St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1911-01-14
An Unsolued Political ENIGMA

late John II. Star1n, who was In con-
gress with Garfield and was a close
friend of the latter, knew; and l base
this statement on conversation
had with Mr. Starin several years
after Garfield's death.
Mr.. Starin," I said, did you ever
know that it was suggested to Presi-
dent Garfield, after the designations of
Senators Conkling and Plat 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.
ton Of Judge Robertson as United
States district Attorney"
mo, never heard that" Mr.. Starin
replied. Garfield and I were always
warm personal friends. My seat,
when I was in congress. was next to
him. When / found that General
Grant could not be nominated for
president in $780, / was very much
pleased when General Garfield was.
But 1 never heard that anybody had
said to him what you now repeat to
me-"
"Well,' I replied, president Gar.
field was told that if he had appointed
you collector of the port the entire
factional trouble between the Stall
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
Mr.. Starin. See all the consequences
1t has led to. For one thing, it un-
doubtedly paved the way for the cleo
ton Of Grover Cleveland as president
II have sometimes heard 1t said
that General Garfield was persuaded
by Blaine to nominate Judge Robert
son for collector. Blaine, 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 elec-
toral vote of the state of New York in
1884, yet the chief cause of his defeat
was the knitting 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 OBJ
tanned 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 1854
and l 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 ia 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)