Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1919-03-14

] Took the Stage to Baltimore Next
Day.
the senator received an lntlmatiOn that
he would be put In nomination If Van
Buren failed. Immediately he wrote
to Judge Fine Of Ogdensburg, chair
IliOn Of the delegation from the north
ern district of New York, forblddIng
such use of his name on the ground
that his acquescence would involve dis
loyalty to his friend the ex-presldent.
He gave me leave to go to the con-
ventiOn on my way home to meet Sally.
l had confided to Mrs. Wright the de-
tails OF my little love AFFAIR." had to
and she had shown a tender, sympa-
thetic interest in the story.
The senator had said to me one day,
with a gentle smile:
Bart, you have business in Canton,
| believe, with which trifling 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 a young man
who, | hope, will have work to do in
future conventions"
took the stage to Baltimore next
day-the twentysiXth 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
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 a conference.
l 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The ex-president had withdrawn and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 l 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 I knew.
Mr. Benjamin F. 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 noml-
mated by reclamation. Is 1t 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 messenger to
him by horse at once who shall take
to him from his friend Judge Fine a
frank statement of the imperiOus de-
mand of this convention and a 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.
1t was the kind of thing that only a
1.-the, supple, strong-hearted lad such
as | was in the days of my youth,
could rellsh-speeding over a dark
road by the light of the stars and a
half-mOOn, with a horse that loved to
kick up wind. My brain was In
fever for the notion had come to me
that / 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 Mr.. Fl. Dunkelberg might
think me better than the legacy Of
Benjamin Grlmshaw. A relay awaited