When the convention met, General Grant’s name was brought forward by Roscoe Conkling. His chief opponent was Mr. Blaine. Roscoe Conkling was a clever politician, with a gift of sarcasm which he was continually abusing. He seldom tried to conciliate his opponent, and he deeply hated Mr. Blaine. At the convention, Conkling’s words and manner were arrogant and insolent to a degree. Taunts and insults came to his lips so readily that he not merely deepened the hostility of the Blaine men, but estranged the friends of other candidates, whom otherwise he might, perhaps, have won over. But he was sure of at least three hundred and six Grant delegates, and he seemed to feel that he could bully the convention into giving him the seventy additional votes needed for a clear majority. Nothing like Conkling’s conduct had ever been seen at any national convention. He did not even confine himself to verbal taunts, but once, at least, he rushed at an opposing delegate who was speaking, and, seizing him by the shoulders, thrust him down into his seat in spite of the jeers and hisses which came from every quarter of the hall. A newspaper of the day gives the following account: “Roscoe Conkling, in making the nominating speech for Grant, ranked for real oratory with Robert Ingersoll, who nominated Blaine in 1876. Conkling’s speech was spectacular, but, carried away by his strong partisanship for Grant and intense hatred and bitterness toward Blaine, he so lashed the Blaine followers as to make it impossible ever to win a scattering vote for Grant, and his speech left that chieftain weaker than before it was uttered. “However, Grant’s memorable ‘306’ stood with him to the ultimate finish. During thirty-six ballots he started with 304, never dropped below 302, and never got more than 313, being defeated by the avalanche to Garfield, with 306 delegates true to the bitter end. “Garfield went to the convention as head of the Ohio delegation to urge Senator John Sherman as candidate. Garfield was selected as a compromise candidate when it became evident that Grant and Blaine were in a deadlock. Wisconsin started the landslide. Grant’s following for two months determinedly worked for the defeat of Garfield, until Conkling had a conference with Grant, and then they swung around with zealous support that barely carried Garfield into the White House.” Chester Alan Arthur, a “Stalwart,” was elected as the running mate of Garfield, a “Half-breed,” to appease the faction he represented. Mr. Arthur was collector of the Port of New York at the time of his election, this appointment having been conferred by President Grant.