The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-10-04

Ito favor Tilden.
How Bradley Saved the Day.
Here interviewed the strange caprice
of fortune. 4 Senatorial contest was
in progress in Illinois, with John a.
Logan. the incumbent, an active can
didate for reelection The Legisla-
ture was ~sonearlya tie betweenth Re
pEbI;cans and Democrats that five
independents" held the balance OF
power. They supported Justice Davis.
and after a prolonged struggle the
Democrats united with them and cred
tied him as Logan's successor. Then
Davis resigned from the Supreme
Court TO take hs seat II the Senate.
and Bradley, the next ranking jus
tee. was made the fifteenth member
OF the commission Bradley was a
Republican, and his selection gave
THAT party a majority of the commits
sion, whose every vote proved to be
La vote on strictly partisan lines. A
vote of eight Republicans to seven
Democrats decided all disputed ques-
lions in favor of the Republicans, and
though the process of decision was
slow-not until two days before the
date set by the Constitution for the
Inauguration OF the new President
was the counting finish it was duly
de determined that Louisiana, Florida
and South Carolina had cast their
electoral votes for Hayes. who was
declared elected. Chambers shrewd-
ness and foresight lost Tilden the
r,---=1-,~- -. ,,1;1, ~ I,,5 I>oo,
elected by a popular majority of we
25O. 900. n~7- t~-7
Dwight NJ. Sabin. Of Minnesota, was
chairman of the Republican National
COMMITTEE in 1880. but the real man
Iager of Garfield's successful campaign
in that year was ex-senator Stephen
w, Dorsey, of Arkansas. Than Dor
sey few Americans of recent times
have had a more ~checkered career.
He was born in Vermont and reared
in Ohio and fought as a private sol
der in the Civil War. Then he be-
came cashier of a bank in Oberlin,
but h life vas too duh and slow for
him. SO he borrowed money. went
South and Tor six cents a pound in
gold bought cotton, which he tool to
Mobile. repairing the railroad and
running the engine which carried it
himself, and sold for so cents a pound.
1t toOi him a week to travel so miles
by 2 shakE and di!apiaated railroad.
bat he made 100000 by the enterprise.
He invested il all and as much more
as he could borrow, in a stock of goods
which, sold in Alabama, yielded him
within a year a profit OF 100000.
Dorsey's ucces now attracted the
attention of capitalists. Who engaged
him TO establish a tool mpa in
S~andusky. The city Of Sapdusky gave
him valuable property and Wharfage
rights to encourage the enterprise.
and The tool company quickly became
one of the biggest industrial concerns
in The West.
II was not long. however. before
Dorsey was induced to accept the
Presidency of the Arkansas Central
railway, which was such a financial
wreck that its stock had no market
value Five years later the road was
a fiourishing condition and Dorsey
was a millionaire. In 1873. when he
was 81 years old, he was elected a
Federal Senator from Arkansas. A
year later he Vas Il bankrupt. and gave
everything over to his creditors. In
1850 he was again a millionaire, made
so by speculation in New Mexico cat
tie lands prosecuted on borrowed
money. The same G he managed
G~Orfield's campaign with vim and en-
erGy and without scruple as to the
weapons he employed. Then the Star
Route scandal burst upon the country.
and Dorsey was caught in it and
swept from his feet. 1t left him a
bruised and broken man. His name
still appeared now and then in the
wspapers, but his financial sun had
set, and he will never regain either
youth or fortune. while with politics
he has had nothing to do for years.
Yet his past carecr has had a meteoric
brllliancy that will make it long re-
memberod.
Pitted against Dorsey in 1880 was
William Fl. Rarnum. of Connecticut,
then chairman of the Democratic Ma
tiOnal Committee Barnum was a
horn fighter. He not only set forth
good qualities OF his own candi-