The Washington herald., 1908-03-09
MEN AND THINGS.

MEN AND THINGS.
Col. Harry Swords. who was sergeant
alarms OF the Republican National Com
mittee in 1SSS. 1882. and 1886. was in Wash
ington recently and dropped in at the
White House 10 pay his respects 10 Presi-
dent Roosevelt While he was standing
in the ante room, Senator Thomas II.
Garter. OF Montana, who was al the
head Of the Republican National Com
mittee in the Presidential campaign Of
| 1882, came along and greeted Col Swords
warmly.
Didn't ditch herr" he exclaimed as
he passed on into the Presidents Office
Yes, you certainly did" replied Col.
Swords with laugh.
What did Senator Carter mean when
he said Didn't ditch herr inquired an
interested onloOker.
7 think" answered Swords. that he
probably referred 10 the celebrated Presi-
dental campaign Of 1892, when Senator
Carter led the q. o. P. to defeat. How
ever, 1t was not Carter's fault II he did
ditch, as he says, the G. .. 2. train that
year. 1t was not in the cards for Us TO
win In 1892. and I don't think that any
other man at The head OF the G. o. ?.
national committee would have made any
better showing than Carter.
I was impressed with the fact Col
Swords continued. changing the subject.
how little any OF Us can read the future
when I ran into former Vice President
Levi p. Morton IN New York the other
day. Morton was left OF the ticket at
Minneapolis in 1882, you viii remember.
! because he was too old Harrison. Nc
/ Kinley. Blaine. and Hobart, and other
/ young men who figured cOnspicuOusIy
I in that convention have passed on the
! stage, but Gov Morton Is stiu In the
/ land Of the living and quite active. al
/ though he IS over eighty years Of age.
/ Il only shows that no man can tell
/ what fate may have In store for him."
/
( Stories OF the fabulous sums won IN
bets by the Republican national commit
tee in the first Harrison campaign in ISSS
have been printed from time to time.
Some estimates placed the total amount
at over 10000 As all Of the bets were
made through Col Swords, he was asked
II he would be willing. at this late day.
20 state the exact amount Of money that
he placed on eSe result that year
Naturally" he said. the figures were
/ greatly exaggerated By the newspapers
at the time. but I did succeed in betting
/ a little over $4,000 at even money. 1 had
! more money TO bet. but couldn't get any
more takers. ] wasn't betting my own
money, it is hardly necessary for me 10
say. nor the committees, either. The fact
/ IS. the money that was bet came mostly
\ from Pittsburg. A little syndicate was
I organized. and about 100000 was raised
TO bet on Harrison Perhaps Quay sug-
gested IL. for the moral effect Il would
have on the campaign. but. az any rate.
the members OF the syndicate all had
/ sporting blood in their veins and were
willing 10 take flyer on Quay's iudg-
ment. I don't Know. Of course. whether
the betting actually changed any votes
or not, but Z do know that il stiffened
our people u and put heart into them
/ I shall never forget the first night I
| appeared In the cafe of the old Hoffman
I House. which was then the recognized
I sporting headquarters, and offered %
wager $4,000 even money that Harrison
would defeat Cleveland. The place was
crowded. Up TO that time Git was about
/ three weeks before the election) no bets
/ had been made except at odds OF 2Ik 10
/ to l IN Cleyelands favor. PandemOnium
broke loose after 7 had made my an
/ nouncement. II was like exploding a
( bomb in a crowd The Republicans cheer
/ ed; the Democrats howled and hissed.
D Presently Ed Stokes had me put out of
the house for creating disturbance. but
I was back the next night and renewed
my offer. The first bet or $4,000 was
taken by sam Gideon. a bookmaker. Just
as soon as I would get one bet recorded
would lift UP my voice and offer an
other $1,000 on Harrison. Il had quite q
demoralizing effect The Democrats were
/ taken completely by surprise, and they
We're kept guessing from that time on to
/ the end Of the campaign
/ Delegate Tom Gale, Of Alaska. Is one
/ Of the interesting figures in the present
Congress. For many years Alaska was
without representation in Congress. 20
the great disgust Of the inhabitants.
It viii be many day" said Mr. Gale.
/ before II VIII be necessary 10 pay people
70 vote in Alaska, which IS, I believe. the
custom in many older and perhaps more
civilized communities Notwithstanding
I the tremendous distances and the sparselv
settled state OF the country. practically
every able-bOdied man went TO the polls
IN Alaska at our first election. Some OF
them journeyed long distances-frequently
forty, nifty, and sixty niies-just for the
privilege OF depositing their ballot. Let
me relate an actual Instance: a Swede
who had come a-foot to the polling place
! from a distance Of at least fifty miles
walked up to the clerk and said;
- tank want Gale and Westcott
ticket
"One was handed to him, and. after de-
posting u in the box, he turned 20 the
clerk and. taking out his pocketbook,
said: How much do 1 over
NOW. in the language OF the poets,
what do you think OF that?"
Mr.. Gale thinks that Alaska will have
sufficient population in very few years
to ask for admission to the Union as
State.