Year: 1879

4 Corr. Philadelphia Times


1 YORK, Pa, Aug. 18.-Senator Matt E


Carpenter has been visiting Judge Jeremia


Black, and his visit is supposed to hay


reference TO the approaching bribery trial


at Harrisburg, especially as lawyer Irwin


of Harrisburg, is also here. saw th


Senator and ex-Chief Justice yesterday a


the residence of the latter and had som,


talk with them, finding that they wer


communicative on everything except tn


business they had in hand. Although


somewhat thinner than he was when frs


in the Senate, MIR. Carpenter has not los


any of his joviality, and is the same good


natured, frank and honest Matt Carpenter


The conversation soon drifted into nationa


politics, in which the Presidential question


took leading part. Your correspondent


recalled 10 the mind Of the Senator the yeal
t1871, when he desired to bring the Senator


ont for the Presidency; the offer was re.


newed, with the addition of the name oil


Thomas F. Bayard, Of Delaware, for the
ice-Presidency. Senator Carpenter re-
piled !: "I do not now, nor did ever have


any ambition to be President. do moi


care to be tossed In a blanket for four years


before the public and then left, for when a
man finishes with that Office he cannot ex-


pect TO come before the people for anything
else. He must retire into oblivion. II


have any ambition, it would be to become
Of member Of the Supreme bench of the


United States.'' Judge Black here re-


marked, "Well, if Mr.. Carpenter win stick
strictly to the Constitution and obey all it's
laws, l would have no objection to support
him for the Presidency" S


The conversation then extended into the
desire of men for Presidential honors and
how Chase and Davis had made bids for
this position. The Senator said that he
did not believe that q member Of the Su-
preme bench would ever make the Presi-
dency. The two jurists then referred to
the days just preceding the second Grant
campaign, and on one occasion when they
were together, in which the proposition
was made to try the jury System of strik-
ing; they each were to select six men and
then commence to strike an see who would
be the man., The first name written was
that Of Senator Carpenter, by Judge Black,
but BY mutual consent it was stricken. The
next name was that of Judge Black by the
Senator. As the Judge had the first right
to strike name he struck his own. They
continued striking alternately until there
we're but two names remaining on the list,
those OF Blaine and Garfield. The Judge
had the last strike and he stuck Blaine,
considering Garfield the most preferable.


The next subject discussed was that of
Presidential ambitions, and the Judge re-
cited the following bit Of experience, say
ing 81 have been great deal around the
Presidential fever, and have found it far
worse than the yellow fever plague in
Memphis, and it has carried off politically,
more men. have nursed and cared for
those who have been stricken with it, and
seen many 60 down under its influence;
but at no tine have I ever felt it's conta-
gious influence upon myself, and / can
truthfnlly say the Presidential fever never
got the least hold upon MYSELF
s The difference between Western and
Eastern men was referred to, and Senator
Carpenter spoke about Senator Conkling,
and when he first met him the impression
was that he was vain man; but after he
became acquainted with the Senator he
found that his politeness was not vanity,
but simply part and parcel with Cenkling,
and that it was impossible for him to get
along without it, and at the same time it
was unknown to Mr. -Conkling. In the
West the Senator said people cared nothing
tor mans pedigree, and he would as soon
20 among the Western people as the son Of
Tohn Smith as of Daniel Webster. Il was
What q man could DO and did after he went
West, and not what his father was or what
be had been in the East, that made she
nan. Senator Carpenter left for Washing
ON yesterday afternoon. bad 'a