Evening journal., 1915-01-21
New News Of Yesterday
Two Political Opponents
Who Were Friends
By Holland.

"I suppose there has been no man
in public life at any time in the his
tory of the United States who was
50 tolerant Of those who differed with
him politically and who numbered so
many personal friends among the
leaders of a party to which he was
politically opposed as was William H.
Seward" This statement was made
to me by the late Charles c. Clarke,
a few years before his death. MIR.
Clarke had been intimate as a pub
lie official at Albany with the dis
tinguished men of both the Whig
end the Democratic parties in the
fcrties. He was on cordial terms
with Silas Wright, who would have
been Vice President under Polk had
he been willing 10 accept the nOmin-
alton. He knew intimately Hamilton
Fish when the latter was governor
OF New York, William l.. Marcy, one
OF the great statesmen of the past,
and Millard Fillmore who was also
public servant at Albany when Mr.
Clarke was in the service of the
State. and afterward President of the
United States.
1t was probably due in part TO
the distinguished men of each party
in New York State that Commodore
Vanderbilts attention was fixed upon
him so closely that at last he asked
MI Clarke to become a member OF
his staff at the beginning of his rail-
road career. In that service MIR.
| Clarke remained for fifty years, hav-
ing been much of the time Vice Pre-
sident of the Vanderbilt system. He
was often brought into friendly re-
l2tiOns with William II. Seward, and
he told me that Mir. Seward had once
said TO the law students in his Of
! fee at Auburn. one of whom after
ward became associate justice of the
/ Supreme Court at Washington. that
/ they ought to join one of the political
/ parties, adding that it didn't make
much difference which.
"That remark" said MIR. Clarke,
illustrates the whole career of Mr..
1 Seward so far as his personal rela-
/ tiOns with Democrats were con-
ccrned. At the time Seward was the
/ leading figure in New York state
politics of the Wing and afierward
| the Republican parties, Dean Ricn-
mond, of Buffalo, was the leader Of
! the Democracy, and a very powerful
/ leader he was. He was a very busy
man and yet he found time to serve
for years as chairman of the Demo
cratic State committee. He fought
vigorously. but he always fought
fairly After political battles in New
! York State. no matter which side
won. Seward and Dean Richmond
would get together and talk for
hours about the battle. exchanging
compliments and the one who had
been beaten congratulating the other
"Mr. Seward thought that Rich
mond should have received from the
Democratic party nomination fol
scme important Office. saying that he
would make a splendid executive. buI
when he vcnturcd 10 suggest 20 ont
of Dean Richmond's friends that tn,
party ought to nominate Richmond
for governor he was told that Rich
nond would not accept the governor
ship if it were offered to him upon Z
silver platter. He liked to carry on
the political battle He liked tn,
leadership in organization politics
but he had q strange aversion fol
holding Office.
Wnlle Mr.. seward was SeCretar,
of State he heard that Dean Rich
mond was lying very i'll in New
York City. Seward at once cOmmuni
Gated with Mr. Richmonds friends
expressing his hope that Richmon'
would recover, saying also that HI
was one of the rare citizens of New
York. and that his example both a
man of affairs and as a leader .
political organization was on
which any young man would do wei
to follow. Nor was that not a hand
some tribute from one great politica
leader to another?"
Copyright. 1915. by +, J. Edwards
All rights reserved.
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell O
"The Man Who Made One Road Ou
of Seven"