Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-03-02
Secret OF New York Politics

Robertson, then collector of the port
of New York, authorizing Stephen B.
French, a police commissioner of
New York, to serve as judge Robert
sons proxy on the state committee.
With that proxy it was possible for
the friends of Judge Folger to con-
troll the convention and he was noni.
mated for governor.
Then, of a sudden, came the an.
nouncement that the telegram was
forged, and the factional troubles in
the party in New York state, already
serious, were thereby intensified. Gro
yer Cleveland, mayor Of Buffalo, was
nominated by the Democracy for gov
ernor and Judge Folger was beaten
by a plurality of nearly $4,000, many
Republicans supporting Cleveland be-
cause they could not approve Of the
tTickery which had brought about Fol
gers nomination.
All this occurred 20 years ago, yet,
until now, one of the most interesting
incidents connected with the nomt'
nation and defeat of Judge Folger has
rem aimed a profound secret.
About ten days after Judge FoIger's
nomination Gen. George H. Sharpe
one of the leading Republicans OF
New York state, received from Judge
Folger a communication which caused
the general to call upon two or three
prominent Republicans of New York
and say:
Il have just received letter from
Judge Folger; he is intensely con.
cerned about his nomination. He did
not want it. If he had believed that
there was the slightest chance Of his
being nominated he would have pre-
vented it in time. Now he does not
want to embarrass the party, and he
begs that something be done so that
he may withdraw from the ticket and
someone be nominated in his stead. !"
Have you seen anybody else about
this matter?" General Sharpe was
asked.
Eyes, I have seen Thurlow Weed
who died two months later-"and he
| tells me by all means to permit Judge
| Folger to have his way and decline
the nomination. Mr.. Weed says that
| the state ticket is sure to be defeated
Overwhelmingly and that Judge Fol.
ger ought not to be Inundated"
! After some consultation 1t was de
| cided to recommend to the state com.
mittee that Judge Folger be permitted
| to withdraw and that the committee
place at the head Of the ticket Cover
nor Cornell. But that plan failed
owing largely to the attitude of Gov
| ernor Cornell, who felt that the Re
publicans were in for sand thrash
| ing-and Judge Folger was compelled
! to accept the nomination, sacrificing
| himself, as he knew full well, for the
| sake Of his friends. And until now 1t
| has never been known, excepting to a
very few, that Judge Folger earnestly
/ asked that his name be withdrawn as
the Republican candidate for COVER
nor.
Judge Folger was a man Of exceed
! ing sensitiveness and of the keenest
! sense of personal honor. He grieved
| intensely over the opinion that pre-
vailed that he had been nominated by
trickery and forgery, as though there
were in that charge some imputation
upon his honor It was this that
caused him agony, and defeat. And
the agony was vital. For he died of a
broken heart within less than two
ears-heartbroken because hethought
that his reputation as man of char
acter had been grievously besmirched
Copyright, 1910, by E J. Edwards. AL
Rights Reservedl