Evening journal., 1912-10-21
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Refusal That Shaped
Salmon P. ChaSe'S Career
By Holland.

Salmon p. Chase, at one time Gov
ernor Of Ohio. and United States
Senator from Ohio, was strongly
supported Republican for the Presi-
Dental nomination in 1860 In
recognition not only of the abilities
and Che anti-slavery record which
Governor Chase had made, but also
OF the strength which Chase's candi-
dacy for the Presidency commanded
at the convention of 1860, Mr.. Lincoln
appointed him Secretary of the Treas
ury. In that Office Mr. Chase served
little over three years Then the
death of Chief Justice Tawney of the
United States Supreme Court creat-
ing vacancy on that bench, Presi-
dent Lincoln filled it by appointing
Secretary Chase chief Justice
Few, If any men, in American pub
lie life received so many highly dis
tinguished honors as Salmon p Chase
did. Yet he sometimes would say to
his friends that in all probability his
career would have been very incon-
spicuous had it not been for some ad-
vice which was given to him by a
relative who was a United States SEN
ator from Vermont.
Il never received an application for
appointment of any one to clerkship
in the Treasury Department" he
would say, without being tempted 70
repeat to the applicant something
which near relative Of mine, who
was United States Senator, once
said to me. However, in one or two
cases did / attempt TO dssuade any
one from making application for
clerkship in the Treasury Depart
ment.
Shortly after my graduation from
college | went to Washington, hoping
that | might open a private school
there and secure pupils enough to en-
able me to earn my living. / thought
that while teaching school I might
possibly get time to read law. My
school project, however. did not at
first prove very successful / found
myself facing, as | thought, need OF
securing immediate employment SO
that 7 might earn my livelihood.
81 learned that clerks in the gov
ernments emplay we're receiving
anywhere from six hundred dollars
to a thousand dollars a year. SO |
said to myself, Why not secure ap-
pointment as clerk in one Of the
government Departmental
"A near relative of mine was at
that time a United States Senator
from Vermont | mustered up cour-
age to ask him if ne would not use
his influence to get me a place as
government clerk.
He refused instantly and emphat-
ically He said to me that if / want-
ed to borrow a few dollars with
which to, buy a hoe or a wheelbarrow
or a scythe so that | could get ems
ployment upon a farm, or as lab
orer, he would gladly lend me the
money. But he was not going to ruin
me by finding for me a place as a
government clerk. A good many
promising young men, he. said, had
been ruined by accepting positions OF
that kind He was emphatic in his
statement that to be a government
clerk for any length .of time practi-
cally took all the ambition and en-
ergy out of a young man. Ftf
II believed what he said. decld-
cd then and there never again to
make application for any political po-
sition, and I never have. I struggled
along and read law from time TO
time and last was admitted to the
bar in Ohio. I presume l should have
been a poor government clerk all my
DAYS If a position of that kind had
been found for me at the time l ask
( ed for it,
Copyright. 1912, by E. J. Edwards.
All rights reserdv)
Tomorrow Mr. Edwards will tell ot
"The Thought That One President
Kept Constantly in Mind