Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1909-01-22

Gave Us Two Presidents.
THE Twenty Third Ohio was the
only regiment that gave the country
two Presidents The Forty-Second Ohio
gave one, and the Twenty First Illinois
gave one, but the Twenty-Third Ohio
stands alone among the thousand or
more regiments In the Union army, and
the men Of the regiment have been
touching elbows ever since they left
the service. Scammon, the first colonel
In the field, never lost sight of his men,
and when Hayes came to the Presidency
he did not forget them 1t is not gen.
orally known that in 1875 many Of
Hayes political advisers were opposed
to his nomination for a third term as
governor Of Ohio, while his soldier
friends favored it.
"The politicians interested in Hayes
and looking forward to his nomination
for the Presidency in 1876 held that to
enter the race for governor in 1875
would put him out of the Presidential
race. He had been elected governor in
1867, defeating Allen G. Thurman; and
reelected in 1869, defeating George H.
Pendleton. In 1873 the Democrats
elected their candidate for governor for
the first time in many years, and the
successful candidate, William Allen,
was renominated in 1875. To reclaim
the State, the Republicans asked Hayes
10 n third topYn corIi1oto
His closest political friends insisted
that he could not afford to enter the
contest Allen would poll the full
strength of his party, and Hayes, If de-
feated, or elected by small majority,
could not be regarded a Presidential
possibility. His old comrades, how
ever insisted that to win in such con-
test would give Hayes great prestige,
and, believing he would win, they clam
ored for his nomination.
wires were pulled on both sides,
those who were most ambitious for
Hayes, working quietly among influ-
entail delegates to prevent his nom1na-.
ton, and the soldier element working.
openly and zealously to bring it about.
Uncertainty continued until the very
day the convention was to nominate.
On that day | was in Chicago, and
called, with some Twenty-Third Ohio
friends, on William Henry Smith, then
general manager of the Western Asso-
ciated Press.
''Mr Smith was as ardent Hayes;
In
the governors confidence and also in
the confidence of those who, on that
day, believed they were in control of the
Ohio convention. We went to him for
news, and to urge him to use his infiu-
ence to bring about the nomination Of
Hayes He smiled at our earnestness
and said we were on the wrong tack.
Hayes would not be nominated. He
knew the situation like a book, and
knew what he was talking about. But
the convention was about to ballot,
and we might wait for news over his
convention wire.
1--WE waited. Several dispatches came,
Indicating purpose on the part Of the
convention not to be stampeded. Mr..
Smith called our attention to these in
dications and was declaring his plans
were working well when dispatch was
put in his hand which read: Hayes
nominated in a whirl Of widest enthu-
siasm.' without waiting for more the
Twenty-Third boys threw their hats to
the ceiling and danced around the dazed
Mr.. Smith as thought they meant to
scalp him.
'The plans of the wire-pullers had
gone wrong; the soldier instinct of
plunging into a fight had prevailed.
Mr.. Smith accepted the situation, but
He never forgave us for that war dance.
Hayes, pulled into the contest against
his own Judgment and against the adj
vice Of the shrewdest political man
ayers in the country, won over Allen,
was nominated President over Blaine in
the Republican national convention Of
1876; at Cincinnati, and was elected"
Chicago Inter Ocean.