The Arizona copper camp., 1919-05-10

The senator and I went calling that
New Years day. We saw all the
great people and some of them were
more cheerful than they had q right
to be. It was weakness of the time.
| shall not go into details for fear of
wandering too far from my main road.
Let me step aside moment to say,
however, that there were two clouds
in the sky of the Washington society
Of those days. One was strong drink
and the other was the crude, rough
coated, aggressive democrat from the
frontiers Of the West. These latter
were often seen in the holiday regalia
of farm or village at fashionable func-
tionS. Some Of them changed slowly,
and by and by reached the stage Of
white linen and diamond breastpins
and waistcoats Of figured silk. It
must be said, however, that their mo-
tives were always above their taste.
The winter wore away slowly in
hard work. Mr.. Van Buren came down
to see the senator one day from his
country seat on the Hudson. The ex-
president had been solicited to accept
the nomination again. / know that
Senator Wright strongly favored the
plan but feared that the South would
defeat him in convention, it being well
known that Van Buren was opposed to
the annexation Of Texas. However,
he advised his friend to make fight
for the nomination and this the latter
fn 6n nd
middle May gave my time largely to
the inditing of letters for the senator
In Van Buren's behalf.
The time appointed for the conven-
ton in Baltimore drew near. One day
the senator received an intimation that
he would be put in nomination if Van
Ruren failed. Immediately he wrote
to Judge Fine of Ogdensburg, chair
man of the delegation from the north.
ern district Of New York, forbiddinp
such use Of his name on the ground
that his acquiescence would involve dis
nyastz to his friend the ex-presideuk
He gave me leave to go to the cOnA
y6ntion on my way home to meet Sally.
I had confided to Mrs. Wright the de-
tails of my little love affair." had to
land she had shown tender, synpa-
nhetic interest in the story.
The senator had said to me one day,
With gentle smile:
"Bart, you have business in Canton,
[ believe, with which trifiing matters
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. i. Re-
port to our friend Fine, who will look
after your comfort there. The expert
ence ought'to be useful to young man
who, l hope, will have work to do in
future conventions"
1 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
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
seen. The deep current of it's 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
Ia TI-ifh hot
stood firm. After adjournment that
evening many of the Van Buren dele.
gates were summoned to a conference.
/ 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
tions can be more readily imagined
than described when / 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 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 knew.
Mr.. Benjamin f. Butler then said:
"When that letter was written Sena-
tor Wright was not aware that Mr..
Van Burens nomination could not be
accomplished, nor was he aware that
bis own nomination would, be the al
most unanimous wish of this conven-
ton. 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
fame? No, it is not so. 1t cannot be
so. We must dispatch a messenger to
him hxy OF cJ,o &oJ>