Omaha daily bee., 1910-08-05
FAMOUS PLEDGE THAT FAILED
RecOllectiOns of Allan @. Thurman
and Prudential Campaign
of 1888.

and Prudential Campaign
of 1888. p.
The death of Allen o. Meyers on his stock
farm In Ohio several days ago has recalled
to Ohio democrats and others an interesting
episode in his life when he was one OF the
crack political correspondents of the Gin
cinnat Enquirer.
In 1888 Allen CRANBERRY Thurman, the
noble old Roman democrsL of Ohio, was
nominated at St Louis fc/ vice president
at the time Cleveland Ias renominated
for president. Cleveland ia his first admin
istration. in the esdn Etion Of old time
democrats. had been little too partial to
the Independent votes of the country,
and Thurmans nomi jAtion fer vice pres
ident was a recognition Of the democrats
who believed that the democratic ma
tional administration should have been more
friendly to democrats seeking public office.
Nothing though, could have saved C1eve-
land in that election, in the Judgment of
many Of his old time friends, for the rea-
son that he had preeipitated the Mills
tariff bill upon the country on the eve Of
the national election, and in the opinion
of the late William G. Whitney and other
democrats, some now living, the people
had had too short a time in which to d.
gest the merits of the Mills bill and Ac-
cordingly Cleveland and Thurman went
down to defeat. That part of the record,
however, has little to- do with the Myers
story. s.4- t,ss
As the 1888 campaign progressed Calvin
Stewart Brice, then chairman OF the dem
acrotic national committee, conceived the
idea of having a greet i demonstration in
Madison Square garden, New York City.
He believed it would be, a good thing to
bring Thurman on from his home in Column
bus to speak on that occasion to the demo-
Gratis OF New York city So one day Brice
sent his private car toSColumbus to bring
Thurman on to the metropolis. That car
was well stocked with all pleasant things
in the way Of food and drink.
Thurman before leaving his home and
boarding the car had been importnned by
his wife, whom he fondly addressed as
Mary my DEAR not to drink anything
on his trip to New York. Thurman at the
time was 70 years old. He had been ac-
customed to stimulants for sixty years.
He was a whisky dTinker. He was no
drunkard, but was accustomed to whisky
and water with his meals, especially at
dinner. Nevertheless Thurman made that
promise to Mary. my dear" and on the
trip from Columbus to New York Myers,
the late Beriah wilkins, part owner of the
Washington Post, Allen G. Thurman, jr.,
and several others had great fun at the
meals in Brice's car in hearing the noble
old Roman" Thurman, say, mo drinks for
me on this trip. 1 promised Mary
wouldn't take a spoonful"
| Brice's car was a small one; it was tackled
to a heavy Pennsylvania train, and from
columbus to New York there was many a
curve around which that car was snapped
like a whiplash. Several in 1t were made
| car sick. AS a matter of fact at the meals
In the car Thurman, Wilkins, Myers and
j all present believed that the occasion was
too important for them to take anything
but coffee or tea or lemonade, and 1t was
a frazzled and nervous party when 1t pulled
into Jersey City. Besides, it was hotter
than Tophet.
Thurman was quickly conveyed to the
Fifth Avenu hotel, and that evening he
was escorted to the great demonstration
in Madison Square Garden. AS he entered
the Garden he was attacked by nausea.
He was able to say only few words, and
one republican newspaper in New York
City, not knowing the circumstances and
being besides imbued with strong anti-dem-
ocratic sentiments, said the following morn
ing that Thurman couldn't speak because
he was drunk and that his sickness was due
to overindulgence in stimulants on the way
from Columbus TO New York City.
Allen D. Myers Allen G. Thurman, Jr.,
and the others were quite disposed to be
angry over this, anyway they were very
much chagrined. The sickness of Thurman
and his inability to speak on the occasion
mentioned were due, in the opinion Of a
physician called at the time, to the fact that
Thurman, who had been accustomed t.
stimulants all his life, had in one of the
great episodes of his career, involving un-
usual nervous tension refused them.
The following night Thurman was to
speak in Newark, and Myers and the old
Romans son. Allen c., and others in the
, party suggested to. Thurman that while
1t was all very well to keep his promise tC
May, my dear" perhaps 'MaFy, my
dear" did not quite understand the sltua
ton, and in his advice the New York CITY
: physician agreed. So running out t.
Newark in Brice's private car Meyers gav'
the noble old Roman a pretty stiff drinl
of whiskey, just about half an hour befort
> he was to speak, and Thurman when h
got upon his feet in hot and sitting hal
damned to the ceiling made one Of tn
tidiest democratic speeches of his life.
On his return to Columbus Thurman ex
: planned in his quaint and quizzical wa,
to Mary, my dear" just how he was com
! PEELED to break his promise TO her, but evei
to this day many believe that story printe
by that republican newspaper that Thur
:, man was drunk at the Madison Squar
|. Garden meetlng-New York SUI
: "