Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-09-16


by the whig members OF the Massa.
chusetts legislature. and polled the en-
ure vote OF the state. In 1910 he told
Ihuriow Weed confidentially before
the convention, that he expected to be
the wing candidate. Massachusetts
again stood by him, but Harrison was
nominated. Harrison's friends were
anxious to have Webster take the vice
presidential nomination, but he re-
fused. Webster supported Harrison
heartily. and was rewarded by the an
pointment Of secretary Of state.
Webster Stays in the Field.
He composed an inaugural address,
for the presidentelect, which Harrison
refused to use, because, as he said.
people would know it was not his. In
1913 Webster treated the possibility
of Zachary Taylor's nomination as
joke, and again refused an offer that
would have made him vice president.
sying: y shall remain in the field qs
a candidate for President am not
candidate for any other place"
After Taylors nomination he sup
ported him reluctantly, but only on
the ground that Van Buren, and Cass
were less worthy. and he was brutaIly
frank in his statement of his position.
Gen, Taylor has been nominated
fairly he said, in one of his speeches.
and | connot therefore, and shall NOT.
oppose his election. At the same
! time +hora ic No ,,oa, VT :.
the opinion that such a nomination
was not fit to be made Had Web
ster accepted the second place on the
ticket either in 1910 or 1S4S, he would.
| in each case, have been elected to
! the presidency, which he was destined
! never to reach. He made his last ap-
pear2nce as presidential candidate i
1852 Even his strongest supporters,
although they worked valianslv for
/ him, were convinced that his cause
was hopeless, but Webster kept up his
spirit till the last. On the morning Of
the convention he told a friend. 81
shall meet the Jesuit, whatever it may
be, with a composed mind"
Rufus Choate nominated him in an
eloquent speech, but his cause was
hopeless from the start. His highest
vote was 81 in a total of 293. AS one
writer remarks, Webster's composed
mind" failed him when he heard the
news. One of his friends who had at
tended the convention in Baltimore re-
turned to Washington, and went at
once to Webster's house. The de-
teated candidate met him at the door,
but asked not a word about the con
vention.
Choate arrived soon after, and the
family sat .cwn to tea but the cal
was finished without the convention
or its results being so much as men
TONED. Choate had an hours inter-
view with Webster after dinner, the
most affecting he had ever had he
said, and he likened the evening meal
to the first meal after the return
from the grf We, when the full force
of the berea ement seems to be real
lied Short after Choate's depart
ure a crow of enthusiastic wings,
celebrating ) colts nomination, stopped
before WeJster's house, serenaded
him with a band, and called for a
speech. Though told that he was not
well, and had retired for the night,
they would take no refusal, and he
finally appeared on the doorstep. He
made a stort speech which contained
no mention of Scott or of his disap-
pointment, concluding, "Of one thing,
gentlemen, l can assure you: that not
one amongst you will enjoy a sounder
nights sleep than l shall. | shall rise
in the morning God willing to the per-
! Torrance of my duty, with the lark,
and though l cannot equal Alm in
sweetness of song, he will not greet
the purpling east more joyous and jo-
cund than J."
Without question. defeat fastened
his end as it did Clay's. He soon left
! Washington for his home in Marsh
/ field, Mass. where he died before
the campaign was fairly under way,
refusing to the end to acquiesce in
SCOTS nomination, and even going
so far as to say that he would support
{ Pierce. AS he lay on his deathbed, a
letter was read to him from a Boston
friend, who expressed the hope that
he was still steadfast in his determin-
alton not to support Scott. Write TO
him." he said, and tell him to look
over toward Charlestown and see II
Bunker Hill monumen is still stand
ing
Stewards Defeat,