Evening journal., 1911-01-05
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Secret Campaign That Won
a Presidential Nomination
By "HoIlssd.r

Shortly after the New York Demo
cratic State Convention of 1892 had
named David b. Hill as the candidate
Of the Democracy Of New York for
President, and had instructed the dele
gates to vote as a unit tor Governor
HIPS nomination az the impending
national convention of the party, VIII
liam r. Grace, at that time close
friend of Grover Cleveland, called
upon the latter at the Victoria Hotel
IN New York city. The former Mayor
Of New York was much disturbed over
the action of the New York conven-
ton. In common with many other poll
ticians, he felt that II would be inn
possible 10 nominate Cleveland with
the delegation from his own state op-
posed to the nomination.
Mir. Grace was with the ex-President
possibly twenty minutes. AS VIC were
walking across Madison Square i'm
mediately after the interview, he said:
81 don't understand Cleveland at all.
He doesn't appear TO be cast down in
the slightest by the action Of the New
York State Convention. | said TO him
that I believed it was the precedent
that candidate for presidential nom
ination must have the support of the
delegation from his own state, or else
he could not be nominated.
Mr.. Grace he said i'm reply. I
can be nominated tor president with
out the vote OF the New York State
delegation, and ] shall be nominated
without that vote | don't understand
IT, don't believe he can be nominated
with the state delegation against him.
II became widely known that the eX-
President paid little heed to the action
of the New York State Convention. and
there was fide circulation of the re-
there was wide circulation of the re-
effect that he could be nominated
without the vote OF the New York del
egatiOn. But Mr.. Cleveland was not
talking at random, and it is now pos
sible to tell for the first time what his
reasons were for feeling confident that
he would be nominated even though
the New York delegation opposed him
Within a few months after Mr.
Cleveland had retired from the presi-
dency IN 1889, he began to prepare for
the presidential campaign of 1892. Mr.
Cleveland took no politician into his
confidence. He did. however, have as
ISOLATED with him two or three friends
upon whose judgment, discretion and
10y diif ne EJulu ltl9. Olt VI lhtEt
, friends was Mr.. George Il. Parker
whose biography Of Grover Cleveland
has recently been published.
The campaign that this little inside
secret organization, OF which Mr.
i Cleveland himself was the master
carried on was one chiefly Of cores
pondence. This correspondence gradu-
! ally extended as men who could be
trusted were admitted into this inner
circle. and by the early winter Of 1885,
It had been so perfected that Mr. Cleve-
land not only knew approximately
how many delegates would vote for his
nomination, but he also knew the
I names Of many of the delegates; in
fact, he had conducted as perfect d
1 private canvass as ever Samuel J
I Tilden made.
Knowing perfectly the results o.
this secret canvass, Mr.. Cleveland
! looked with a sort of desultoi inter.
est upon the pre-conyention efforts o.
William G. Whitney. at Chicago to of,
set the support by the New York dele
cation of David b. Hill for the presi
dental nomination. He (Clevelandl
had the delegates sufficient to nomi
nate himself in the hollow Of his hand
so to speak. It did not disturb him tina