Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1910-02-23
new NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The "No" That Made Gen. Arthur
President.
By z. j. EDWARDS.

4
cy by succession and to his nomina-
ton and election as president little
over three years later.
Whenever l recall this incident l al
ways think Of the moment when Ches-
| ter A. Arthur stood unconsciously at
the parting Of the ways-when, had
he gone the other way, he probably
never would have sat in the presiden-
tial chair Not until now have told
the incident, although | came into pos
session of the facts years ago, few
days after Gen. Arthur had been re-
moved by President Hayes as collec-
tor of the port of New York.
This occurred in 1877, and those who
were In the inner circle of politics of
that day had reason to suspect that
Arthur was removed as part of the
game of political chess which had for
its object the nomination of John
Sherman for president to succeed
| Hayes. At that time the New York
custom house was the most powerful
political influence, in the sense Of con-
trolling party organization, in the
United States. If John Sherman were
to be nominated for president 1t would
be of the highest Importance that the
New York custom house should not
be unfriendly to him. Gen. Arthur
had been for years an intimate per-
sonal and political friend of Roscoe
Conkling. The latter was opposed to
the Sherman candidacy, and under
Gen. Arthur the custom house could
not be so employed politically as to
aid in the proposed John Sherman
| nomination. So Arthur was removed
as the ports collector, that one friend
ly to Sherman might WELD the great
influence of the custom house.
A few days after his removal by
President Hayes called upon Gen.
Arthur at his newly opened law Office.
While we were talking l noticed that
the general opened and shut drawer
in his desk several times. At last,
with some sign of hesitation, he took
letter from the drawer. He turned
to me and said, 81 have been wonder
ing whether l should let you know
what is in this letter. | think / will,
but l can't give you a copy of it, be-
cause copies are sometimes lost or
mislaid. wouldn't let anyone take a
copy of It,"
Having said this, he drew the letter
from its envelope and read it to me-
/ 1t was communication from Wash
ington, in which Gen. Arthur was in
formed by John Sherman that, If he
were willing to accept the mission to
The Hague, or to Belgium, or to
Switzerland. or even to Denmark, the
president would be very glad to ap
point him.
AS he read the letter | realized its
great Importance, and when he had
finished / assured him that l would
carefully guard the missiVe If he
would let me take it away and show
it to Charles A. Dana, the editor of
the New York Sun, who was then and
always a warm personal friend of
Gen. Arthur.
mo" said the general, Il had rather
not let the letter go out of my hands,
but you can tell Mr.. Dana what it con-
tains, and say to him that l will gladly
show it to him if he will call here"
Have you answered it?" / asked
Yes, have answered it. l said
that would prefer to remain a private
citizen, and return to the practice of
law in New York, rather than to live
outside the United States"
THAT offer was made so as to pre-
vent the necessity of removing you as
collector of the port" said.
Gen. Arthur returned the letter
to the envelope. Then, looking at me
with a whimsical smile, he said: "It is
capable Of that inference"
Had Gen. Arthur fallen into the
/ political trap, so to speak. set for him
by the Hayes administration, to keep
1t from having to perform the dis
agreeable work of removing him as
collector of the port of New York. he
would have been out of the country
when the Republican national conven-
ton of 1880 met He would have been
our minister at either The Hague, Bel
GUM, switzerland, or Denmark, Of
three years standing. He would have
lost his immediate personal grip on
New York politics. He would not have
headed the New York delegation to
the convention. He would have been
'out of sight, out of mind" And be-
cause of this fact, in all probability,
when the New York delegates were
given the privilege of selecting the
candidate for vice-president the name
of Chester A. Arthur would not have
been considered. And so another than
it's bearer would have succeeded James
R. Garfield as president of the United
States.
Copyright, 1863. by E. j. Edwards.)