on,--he named ex-Congressman John R. Lynch, of
Mississippi, whom he believed to be a suitable man for the position. The
ball was then opened. This was an indication of a combination of the
field against Blaine. Many speeches were made on both sides, but they
were temperate in tone, and free from bitterness. Among those that spoke
in support of my candidacy were Messrs. Theodore Roosevelt, and Geo.
William Curtis, of New York. When the debate was over the chairman
directed that the States be called in alphabetical order,--the roll of
delegates from each State to be called, so as to allow each individual
delegate to cast his own vote. When Mississippi was reached, I joined
with H.C. Powers, the Blaine member of the delegation, in voting for
Clayton. The result was just about what Mr. Hanna said it would be.

The Blaine men were discouraged and the anti-Blaine men were jubilant.
It was claimed by the latter, and apprehended by the former, that it was
indicative of Mr. Blaine's defeat for the nomination. It certainly
looked that way, but the result of the election for the temporary
chairmanship proved to be misleading. Mr. Hanna's poll was not to find
out how many delegates would vote for the nomination of Mr. Blaine, but
how many would vote for Lynch for temporary chairman. On that point his
poll was substantially accurate. It was assumed that every Blaine man
would vote for Mr. Clayton. This is where the mistake was made. It
turned out that there were some Blaine men, especially from the South,
that voted for Lynch. The result, therefore, was not, as it was hoped it
would be, an accurate test of the strength of the Blaine and
anti-Blaine forces in the Convention.

Since my election had not been anticipated,--at least, by me,--my speech
of acceptance was necessarily brief. I presided over the deliberations
of the Convention the greater part of two days, when Hon. John B.
Henderson, of Missouri, was introduced as the permanent chairman. This
is the same Henderson, who, as a Republican United States Senator from
Missouri, voted against the conviction of President Andrew Johnson, who
had been impeached by the House of Representatives for high crimes and
misdemeanors in office. The Democratic Senators needed but seven votes
from the Republican side of the chamber to prevent conviction. They
succeeded in getting the exact number, Senator Henderson being one. He
appears to have been the only one of that number that politically