The Washington herald., 1914-03-31
HISTORY BUILDERS.
An Ideal Qualification for the White
House.
{ Written expressly for The Herald-)
BY DIR. r.. .. EDWARDS.


Written expressly for The Herald,
BY DIR. r. >. EDWARDS.
There was no member Of Gen. Gar
fields Cabinet for whom James G. Blaine
had a higher regard than he did for the
Secretary of the Interior. Samuel J.
kirkwood. OF Iowa. This regard was not
lccnfined to esteem for the very re-
markable endowment OF plain old
fashioned common sense which Kirkwood
possessed" said one OF the three suryiv-
ling members of President Garfeld's
cabinet. Thomas L. James, the Post
master General The other two Cabinet
associates still living are Robert T
Lincoln, Abraham LIncoln's son. who
was Secretary Of War. and Wayne Mac
Veagh. who was Attorney General.
Blaine often used to take a seat be-
side kirkwood at the Cabinet meeting"
said Mr.. James. He liked to smoke, but
he seemed at times rather to relish the
| flavor of the tobacco which came from
the old-fashiJned corncob pipe which
kirkwood was accustomed to smoke as
the Cabinet meetings were drawing TO
an end
Blaine was fond OF talking with Kirk
wood about the early days in Iowa
shortly after the Territory became a
State. KirkwcOd knew all Of the leading
men Of each party in Iowa from the time
the Territory became a State until he
himself began to feel the weight of
years.
Il remember one occasion when two or
three Of Us We're chatting with Blaine
about Presidential possibilities. He was
in especially good humor that day and
ran over the names OF several distin-
guished Republicans who had been some
times spoken of as possible candidates
for the Presidency.
One of the company. 7 do not re-
member now who II was. asked Blaine
what he thought of Window. who was
then Secretary Of the Treasury. as a
Presidential candidate. Window was. Of
course. not present during this chat.
Il was not able to analyze or interpret
the peculiar expression Of BIaine's face
while he was considering what he should
say in reply to this question. No one
could have told from il whether Blaine
regarded Window as having had avail
able qualities for the Presidential non7i-
nation or whether he looked upon the
talk of year-earlier Of Window in con-
nectiOn with the nomination as in the
nature nf personal confidence
You may remember that Blaine Iisped
a little. family. and We i'm the Cabinet
meetings discovered that this lisp became
more pronounced when he was especiaiIv
interested. II was with that faint. al
most unnOticeable lisp that Blaine at
last said Window was a favoritc-son
randidate for the nomination. and added:
You know there are always good many
iavOrite-sOn candidates who disappear
after the first ballot
Il noticed the impression gained from,
Blaine's remark was that he did not re-
gard. at any time prior 70 the Republican
convention in 1870 Window as a candi-
date for the nomination worthy Of any
serious consideration.
lie became very earnest in a moment.
and then said: 1 want TO say To- you
that If Sam Kirkwood were fifteen o.
twenty wears younger than he is | am
convinced he would have been the
nominee of the party in 1850. and h.
would have been as strong a CandIda.a
as could have been named. His rugged
personality. his wonderful common SEM.
his consistent dsmOCraCy-I mean social
demOcraCy-and his utter freedom from
ostentation would have made him an
IDEAL candidate. And, then added Blaine
with a half smile, there was another
very strong quaiifCatiOn-Sam Kirkwood
had one Of the best wives. and YOU know
how popular she has been here in Wash
lnEton since he became Senator from
Iowa. She presented every qualification
that makes for the highest type OF
omanhood. In addition to that. she
was not ashamed, when she was the
Young wife of young governor Of
Iowa. occasionally to do nsr own laundry
work. And don't you see how that voIIId
nave appealed to the plain peopIe?"
Copyright. I9ID