friend; | shall do all l can
to secure your nomination; but it is a
part of prudent men to provide an al
ternate course, and if it shall be found
impossible to naminate you whatdo you
want your friends to do?" Mr.. Blaine
replied that he was grateful to his
friends for their support, that he had
no right to ask anything of them be
yond that, and that in the contingency
suggested he could not undertake to ad-
wise them what they should do, and
they must judge for themselves. To
this Mr.. Blair rejoined: "Woll, for one,
| want positive man; | don't want