Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1911-08-23
new NEWS or YESTERDAY
Story Of the One Vote That Be-
came a Majority.
How One Lone Delegate in Republican
Convention of 1880 Finally Brought
About Nomination of James
A. Garfield.
BY E. j. EDWARDS.

OSF great OUllSdJlOu IL you WOulu
give me information respecting the
personality and purpose Of that voci-
ferrous delegate from your state who
is casting the solitary vote reported
by the secretary of this convention for
James A. Garfield" said Roscoe Conk-
ling at the Chicago Republican con-
vention of 1880, to Matthew Stanley
Quay, the leader of the Pennsylvania
delegation.
Il can't explain, Senator" Mr.. Quay
replied. He is a delegate from the
Hazleton district, and he is disobey-
ing the instructions of that district,
which commanded him to vote for
the nomination of General Grant
Why he is voting for Garfield / don't
know. But it is only one vote, and
that doesn't mean anything"
Sometimes one vote becomes ma
jority vote" Senator Conkling an
swered, grimly.
And so, curiously enough, it happen
ed in this case. The lone delegate
from the anthracite coal region of the
keystone state cast his vote with
such unvarying regularity for James
A. Garfield that at last attention be-
came fixed upon the delegate and the
man he was voting for. and by one of
those curious psychological moods that
often descend upon a crowd, the name
of James A. Garfield fired the imagin-
alton Of the delegates and the majority
vote Of the convention had been much
prolonged in vain attempt to decide
upon one Of the prominent candidates.
The name of this original Garfield
man, in the real meaning of that term.
was Alexander Greer, a banker of Luz
erne, Pa, a man of high character,
who, when he was elected a delegate
to the national convention, was pre-
sumed to be in full accord with the
sentiment of his district, which favor
ed the nomination of General Grant
for a third term. So, when his soil
tary insistence upon Garfield had at
last turned the convention in that di-
rection, the report was sent broadcast
that Mr.. Greer had been induced to
vote for Garfield with this temptation
before his eyes; that, in the event of
Garfield's election, Mr. Greer would
be appointed to an important position
in the treasury department. THAT is
to be Greer's reward" was the COM
mon saying; and following Garf1eld's
triumph at the polls, this opinion seem
ed to be justified when it was learned
that the new president had offered
Mr.. Greer the post of assistant secre-
tary of the treasury. But instead of
accepting the offer, as it was common
ly believed he would, Mr.. Greer de-
clined the appointment, and when ask
ed for the reason replied:
81 do not want any political Office. |
could not afford to accept any ap-
pointment / could not afford to give
up my business or my association with
my bank"
"Then it is not true that you went
to the Chicago convention determined
to support Garfield because you had
an ambition for an Office in the treas
ury?"
General Garfield did not know me;
| had never seen him until the Chi
cage convention was organized" was
the reply. II went to the convention
expecting fully to obey the instruc-
tons of my district convention and
vote for General Grant for president.
But when General Garfield made his
speech placing John Sherman in nom
ination for president, was so ire
mendously impressed by the personal
ity, the magnificent physique, the SUI
perb voice and the wonderful rhetoric
and eloquence of Garfield that | said
to myself, This man, in my opinion,
is the man who should be nominated
for president of the United States by
the Republican party. | backed that
opinion with my vote, even when |
received kilograms and powerful per-
sonal appeals urging me to change my
vote to General Grant; and as | con-
tinued to vote alone I grew more and
more convinced that my lone ballot
would eventually point the way to Gar
fields nomination.
81 was right in that belief | have
never regretted my vote for Garfield.
And in the triumph Of Garfield in the
convention I received all the payment,
or reward, that I shall ever care for.
Copyright 1910, by E. r. Edwards All
n 4 \