n preference to Blaine, there
were not enough of them, even with the Grant men, to constitute a
majority. When Garfield's name was suggested as a compromise candidate
he was found to be acceptable to both the Blaine and the Sherman men as
well as to some of the Grant men, who had abandoned all hope of Grant's
nomination. The result was that Garfield was finally made the unanimous
choice of the convention. The New York delegation, being allowed to name
the man for Vice-President, nominated Chester A. Arthur, of that State.

Although General Garfield was nominated as a compromise candidate his
election was by no means a foregone conclusion. The Democrats had
nominated a strong and popular man, General W.S. Hancock, one of the
most brilliant and successful generals in the Union Army. Associated on
the ticket with him was a popular Indiana Democrat, William H. English.
It looked for a while as if Democratic success were reasonably certain,
especially after the September State and Congressional elections in the
State of Maine, the result of which was virtually a Democratic victory.

What was known as the celebrated Mentor Conference then took place.
Mentor was the home of General Garfield. The conference consisted of
General Garfield, General Grant, and Senator Conkling. Who was
instrumental in bringing that conference into existence perhaps will
never be known, and what was actually said and done on that occasion
will, no doubt, remain a mystery. But it resulted in bringing the
Grant-Conkling wing of the party,--which up to that time had been
lukewarm and indifferent,--into the active and aggressive support of the
ticket. Senator Conkling immediately took the stump and made a brilliant
and successful campaign, not only in New York but also in the other
close and doubtful States. The result was that Garfield carried New York
by a majority of about twenty thousand and was elected. Without New York
he would have been defeated; for the South this time was unquestionably
solid in its support of the Democratic ticket; at least, according to
the forms of law. It was not necessary to resort to the questionable
expedient of an electoral commission to determine the result of that
election. It is safe to say that, but for the active support given the
ticket in that campaign by General Grant and Senator Conkling, New York
would have been lost to the party and Garfield would have been defeated.
With the election of Garfield the National