Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1904-08-19


subtle and mastery stra tegy to noml-
nate Sey mour. 1t had been arranged
that Seymour, who had been chosen
President of the convention. was 10
leave the chair TO nominate Chase.
This moment was seized by T1lden for
the fultillment of his purpose, aud
when Seymour called another to pre-
side, an Ohio delegate, shrewdly Sc
lected for the occasion, sprang TO his
feet and demanded the nomination of
Seymour. the acknow lodged leader OF
the Democracy. Men In other deega-
tions. previously assigned to their
tasks, swelled the hurrah for Seymour,
and when some of the New York dele
gates Joined In the cheering, the end
became evident to all Your candi-
date | cannot be-" said Seymour, In
faltering tone, as he left the plat
form, but the wave surged ON, and
he WAS made the nominee by prac-
tically unanimous vote. Seymour pre-
vailed upon to consider the subject re-
luctantly submitted to the result thus
achieved. and-went to crushing de-
feat at the polls. receiving but eighty
votes in the electoral college to PA for
Grant.
Eight years later, when Tilden was
himself candidate and the Presi-
dency seemed within his grasp, his
part in the undoing of Chase returned
to plague him. Kate Chase Sprague,
daughter of the Chief Justice, was
long the most brilliant woman In
Washington society, counting among
her friends and admirers many of the
ablest men in public life. One of these
was Roscoe Conkling, long a Senator
from New York. The vote of Louisi-
ana determined the contest between
Tilden and Hayes before the Electoral
Commission of 1877, and, under the
bill creating the latter body, 1t re
qulred the approval of the Senate TO
assure the electoral vote of that State
to either candidate. Had II been given
to Tilden he would have been the
President. Many Republicans, Conk-
ling among them, believed that 11lden
had been rightfully elected and in
ed to throw the vote of that body in
his favor, providing Conkling would
lead such n course. This he agreed to
do, but failed to appear at the critical
moment, and the anti-Hayes Repub-
licans, thus left without leader fell
back TO their party lines and gave the
vote to Louisiana and the Presidential
certificate to Hayes. 1t came out aft
erward that Conkllng's failure to keep
his word was due to the influence and
cajolery of Mrs. Sprague who thus
avenged the defeat of her father
nomination.
Payne and Thurman Foes.
In 1880 the unrelenting animosity of
Henry Il. Payne alone prevented Allen
6. Thurman from being made the
nominee of the Democratic national
convention. In 1857 Payne was can
didate for the Democratic nomination
for Governor of Ohio. The conyen-
ton met in Columbus, and Thurman,
then fresh from a period of brilliant
service on the Supreme Bench of his
State, had friend In whose candidacy
for State Treasurer he was much in
terested. Some of Payne's lieutenants,
without his knowledge. promised
Thurman the support OF the Payne
forces for his friend In return for the
votes he controlled in the convention.
Payne won out by a handsome mar
gin; but the Thurman candidate for
Treasurer failed at the last moment
TO receive the promised support of the
Payne following, and was defeated.
Payne was not aware of the trick that
had been played upon Thurman, but
the latter. who scorned double-dealing
in any form, was quick to resent it,
The quarrel ever after kept the two
men apart, and three and twenty years
later thwarted Thurman's highest am
bition. In 1880 he WAS candidate
for the Presidential nomination before
the Democratic national convention.
Had he had the untinching support OF
the Ohio delegation. there is little
doubt that he would have been the
nominee. The delegation was solid
for him ON the first ballot. Then 1t
broke and the chances of his nomina-
ton vanished into thin air. Payne
was behind the break. The delegates
from the district in which his influ-
ence was supreme led it and were
strongest in the claim which STAN
peded the convention to dark horse.
AS ONO was then an October State
and practically certain to go for Gar
field. the result would be disastrous to
the Democratic cause. That argument
defeated Thurman and nominated
Hancock, and the revenge of Payne
was complete.
The influence of a personal enemy
twice cost James G.. Blaine the Presi-
dency. In 1876 he lost a nomination
that was equivalent to an election by
his refusal to give certain man the