Evening journal., 1912-11-23
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
THE Money That an AStOr
Earned for a Special
Purpose
BY Holland.

AT the presidential election Of 1864
Horace Greeley Was named as am
elector i'm New York state upon the
ticket at the head of which stood the
names of Abraham Lincoln and An-
drew Johnson These Republican
electors were triumphant at the pop
ular election in November. The cleo
toral college met at Albany on the
second Monday OF January 1865
Greeley was unanimously chosen pres
idcnt of this college After the cleo
tors had voted for Lincoln for Pres
ident and Johnson for Vice President,
Mr. Greeley said:
"As is usually the case. there are
n number OF candidates for the high
ly honorable and fairly remunerativc
Office Of messenger, elected by you.
gentlemen, TO carry in duplicate the
return of the vote you have just
given, duly certified. and attestcd by
the seal of New York state, 10 the
Secretary of State at Washington.
Governor Seward. and to the Vice
President of the United States, Han
nibal Hamlin. ! have myself been
appealed to for my support of can
didate for this messengership. | hope
I can persuade you gentlemen unan-
imously to elect my candidate
But you haven't named him. Mr..
Greeley" said one of the electors.
That is the next thing to do, and
will now name him. He is John
Jacob Aston"
When Horace Greeley named the
son of the founder Of the Astor for
tune as his candidate for messenger
authorized by the electoral college OF
New York state TO carry the vote TO
Washington, the other electors were
for some moments dumfounded At
last one of them said
Why Mr.. Greeley, John Jacob AS
tor is one of the two richest men in
New York state. DO you mean to tell
us that he would accept such a little
Office as that of electoral college mes.
senger?"
He would not only accept it," said
Mr.. Greeley. but he covets IT, I have
been told that il is the only political
Office he would accept
Surely, he does mot need the
money" protested one of the electors.
"I should infer" Mr. Greeley re-
piled, that he does not need the
money But I have been told that he
wants to earn this money because he
has a special use to which he would
/ be glad to apply it,
Well said one of the electors, II
/ think it would be very good thing
| If we were to name Mr. Astor our
messenger The Office would confer
/ dignity upon him and he certainly
would confer dignity upon the office.
Besides, I should like to know to what
use he purposes putting the pay he
Will receive"
! Mr. Astor was unanimously elected
| messenger to deliver the electoral
vote Of New York state to the Vice
| President and TO the Secretary of
/ State In the performance of thai
duty he spent several days in Wash
| ington and was the recipient OF many
/ social courtesies After about a
week he returned TO New York with
his pay-about two hundred dollars -
! IN his pocket BY appointment he met
the late Colonel George Bliss. who
was a very prominent Republican, IN
/ New York state and a member Of the
staff OF the war governor e. ID Nor
gan He placed in Mr.. Bliss's hsnc
roll of bills, and said:
This is the identical money which
! received in payment for my SER
vices as electoral college messenger.
7 was glad to earn this money be-
cause have a special use for 1t,
wanted to earn It because I felt that
the money would be more valuable
at least in my own estimation, If u
represented my payment for some
public service. | give it to you, Col
onel Bliss. so that you may turn Il
! over to the treasurer Of your Renub-
! lican district association. IN that
way it may hereafter be utilized ~
! aid the Republican party i'm such
manner as the members Of the o.
ganizatlon in your district deem adj
visable"
Copyright. 1912. by Z J. EdaWrds
All rights reserved)