I had been a member of the Convention held at Cincinnati that
had nominated President Hayes. The Massachusetts delegation
had turned the scale between him and Blaine. Their votes
gave him the slender majority to which he owed his nomination.
I had also been a member of the Electoral Commission to which
the contest between him and Tilden had been submitted and
I had been on the committee that framed the bill under which
that Commission was created. I had voted with the Democrats
of the House to support that bill against the judgment of
a large majority of the Republicans. I agreed with President
Hayes in the matter of a reform in the civil service and in
his desire to free the Executive power from the trammel of
senatorial dictation.
I had formed a strong friendship with Mr. McCrary in the House
of Representatives and had earnestly commended him to the
President for appointment to the office of Attorney-General.
I did not expect to make any other recommendation. There
had been an unfortunate estrangement between the Republicans
of Massachusetts and of Maine by reason of the refusal of
the Massachusetts delegation to support Mr.
Pages:
755
756
757
758
759
760
761
762
763
764
765
766
767
768
769
770
771
772
773
774
775
776
777
778
779