National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1878-03-29
A N N E x!


lt0hhnhsd FROM Fna fu0sl
kilograms, &C., from Senator Morton, which
had boon sent to the President before the
death Of the Senator, and BY the entire
Indiana and . portion Of the Mississippi
delegations. Thcu came Alex. @. Botkjn, Of
Wisconsin, with recommendations from tho
Badger State, Illinois, and other sections.
Again and again and again, In all Of those
cases, the President took notes. Finally, after
each one Of these gentlemen, except Messr-.
Warner and Wolfe, had become assured that
tho Office wss about to he conferred upon him,
the stationery at the Executive Mansion seems
to have run out, for the President took no
more notes and sent In the name of Judge
Howard, OF Michigan, man who was not an
applicant for Office, but happened to be In the
city seeking comfortable weather for the
rheumatism. Ho also happened to be ono Of
the two delegates from Michigan In the Gin
cinnsH Convention who led the break outside
Of Ohio for Hayes.
II may have been about tho time tho sta
tionery was exhausted that tho President Is
said to have brought the telegraph into requi-
sition, for II appears that he authorized West
crn friend Of his to telegraph to Mr.. Botkin,
above mentioned asking him If he would &C.
Dept the Governorship Of Dakota. Botkin said
no would; but, under ordinary circum-
stances" he didn't. Pennington, on hear
Ing Of this dispatch, went back to Yankton,
and told the Dnkotians that, Botkin was the
coming man. Whether Judge Howard has
reached there To disabuse them OF Pennington
innocent misstatonlents Is not known at this
writing.
But these arc not all the stories that arc told
Of the Presidents habit of taking notes.
Among them Is one Of q certain Virginia ap.
plicant for Office, who went SO far as to receive
from the Executive note.taker what he con-
sidered q positive assurance of tho success Of
his application. He went home TO Virginia and
was somewhat astoundcd, so to speak, q fcw
days afterward, to learn that the Office he had
applied for had been given to another man.
Being naturally high-strung, as it were, this
Firginian remarked that "he'd be, &c, IL he'd
ever speak to Hayes again" This remark was
repeated to the President. with All intimatlon
that the high-strung complainant In this case
was labOring under au impression that prevari-
cation might be a habit In high official circles.
The President took note of this. The end Of
II was that tho Nirginian in due course of time
did get IN office, aud better one than the one
or which he had originally applied.
Another story Is told Of collector of Gus
toms not II thousand miles from Georgetown
or Washington. who, pending the displace-
ment OF his predecessor, had received what he
accepted rs sufficient aSsurance of the success.
OF his application =; but the displacement did
not occur rs soon as the undertaking incidents
of his visits to the Presidential Mansion indi.
| Gated 1t would. ThercupOn he called again
aud Is said to have remarked, with some We.
hemencc, that he waited to withdraw hi.
recommendations. lie was Nominated for his
| collectorship that very day.
Still another story, not pertinent, however
to oiiicc-secking or appointing, Is based upon O
reported conversation which the Hon. Charlie
Foster and one OF his colleagues, pending the
consideration oil the silver bill, had with the
President Neither one of these gentlemen
nff fs.ilNy tt.,,. Ian r
came from t fresh with the belief that the
President would veto the bill, while the other
was firmly convinced that he would sign ii aud
send it to Congress with protest.