Holbrook argus., 1911-02-07
REV NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Political Enigma That Probably
 Never Will Be Solved.
Only One Man Now Living Can Tell Name of Republican Who Persuad- ed President Garfield to Make
 Judge Robertson Collector.
By E. J. EDWARDS.

1ueTe IS pTODdDly only one man now living who is able to give au- thoritatively the name of the Repub- hcan who persuaded President Gar field, in March, 1881, to nominate Judge William H. Robertson collector of the port of New York-a nomina- tion that brought about the dramatic joint resignation of Roscoe Cohkling and Thomas c. Platt from the United States senate, and, in the opinion of many, the defeat of James c. Blaine as the Republican presidential nomi- nee in 1884. The one man is J. Stan ley Brown, who was private secretary to President Garfield, and who mar ried the presidents only daughter. MT. Brown, however, will never tell, unless posthumously. He regards him. self as under obligations to reveal none of the secret history of the Gar field administration
 1 have been asked many times who it was that recommended to Garfield the appointment of Judge Robertson, and could only say that in Washing ton, at the time the appointment was made, no one was found, excepting MT. Brown, who could answer the question. Yet, it is probable that the late John H. Starin, who was in con- gress with Garfield and was a close friend of the latter, knew; and I base had with MT. Starin several years after Garf1eld's death.
 "Mr. Starin,' I said, "did you ever know that it was suggested to Presi- dent Garfield, after the resignations of Senators Conkling and Platt and the confirmation by the senate of Judge Robertson as collector of the port of New York, that an ideal way out of the difficulty would have been the ap- pointment of you as the collector of the port of New York and the nomina- tion of Judge Robertson as United States district attorney?"
 No, never heard that" MT. Starin replied. Garfield and I were always warm personal friends. My seat, when I was in congress, was next to him. When I found that General Grant could not be nominated for president in 1880, was very much pleased when General Garfield was. But I never heard that anybody had said to him what you now repeat to me-"
 We'll" I replied, President Gar field was told that if he had appointed you collector of the port the entire factional trouble between the Stal- warts and the Half-breeds would have ended, and when he heard this he was silent for moment and then replied: I never thought of Starin; I wish I had
 That was an extraordinary, be- lieve unequaled, irony of fate," said Mir. Starin. See all the consequences it has led to. For one thing, 1t un- doubtedly paved the way for the cleo tion of Grover Cleveland as president
 'I have sometimes heard 1t said that General Garfield was persuaded by Blaine to nominate Judge Robert son for collector. Blaine, I know, felt very grateful to Robertson, because Robertson, through his leadership of the bolt in the New York delegation at the convention of 1880, prevented the nomination of Grant
 But if Blaine did urge that nomina- ton it was a fatal mistake for him to make. You may remember that, al- though there were several incidents which caused Blaine to lose the cleo toral vote of the state of New York in 1884, yet the chief cause of his defeat was the knifng of him by the friends of Senator Conkling in the Utica (New York district.
 These friends were firmly persuad- ed that it was Blaine who induced Garfield to nominate Robertson for collector of the port. They bided their time. and when Blaine became the Re publican candidate for president, they determined to show their resentment at the polls. Had Blaine received the normal Republican vote in Oneida county, New York, he would have ob- tained the electoral vote of New York state. Therefore, in the nomination of Judge Robertson for collector of the port lay the real cause for the de- feat of Blaine for president in 1884 and happen to know that Judge Rob- ertson was ambitious solely to be ap- pointed United States district attor- ney. an office without much political power.'
 And J. Stanley Brown is the only living man who knows whether or not it be true that Blaine persuaded Gar field to nominate Judge Robertson for collector of the port of New York. (Copyright, 1910, by E. J. Edwards. All | Rights Reserved.)
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