Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 February 1912 — A NEW LINCOLN STORY [ARTICLE]

A NEW LINCOLN STORY

Senator Teller Relates Anecdote of First Campaign for the Presidency. Senator Teller of Colorado tells a Lincoln story which he Bays has never been printed and which in many ways is unique in its Interest None of the ' students of Lincolnlana about Washington remembered the story, and the fact that it could have escaped publication all these years is regarded as remarkable, says the New York Herald’s Washington 'correspondent. It is going the rounds of the capital and causing many laughs. Henry ,M. Teller was a young man in the year 1860, when Lincoln was nominated for president. He lived in Illinois and had been drawn into rather close relation with Lincoln. So when the presidential campaign came on this young man was selected to go up to Chicago and assist in the buslness of receiving delegates, talking Lincoln to them and generally managing the game. , Young Teller got on handsomely and <the,prospect for Lincoln began to - look better to him. The candidates.

of course, were all decorously keeping away from the convention city. It would be exceedingly bad form for one of them to appear near the convention. What was the consternation, then, in the Lincoln .camp when it was reported one afternoon that “Old Abe” had been seen in town and that he was, calling on his Chicago friends and swapping stories about everything except the presidency. Lincoln must be hustled out of town. It would be ruinous to have it known that he had been in .Chicago. Teller was sent to eject him. He found the presidential candidate at a hotel, enjoying himself watching the Mr. Teller explained his mission, delicately as possible, but very firmly. Mr. Lincoln protested that he didn’t have any chance worth bothering about. Mr. Teller Insisted that there was an excellent chance, and that the proprieties would have to be observed in these little matters. The New England people were punctilious about such affiln oi fora. At last -Jtr. Lincoln yielded. •Til go,” the said- ’Til do it because I believe you fellows are right.

Any convention that got a good look at me couldn’t be expected to nominate me, could it? I’ll have a better chance if they don’t even find out what I look like." And at midnight, without half a dozen of the politicians knowing he had been in town, aside from his Illinois friends, he was put on the train

and started back to Springfield. Three days later he was the nominee of the Republican party for the presidency. Mr. Lincoln regarded himself as the homeliest man in the country and once told a friend that It was getting the votes of the people who Were thankful for not being homely that elected him.