The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1901-03-15
In the Life of Ex-Presi-
dent Harrison.
SELECTION OF. BLAINE
As Secretary of State--Story
of Harrison's Nomination
For the Presi-
dency.

quirer, says
When the army under General Sher-
man was advancing from Chattanooga
upon Atlanta, in May, 1864, came up
to the headquarters of Colonel Ben Har
rison, who was then commanding a
brigade, command he had held in
highly creditable manner for more than
year. The colonel was having his
supper prepared and invited me to join
him, which l gladly did. had griev-
ance against Governor Morton, and re-
lated 1t to Colonel Harrison, and then
made some remarks to the effect that
he was being treated unfairly in not
having been promoted to the rank of
brigadier general. To this he replied
in almost the following words:
Morton is laying his plans to make
himself president, and he will not per-
NIT the promotion by the war depart
ment of any Indiana colonel who is not
in a measure his abject tool. But it will
do him no good. stand great deal
better show of being president than he
does, and you can expect to see me in
that Office before he will get it."
At that time | thought that Colonel
Harrison merely meant to say to me
that while he would never be president
he had even better chance to get the
office than had Morton. In after years
| came to believe that Harrison had
aspired to the Office from boyhood, and
that every act of his life was controlled
by that ambition.
In the winter of 1896 | met Mr.. Blaine
in New York by his invitation. | shall
not try to give anything but the sub
stance of the talk had with him as TO
the nominee in 1883. He said that he
knew the extent of his control of the
machinery of the Republican party, and
that he could no doubt nominate him
self, but that he could not be elected,
and that he would not hazard party
success merely to make a losing race.
He said that he thought Harrison, of
Indinana, would make good candidate,
and he felt certain that he could nomi7
nate him, but said he: my own ambi-
tion is to serve out the balance of my
term as secretary of stAte-that part Of
it which Arthur deprived me of, and II
Harrison is willing to accept my aid in
exchange for that Office in case of sue
cess, | will do what l can to help him
get the nomination" He then asked me
to think over the matter and write him
later. was then residing at San Fran
cisco.
In May, 1886, wrote Mr.. Blaine, Civ
ing hin my views of the plan he had
proposed. | sent copy of that letter
to General Harrison. %.
kept no copy of my letter to General
Harrison, having sent that to Nc.
Blaine, but the answer of the general
gave an idea of the feeling he had on
the subject of which wrote him. When
/ received his letter l wrote Mr.. Blaine
that he could count on making any kind
of terms wanted with Harrison If In
diana went Democratic as i was con-
fdent 1t would, but we would have to
wait until Ben felt the awful humilia-
tion of defeat for second term in the
senate.
Tho election in Indiana resulted in
Democratic victory, and Immediately |
wrote him as Mr.. Blaine had suggested
| should. The copy of my letter sent
to Mr.. Blaine.
l had heard so many men "retire
from politics" just after defeat, and
found them crazy to enlist again in the
next campaign II they could get a nomi.
nation, that knew Mr.. Harrison would
do as Mr.. Blaine desired, at least so far
as making any kind of promise would
be compliance with the desire. felt
that he could be depended on as in the
race, and so wrote Mr.. Blaine, inclosing
copy of the letter just quoted My
next move was to reach Mr.. Harrison
through General John c. New, who had
faithfully supported Mr.. Blaine in 1884,
and who was then very close to Mr..
Harrison. Mr.. New visited me in San
Francisco in the spring of 1887 ), and un-
dertook to renew the negotiations ver-
bally with Harrison. While Mr.. New
was and is my friend, he is very
discreet man, and he came all the way
across the continent in the fall to tell
me that he had no doubt that IL the
matter should be presented again to Mr..
Harrison he would in some way give
q written promise, or something equal
to 1t, that IL nominated and elected he
would give Blaine the state department.
In this view of the situation l again
wrote General Harrison in December
1887, telling him that Mr.. Blaine and his
friends did not want to put any man In
the great Office who would overlook
the man who would make the nomina-
tion possible. Without saying so In
words, practically said in effect that
was voicing Mr.. Blaine's feelings. Mr.
Blaine was then in Italy, think, OF
was abroad somewhere, but ] sent a
copy of my letter to Harrison to him
In January, 1888, I received an answer
to that letter from Mr. Harrison. In
his answer he said that he still was not
seeking the nomination, and that he
did not think 1t was seriously pursuing
him, but If 1t was, and should overtake
him, and an election should follow 1t
he would not for one moment think OF
offering the Office of secretary of state
to any man other than Mr.. Blaine, un'
less Mr.. Blaine should refuse 1t.
i Before Mr.. Blaine went abroad he hat
annotntpd Mr. s. Il EIl(ins NJ Wez