The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1919-09-13

"Bart, you have business in Canton,
I believe, with which trif1ing matters
like the choice Of a president and the
Mexican question cannot be permitted
to interfere. You must take time to
spend a 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 expert
ence ought to be useful to young man
who, hope, will have work to do In
future conventions"
took the stage to Baltimore next
day-the twenty-sixth Of May. The
convention thrilled me-the flags, the
great crowd, the bands, the songs, the
speeches, the cheering-I see and hear
1t all in my talk. The uproars 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-
sibly 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. 1t continued for two
days without a choice. The enemy
stood firm. After adjournment that
evening many of the Van Buren, dele
gates were summoned to conference.
1 attended it with Judge Fine.
The ex-president had withdrawn and
requested his friends in the conven-
ton to vote for Silas Wright. My emo
lions 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 o friend Of the
learned senator and as a resident of
the county which is the proud pos
SCISSOR of his home, your enthusiasm
has welcome sound to me; but hap
pen to know that Senator Wright will
not allow his name to go before the
convention"
He read the letter of which I knew.
Mr.. Benjamin b. Butler then said:
"When that letter was written Sena-
tor Wright was not aware that Mr..
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-
ton. l have talked with the leading
delegates from Missouri and Virginia
today. They say that he can be nomi-
mated by reclamation. Is it possible
that he--a strong party man-can re-
sist this unanimous call of the party
with whose help he has won immortal
fame2 No, it is not so. 1t cannot be
so. We must dispatch messenger to
him by horse at once who shall take
to him from his friend Judge Fine a
: Jfmant SsatAsec5 convention and aus de-
that he telegraph a withdrawal Of hi
q letter in the morning."
e The suggestion was unanimously ap
proved and within an hour, mounted
e or one of the best horses in Maryland
] so his groom informed mel was OF
t my way to Washington with the mes
{ sage of Judge Fine in my pocket. Yes
s 1 had two days to spare on my SEIZED
S ule of travel and reckoned that. by re
t turning to Baltimore next day shoult
: reach Canton in good time.
l 1t was the kind of thing that only ,
q 1.-THE, supple, strong-hearted lad sucl
: as was in the days of my youth
q could relish-speeding over a darl
road by the light of the stars and
: half-moOn, with a horse that loved t,
s kick up wind. My brain was in
y fever for the notion had come to M
0 that was making history.
q The lure of fame and high place hur
ried me on. With the senator in tn
4 presidential chair / should be wei
e started in the highway of great sue
e cess Then Mr.. H. Dunkelberg nigh
It think me better than the legacy o
:. Benjamin GrimShaw. A relay awaite,
# me twenty-three miles down the roaG
|. Well, I reached WASHINGTON yer
7, sore, but otherwise in good form, 500
IS after daybreak. l was trembling wit
y excitement when put my horse in tn
k stable and rang the bell at our door.
l. seemed to me that l was crossing tn
e divide between big and little things.
It few steps more and l should be lool
a ing down into the great valley Of tn
: future. Yet, now that 1 was there,
7, began to lose confidence.
u The butler opened the door.
s Yes, the senator was up and ha
IL just returned from a walk and was i
J. his study. 1 found him there.
"Well, Bart, how does this happeni
n he asked
n ITS important business" said, 6
Is l presented the letter.
< Something in his look and name
1t as he calmly adjusted his glasses an
1t read the letter Of Judge Fine brougl
Ie the blood to my face. 1t seemed I
d puncture my balloon, so to speak, an
II I was falling toward the earth and s
o swiftly MA head swan. He laid I'll
r, letter on his desk and, without lookin
lf hn oeI~;,