The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1877-07-29
THE NEW ORLEANS DEMOCRAT, SUNDAY, JULY 90, 1877

seltzer," muttered the President, as he
turned over and went TO sleep.
The sun was shining brightly when
he awoke the next morning. But the
Executive face was set with certain
resolution, and.in putting on the Execu.
tive shirt an occasional muttered refer
enoe to the condition of the Executive
buttons escaped his tightly drawn lips.
Then he proceeded to his dressing
table, and with firm hand shaved off
of his most distinguished character
istics. Then from secluded closet In
the attic he procured o pair Of trousers
left by the ex-President, o waistcoat
belonging to the lamented Lincoln, and
q blue coat with brass buttons, original
| ly the property Of the late James
Buchanan. The natural wear and tear
OF these articles had been repaired by
the Sartorial act Of the late Andrew
johnson. A straw hRt Inadvertently
left by the Secretary OF State completed
his disguise. -Four dynasties look
down upon me-" said the President
the glass; but he reflected. II must
keep that and say 1t to Evarts.. AT
present he monopolizes all the nlots..
After inditing few lines to his wife
and private secretary, saying that pro-
found affairs OF State took him Tor q
while beyond the reach OF newspaper
reporters, he descended the back stairs
and speedily found himself free and un-
noticed. He took the nearest horse
car to the Executive Mansion and stop
ped to look up at the great white editce
strange that it had never seemed 80 I'M
posing before. Suddenly q voice rang
| In his ears
"Get off them flower beds, you
ID old buckeye, afore | bust yer
For an instant the President forgot
his ipcognito. "Do you know whom
YOU addressp" he said stit1ly.
"Do n reckon! You's one OF them
Ohio chaps, snoopin around for an ap-
pintment. Your fathers second cousin
TO Mr.. Hayes grandfather--aint he !?
You waz the first man that nominated
Hayes for Guv'ner, aint ye? Do know
yer? DO know that rigp Look ut that
hatl-them pants 10 git, will you!"
Perhaps" thought the President. as
he moved slowly away, my garments
are, to some degree, unpopular. Let
me see--the lesson Richards would draw
from this Is the promulgation Of an
order requiring all government en-
ployes to wear the clothes Of their pre-
decessors. Goodl I'll sound Schurz
regarding 1t. It will promote economy
and rsndsy him ama msas se less sdaad sa
as he reached Pennsylvania Avenue and
turned toward the huge derricks. on the
State Department. "It cant be too
early for Evarts. guess I'll so there
first"
A colored messenger doubtfully re-
ceived the card presented by the Presi-
dent, on which he had written the name
of Joshua Snively Of Ashtabula.
think the Secretarys g engaged all day" i"
he said, examining the person and the
card Of the Executive. HE left word
he can see nobody but princes and
kings and members OF Congress to-
"I'll wait" replied the Executive.
He waited four hours in the anteroom.
He couldn't say that the hours were
wasted, for during that time he heard
himself and his policy discussed In
whispers by people who had eaten OF
his bread, received his favor and solic-
tied his support. Perhaps 1t was his
quiet manner, perhaps 1t was some
kindliness In the heart OF the messen.
ger that caused him to suggest to the
President that he might II he wished
have au interview with the first assist
ant secretary.
"Certainly," thought the President.
"He is right. / should begin with Sew
ard"
AS he opened the door bright, affable.
middle-aged man sprang to his feet and
grasped the hand Of the President
warmly. "My dear Mr.. Snively, pray
be seated. You will find that chair more
i comfortable"
"Really," said the President to him
self as he sank into a luxuriant arm
chair, "this is civil-service reform. My
business, began the President aloud,
with you is simply"
zone moment" interrupted the As
sistant Secretary, with a cautious but
deprecatory uplifting of his hand, "be-
lieve me, dear sir, you have no business
with the department. You only Mlnk
you have. In the course OF my long
connection with this department have
found many gentlemen Of culture and
ability who had believed or conceived
that they had business with us. They
had not. Dear sir, assure you they
had not. In the course Of four or five
years, at least, they were convinced
they had not. 1t Is to save you this un-
necessary annoyance that speak thus
frankly"
He smiled so affably and genially
looked 80 sympathetically and kindly,
that the President was dumb. At last
he ventured to say:
"But think, Mr.. Seward"
pardon me. You only think you
think. Nobody as rule thinks in this
Department. We talk, It is true. You
talk, talk, they talk. He, she and II
talks. But 1 do not think, thou dost
not think, they do not think
believe me, my dear sir" said the
Assistant Secretary, rising suddenly
and grasping both hands Of the Execu-
tive with an excess of courtesy, 'yor
will return in the course Of a few
months to your pleasant home in Ash.
tabula county satisfied, nay convinced
that you never had any business with
the State Department.. Nay, sir" as
the President struggled to speak, "dt
not thank me, it Is simply my duty
God bless you. FAREWELL"
And before the President could catct
his breath he was ushered into the cor
ridor.