The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1912-03-29
NEW NEWS or YESTERDAY
Senator Frye Of Maine and Inc
vice-Presidency.
His Version of Story That His wire
Declined for Him the Nomination
for Second Place While He
Was Fishing.
Nv E j. EDWARDS

| Since the death recently OF William
p. Frye long time senator from Maine
| and president pro tempore OF the SEN
| ate,-a senator for whom the country
at large held the highest respect-a
story has been much circulated to the
effect that Senator Frye-or rather nus
wife for him, while her husband was
away fishing for trout-declined the
nomination of vice-president on the Re
publican ticket in 1880.
A favorable opportunity came to me
at one time during the presidential
campaign of 1884 to ask Senator Frye |
If the report were true that he had de-
clined the nomination for vice-presl-
dent after General Garfield had been
nominated for president.
1T isn't exactly true Senator Frye |
replied. There was received at my
house at Lewiston while / was away
from home a telegram purporting 10
come from members Of the Maine dele
CATION to the Republican national con-
vention asking me If / would accept
the nomination for vice-president. My
| wife wired for me in reply stating that
l would not. The telegram, however,
| was not unlike others which members
| of state delegations when the question
| Of the vice-president is under consider
alton send to some citizen of their
state 1t doesn't mean much. | sup
pose my friends at Chicago at that
time wanted to be in position If the OPP
perfume moment came to suggest my
name"
well, Senator" / asked, "supposing
the convention had nominated you:
Would you have accepted the nomina-
tom"
Il would have been compelled to &C
cept 1t; no man could receive the NOM
ination, for yice-president and then de-
cline 1t, thus compelling the nomina-
ton of some one else, and afterwards
have any standing with his party.
81 happen to know" continued Sen
ator Frye, that General Logan was
bitterly opposed to the movement en-
gineered by his friends in Illinois that
led to his nomination for yice-president
after Blaine had been nominated for
president by the Chicago convention
of this year. l know that when he
was first told that his friends at Chi
cago would nominate him for yice-pres.
ident with Blaine, he fared up and
said he wouldn't accept the nomina-
J ton. But when the nomination was
made he was compelled to accept it
he knew he could not remain In public
life II he didn't. But If We are beaten
i in this campaign l haven't any doubt
J that 1t will be some consolation for To-
} gan that through defeat as candidate
for vice-president he will keep his seat
in the senate. No man now a mem
! Der Of the senate is moro contented in
that membership than is Logan, and
am sure that II would chafe him
greatly to be removed from the floor Of
the senate to the yice-president' S
/, chair. l have been told that Henry
T Wilson, who was nominated for vice.
I president with Grant in 1872 when
Wilson was United States senator,
: was personally very sorry that the
q nomination had been made He knew
that II he was elected vice-president.
as he was, he would lose his seat as
senator and be utterly without any
; influence excepting of personal kind
: with the senate. Logan also has the
same situation before him.
Personally, l am very glad that NO
further attempt was made to bring
about my nomination for vice-president
with Garfield. Garfield took Blaine
from the senate and made him secre.
. tary of state. I was chosen to fiji
Blaine's unexplred term in the senate
$ and so, you see, during the past four
= years / have had more influence or
the senate floor than could possibly
have welded as presiding officer Of
that body"
a Copyright. 1911, by e. J. Edwards. Al
Rights Reseryedl