, 1880-04-19
A Chance Acquaintance.

prising business men was In New York
several weeks "go, and got into the
train to come home. The parlor car
was crowded, but the porter said:
"Take your seat anywhere, sir, for
few minutes. Some of these passen-
gers will get out soon, and then l will
give you seat" i fh
My friend entered the car, and, with
out ceremony, seated himself beside a
stranger who was reading New York
morning paper. My friend is a little
sensitive about the story 1 am going to
tell, and will not give his name but
for the purpose of Identification, 1 will
call him Peters. He is very sociable
man, stalwart republican and pretty
we'll up i'll politics.
The stranger laid down his paper
pretty soon, and engaged in converse
ton with Peters on the topics OF the
day. Business, speculation, and other
matters were discussed, and, very natu
rally, the conversation ran into politics,
of which subject the stranger did moi
seem anxious to talk. Peters asked him
how far ne was going, and the stranger
replied he was on his way to Washing
ton.
Live there ?" asked Peters.
"Oaly temporarily" was the stran
gers reply, and he proceeded to ex-
plain that he was in office.
What part of the country are you
from ?"
Ouio."
Lots of Ohio men around Wash
ington since Hayes came in, remarked
Peters, with smile.
Yes" replied the stranger. "we
Ohio people think we can supply the
brains and muscle for the whole coun
try
Modest folks, those Ohio men" said
Peters again. Got the president,
general OF the army, chief justice, sec
retary of the treasury, and about half
the offices, and now they want to nom
mate another Ohio man for president
Do you think j ohm Sherman stands any
chance of being nominated ?"
Il really don't like to express an
opinion on that subject" replied the
stranger, frankly. Secretary Sher-
man Is friend OF mine, and l would
like very much to see him president,
but cannot estimate his strength"
"They say Hayes is giving him big
Iift,' suggested Peters.
No reply.
u Understand that c1vil-service order
about office holders fooIing with polit-
ical conventions has been temporarily
withdrawn so that J ohm Sherman eau
get the southern delegates to Chicago,
said Peters.
"A great many things have been said
by Secretary Sherman's opponents that
are neither true nor reasonable" an
swered the stranger, somewhat sharply.
81 like to see Hayes stand by his
friends, remarked Peters, . but if that
civil-service order ever was intended to
be enforced it ought to bc enforced
now, while the fight for the nomination
is being made. BUTT was never meant
to be enforced. Hayes issued it to sat
isfy some of the namby- -pamby gilt
edged politicians who are always for re-
form when they are out of Office. 1t
never made any difference with the
political machinery of this country,
than pretension."
1.-The president was sincere in issuing
that order" said the stranger, land l
happen to know that he desires its en-
forcement."
q hope he isn't lying awake nights
fretsing about it, remarked Peters.
The stranger changed the topic Of
conversation, and pretty soon Peters
asked if he wouldn't smoke. The prof
fered cigar was declined, and Peters
went to the smoking-room alone.
asked
what gentleman was that you were
talking with ?"
Dunno, responded Peters. be-
lievc he is an Ohio congressman. l
didn't ask his name, but he said he was
in Office
What were you talking about ?"
Politics, mostly. He seems to be
an administration man. Says he wants
John Sherman dominated, and seemed
little touchy when l said that Hayes
civil-service reform business was hum
bug. He said he knew Hayes was sin
cere, and all that"
Don't you know who he is?" .ls
"No; never saw him before"
Never saw the president of the
United States?"
Holy Moses is that Hayes?"
Yes" F.r
"You don't tell me. l thought I
knew him, but it didn't occur to me
that he was Hayes"
What did you say to hin?"
Nothing but "a haf I'l1 hack nm and
nothing but what is true but maybe l
would not have expressed my views SO
clearly if had known who l was talk
ing with. Look here. porter, can't you
get me seat in the other Car ?"-"CUR-
IT'S in the Inter Ocean.
The Duke of Argyll, while in Amer
49, La. L. IL