Evening journal., 1914-08-01
New News Of Yesterday
An Unrevealed Political
Secret
By Holland.

In the fall Of 1884. while ON my way
to Boston, ! found the late William p.
Frye, at that time United states SEN
ator from Maine, in the smoking com
partment Of the car. ana he asked me
10 sit beside him so that we could
have chat The Senator said he
was on his way TO New England for
inc purpose of making one or two
speeches in the Presidential cam
Iaign
happened 10 mention TO senator
Frye that in the spring of the preced-
ing year was a fcllow-traveler with
David Davis, who had few days
earlier completed his term as Inited
States Senator and who was then on
bis way TO Fayetteville. n. c.. where
hc was TO be married. ! told Senator
Frye that had had long and very
interesting conversation with Judge
Davis, i'm which he narrated 10 me
some of his carly experiences as an
Illinois Judge when Abraham Lincoln
appeared bcOrc him as a lawyer. hut
! said that when I vouturcd To hint
that ] would be glad If Judge Davis
would relate some of his more re-
cent experiences, hoping that he
might alludc TO the congressional
commission which decided by ma
iority OF one that Rutherford r.
Hayes had been elected President. the
iudeo instantly changed The subject
or became silent
What Judge Davis would have
done had he served upon the electoral
commission, as II was expected he
would will always remain one of the
great mysteries of public life,n said
Senator Frye. "You know that when
Congress authorized the appointment
of this commission and pledged itself
10 accept its findings, The general ex-
pcciation was that Judge Davis. who
was then q member OF the Supreme
Court bench, would be one of tho
commissioners.
lie would have been chosen had il
not bcen for his still mysterious and
sudden election by the illinois lcEis-
laturc as United States Senator.
'l remember very well that those oI
us who we're In the House thought 4
doubtful whether Judge Davis would
resign his scat upon the Supreme
~ Court bench TO accept election az
senator We knew that Judge Davis
was very thrifty man. To resign y
place upon the bench involved loss
of salary of $4,000 year and ihf
acceptance of one Of only $4,000. In
addition 20 that, if Judge Davis re.
signed from The supreme bench he
would lose the opportunity tO retire
two years later upon full pension ol
$4,000 a year
~ have heard good many eA.
plantations of the way in which ludg.
Davis was suddenly elected to tho
Senate. but 7 never heard the eX.
plauatiou which I believe is the cor
rect one Instead of Judge Davis
Judge Bradley. of New Jersey, be.
came a member Of the electoral Com
mission, and II was his deciding vote
which by majority of one gave the
Presidential election 10 Governor
Hayes
Nobody has ever known whether
or not Judge Davis, had he Deen
member OF The commission, would
have decied in favor of Tilden. III
never permitted any one TO talk. q
him upon the subject No one wa'
over able after he entered the Senate
10 SCI llt Hllbht0Hl hihN Aloih hiul ~
mis- opinion respecting the findings
of the electoral commission. dc
know that he read the report of the
proceedings before the commission
carefully, but he locked the secret o.
his own views absolutely within him
self, and I presume he will keep tha
secret unrevealed throughout his life
aud. furthermore, that after his deatl
nothing will he found amone his
papers that will indicate whether ha'
ho been one of the electoral commits
sion he would have decided i'm faYoi
OF Trden or in favor of Hayes. i
will remain a perfectly kept secret.
lCopyrisbt. 1914, by y. j. Edwards