The Washington herald., 1908-03-08
HER AMBITION FOILED
KATE CHASE SPRAGUE DISAPPOINTED lN
HER GREATEST UNDERTAKING.

names considered were Gen. Hancock,
George II. Pendleton, Of Ohio, and
Thomas A. Hendricks. OF Indiana The
plans Of the Chief Justices friends. which
were conducted under cover, were to bring
! forward his name when the convention
had become weary OF the prolonged dead
lock
Mrs. Sprague who had gone 70 New
York. was in hourly communication with
Tammany Hall by messengers, and
through them she directed the men whom
she trusted. Anxiously she waited Tor
the moment of the great hurrah when
1t was believed her father would carry
Everything by storm Upon her arrival
( in New York she had sent for the shrewd
party manager. Samuel j. Tilden-him-
/ self eight years later his party's candi-
date--and August Belmont. the head of
the Democratic national organization. and
these gentlemen she urged TO take up
her fathers cause. For time she sue
ceeded in creating a widespread impress
sion that these leaders would further her
/ fathers ambition when the favorable mo-
ment came. The Joyful news was brought
10 her on the fourth day of the conven-
/ ton that Chase's name had been voted
/ for by a delegate from California. that
Tammany Hall was wild with enthusiasm,
! that all business had been suspended and
that the gallery was CiamoTing for
! his nomination The expected break
among the candidates did not come, how
ever, and II was later observed that the
stupidity of the Chief Justices agents
was responsible for the failure TO force
stampede. Had the daughter been able
TO go upon the floor and talk TO the dele
gates she might have been able TO per-
suade the leaders at the critical moment
and have swung the convention to the
Chief Justice
The strongest opposition. however
came from his own State-OhiO-and his
enemies from there were the ones who
demanded the nomination of HOratiO Sey-
mour Almost instantly there was one Of
those strange impulses which sometimes
spring forth in gatherings like these, and
all other candidates were abandoned. and
| in a few minutes the work was done, and
| Kate Chase Sprague's efforts were
brought to naught. and her great ambi-
/ ton was thwarted. leaving her most
unhappy woman. She later expressed her
/ feelings IN letter 10 her father. You
have been cruelty deceived and shame
fully abused by the men in whom you
trusted implicitly. Mr.. Tilden and Mr..
Seymour have done this work. and Mr.
John Van Buren has been their tool"
. .
Thus ended the last hope Of an almost
accomplished dream. and this woman
possessed Of so much personal charm and
power was forced TO abandon her great
desire and turn her arts away from poll
tics TO a great extent although eight
years later when the struggle for the
Presidency was again al its height. Il
was believed by many that so great was
her power still that L was at her instance
the electoral commission bill was intro
duced. by which Mr.. Hayes was success
/ full over Mr.. Tilden. This was in order 70
punish the latter gentleman for his part
| in blocking her plans for the nomination
of her father.
In the social world her triumphs were
her great success in all fields, a friend Of
hers said: 1T is because when she is
talking to you. you feel that you are the
very person she wanted to meet: that she
has forgotten your existence the next
moment is an afterthought-"
About the time Of the financial crash
Of 1913. which brought about the dissipa-
ton of the Sprague millions. it began to
be rumored that the domestic relations OF
the family were not as they should be.
and that. though living in the same house,
the husband and wife were not on speak
ing terms, and that the handsome Senator
| from New York. Roscoe COnkling. was the
cause. Whenever he entered the floor OF
the Senate with what Blaine called his
turkey-gObbler strut. 10 deliver a speech,
/ il was an unusual occurrence If Mrs.
Sprague was not his most intense listener
/ in the gallery. Complications followed. and
in 1879 there was a sensational report CT
the separation Of the Spragues at Nara
gansett Pier. and the flight of the wife.
Later there was a divorce granted. and Mrs.
Sprague was henceforth krOwn as Miss
Kate Chase. for the next twenty years her
fortunes were varied. After a stay in
Paris she returned 20 the scene of her
! former splendor and power. but, alas, a
new generation had taken hold of public
affairs. and she found herself with few
/ friends.
When Chief Justice Chase first came TO
Washington he purchased tract of
land, including about two hundred and
/ fifty acres. two miles from the city. and
on this was large red brick house. which
commanded view of the Capitol. To
this home his daughter gave the name of
''Edgewood," and here were spents the
happiest years Of her life with her father.
1t was here she lived upon her return to