Gile, Worcester; George L. Gibbs, Northbridge;
John W. Wheeler, Orange; John G. Mackintosh, Holyoke; Emerson
Gaylord, Chicopee; and William M. Prince, Pittsfield.
I was very desirous that the vote of Massachusetts should
be given to John Sherman. He was, except Mr. Blaine, unquestionably
the most distinguished living Republican statesman. He had
been an able champion of the opinions which the Republicans
of Massachusetts held, and of the policies under which her
special industries had been fostered. To nominate him would
be to go back to the early habit of placing the greatest and
wisest statesmen of the country in its highest offices. But
I could not get the majority of the Massachusetts delegation
to come to my way of thinking. General Coggswell, a very
able and accomplished member of the House of Representatives,
and Mr. Edward D. Hayden, also a member of the House--a
service which he left greatly to the regret of his own constituents
and the people of the State--seemed to have very strong objections
indeed to Mr. Sherman. The delegation very kindly offered
before the first ballot, and again just before the fourth
or fifth ballot, to present my name as the candidate of Massachusetts.
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