The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-08-08
EDITION
POLITICAL.
COLFAX.
His OpiMiOn of General Grant and Chief
sJuaIaCo Chase.

HIS OpiniOn OF General Grant and Chief
JusLnce Chase.
A gentleman who had an interview with
Speaker Colfax, in Chicago writes about IL to
the Journal of that city. He says-
Some one alluded 10 the numerous stories
afioat concerning Grants intemper ,te habits,
Mr.. Colfax pronounced them one and all un-
qualinedly false. He has not taken even wine
with sherman and Sheridan, some time since.
To show how slight q thing gives rise 10 stoIy
of large dimensions he related recent STORY
and the cause. A gentleman called into VIII:
lard's, at Washington, at ll% one night, and
spoke to Grant, who stared at him, and an
swered in an indistinct manner, as the man
said ayg ne WsS tSa ng sor and Was
evidently the worse for liquor. The
story got started, and enlarged as it went. Gen
Grant had been seen drunk at Willard's on such
an evening"" 1t got to his friends. IL troubled
them. They broached the subject to the Gene
raj. These facts were elected: He was just GO
ing on the + street cars, and was obliged TO have
the exact cnapge. he found that he had no.
thing smaller than q $40 bill in his pocket, and
stepped into Willard's to get it changed, The
clerk was obliged TO send boy out, as the safe
was locked, ana the regular night CLERK was not
in. While he was waiting Grant, as was often
his custom, stopped inside the coun er. While
there man came In and spoke 10 him. Are
you the clerk, sir?" Grant very naturally
stared "AIe you the clerk, sir?" the man reiG-
Grated. "No SIR" Grant replied, "pm here for
chaDge"-and hence the story, without the least
foundation.
Mr.. Colfax is a religious man, and q strict
temperance man, but Is often amused when he
is referred to as an enemy to rum and tobacco.
"I am an enemy totobscco," he said; III destroy
all can of It," He uses only cigars, and says
that he "cannot afford but one vice." He says
that Grant did NOT teach him to smoke.
MIR. Colfax thinks Congress adjourned too
soon. He agrees with General Scnenck that
the 8th or 9th of August would have been
bet er.
Mr. Colfax says he "hasn't seen Chase since
his wonderful metamorphose" Says the in
stance is without parallel where the same
man was q candidate for nomination in The
convention of each OF two radically opposite
parties during the stme campaign. AS man
he Is an admirer of Chase. He says:-"l told
sion that Grant would be nominated, and he
might as we'll get his little bark out of the
way" He thinks that Chase will support
Grant.
Again referring to General Grant, he re-
maTked:-'I have attended receptions with
him, and, indeed, have always been with him
when he has been out the past season, and he
has neVer taken wine, even, but has aL,OayS re-
fused"
He considers johnson "a bold bad desperate
man." In reply to an inquiry regarding the
probable course of the President during the re-
mainder of his term, he said:-"Those who
have heretofore predicted the worst concerning
prophets. At the present time he is very much
disappointed that he did not get the nomina-
tion of the New York Convention, and pro-
vok ed wit IN the Democracy; for that reason he
may not do much to benefit them"
Mar. Colfax said that "he had never claimed
cratic conventions, but he believes that q
Higher Power certainly had something to do
with the last one, guiding them so as to insure
our success"
MIR. Colfax had nothing to say about Blair.
Perhaps he thought the less said the better.