The daily Alaskan., 1919-04-12

like the choice Of A president and the Mexican question cannot be permitted to interfere. You must take time to spend day or two at the convention In Baltimore on your way. .. Re port to our friend Fine who will look after your comfort there. The experir ence ought to be useful to young man who, I hope, will have work to do In future conventions"
 I took the stage to Baltimore next day-the twenty-slxth of May. The convention thrilled me-the flags, the great crowd, the bands, the songs, the speeches, the cheerlng-I see and hear it all In my talk. The uproar lasted for twenty minutes when Van Buren's name was put In nomination.
 Then the undercurrent! The South was against him as Wright had fore seen. The deep current of its power had undermined certain of the north ern and western delegations. Osten- slbly for Van Buren and stubbOrnly casting their ballots for him, they had voted for the twO-thirds rule, which had accomplished his defeat before the balloting began. It continued for two days without choice. The enemy stood firm. After adjournment that evening many of the Van Buren dele gates were summoned to a conference. l attended 1t with Judge Fine.
 The ex-president had withdrawn and requested his friends in the cOnven- ton to vote for Silas Wright. My emO- tions can be more readily imagined than described when I heard the shouts of enthusiasm which greeted my friends name. Tears began to roll down my cheeks. Judge Fine lifted his hand. When order was at last re- stored he began:
 "Gentlemen, as a friend of the learned senator and as q resident of the county which is the proud pos seSSor of his home, your enthusiasm has a welcome sound to me; but hap pen to know that Senator Wright will not allow his name 10 go before the convention"
 He read the letter of which knew.
 MT. Benjamin r. Butler then said:
 When that letter was written Sena- tor Wright was not aware that Mir. Van Buren's nomination could not be accomplished, nor was he aware that bis own nomination would be the al- most unanimous wish of this conven- tion. l have talked with the leading delegates from Missouri and Virginia today. They say that he can be nOmi- mated by aCclam"ti' Ii. Is 1t possible Sist this unanimou. call uf the party with whose help he has wen immortal fame? No, it is not so. II cannot be so. We must dispatch q messenger to him by horse at once who shall take to him from his friend Judge Fine frank statement of the imperiOuS de mand of this convention and request that he telegraph withdrawal of his letter in. the morning"
 The suggestion was unanimously ap- proved and within an hour, mounted or one of the best horses in Maryland so his groom informed mel was on my way to Washington with the mes sage of Judge Fine in my pocket. Yes, l had two days to spare on my sched- ule of travel and reckOned that, by re- turning to Baltimore next day should reach Canton in good time.
 It was the kind of thing that only 1.-the, supple, strong-hearted lad such as l was in the days of my youth, could reliSh-speeding over dark road by the light of the stars and helf-moon, with horse that loved to kick up a wind. My brain was in a fever, for the notion had come to me that l was making history,
 The lure of fame and high place hur- rIed me on. With the senator in the presidential chair l should be well started in the highway of great sue cess. Then Mir, Fl. Dunkelberg might think me better than the legacy of Benjamin Grimshaw. A relay awaited me twenty-three miles down the road,
 Well, I reached Washington very sore, but otherwise in good form, soon after dGybreak. l was trembling with excitement when put my horse In the stable and rang the bell at our door. It seemed to me that l was crossing the divide between big and little things A few steps more and l should be look ing down into the great valley of the future. Yet. now that I was there I began to lose confidence,
 The butler opened the door,
 Yes, the senator was up and had just returned from 8 walk and was in his study, l found him there.
 Well, Bart. how does this happenT he asked,
 Its important business" l said, as l presented the letter.
 Something in his look and manner as he calmly adjusted his glasses and read the letter of Judge Fine brought the blood to my face. It seemed to puncture my balloon, so to speak, and I was falling toward the earth and so