Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1881-02-12
The President Elect and his Visitors.

TWO reports Oh lUIttNtNN WIN tit IfHl-
dent elect ono by the interviewer of tho
Republican Nac York Times, the other by
correspondent of the Democratic Chicago
Times - from which there may he gained
pleasant glimpse into the interior of Cen
eral Garfold's homestead in Ohio. Mid
way between Mentor and Willoughby, in
the State of Ohio and visible from the rail-
way, which passes these stations, stands
Lawnfeld tho country residence of the
President elect. It is n modern country
house, with reddish roof sharply pitched,
broad verandah, and an open ball. The
surroundings - barns and outhouses are
all of the farm, save cosy little office in
the rear of the house, on the edge of the
orchard where bushel of letters and
newspapers every day is sorted indexed,
and filed by his secretaries, A clump of
trees now bare of leaves, stands near the
house, which is mile and a half by road
from Mentor railway station. The inter-
viewer of the Ne,U York Times seems to
have called at an early stage, before the full
tide of ofiice-sce had inundated Lawn
field for tho door was opened by Mrs. Gar
field, and he was made heartily welcome.
After sitting for time in the bright, warm
hall, around the FIRE which roared in the
capacious stove, the interviewer with other
visitors was usherd into the parlor, and en-
loved pleasant hour with tho President
elect. General Garfield, "looking for oil
the world like prosperous farmer just in
from his hayricks, strolls around his
premises of an afternoon, wearing n soft
old hat, and smoking thick cigar" With
., b, ., H., ~,
conversation, and overAows with anecdote
and good humor. He is even too kind
hearted and approachabe for his own COM
fort. 1t is the fate of Presidents elect to
be pestered by beggars, who begin by ask
ing for embassies and conclude by express
ing their readiness to accept pair of worm
out pantaloons. General Garfield finds it
difliult to say No. A negro who had been
wounded in the war called upon him to ask
his aid in securing pension. 81 told him"
said the colored supplant, 81 had borrowed
money to come down on, and with that he
put his hand in his pocket and gave me
dollar. l then said ia like to have that
pension, but was like the colored preacher,
who said that though he cared the best for
money, he was not above an old coat or a
pair VI DOOlS. w 1tu tUtb ut stDt IL NOuuS
man into the house and got me large
coat. :" Such n case, which is but one out
of multitudes of many such, serves to ex-
plain the cause of Mr.. Garheld's indispo-
sition.
1t seems the President elect made it q
rule g. not to be interviewed (" but who can
escape the ubiquitous inquisition of the
American reporter? The ChicugO Times
man prefaces his account of his visit to
Lawnfeld by declaring he had been placed
under tacit pledge. not to write line in
the form of an interview. His New York
confrere also begins his chronicle of what
General Garfield said by announcing that
she will not be interviewed, and the CONVEX
sation before the study fire is informally
and universally respected as private. In
spite, however, of this privacy they publish
what he said-satisfying their consciences,
however, not by printing it in the shape of
question and answer. General Garfield APP
pears to have been to cautious to trust too
much too the tacit pledge of privacy, and
he discreetly parried all questions relating
to his future policy or his probable choice
of Ministers. :" | have made up my mind,'
he says, "to be for three months first
class listener. All that his visitors could
extract from him was that he intended to
give the country safe and careful Govern
ment, with progress as its watchword; that
he was not an extremist and although be-
lieving heartily in the Republican party,
| he does not feel so much bound to it as if
he had worked for the nomination of the
party convention. He was more commune
cative about the past, and was very free in
his denunciations of the famous Chinese
letter forgery, which he maintains very
nearly lost him the election. 1t was circu-
lated by hundreds of thousands among the
working classes, and lost him many votes.
One Cleveland paper on the polling day
published picture of factory with white
workmen going out of one end and China.
men going in at the other, declaring, 'This
is what Garfield's election would mean
The exposure of the forgery came too late
to undo the mischief, and General Garfield
laments bitterly that the decision of issues
Of such supreme Importance to the nation
should have been influenced by SO base and
malignant fraud. With regard to Grant
Conkling, Cameron and Logan, who rar
the Republican machine, he expresses his
nearty irlehoshiP, put up 10 INC iast auNice'
he had not received any of them. Person.
ally General Garfield took but little part il
the campaign, except by letters and tele'
grams; and his unworn appearance and
buoyant health in the middle Of last month
showed how lightly the cares of the con
test had pressed upon him. Personally h,
would preferred to have remained in Con
gress, and being nominated for the Presi
dency he troubled himself but little as t.
the issue Of the fight
General Garfield was disciple Of thu
Campbellite sect, and it was his sermonl
which first attracted public attention ane
procured him seat in the Ohio Legis
lature. He farms l25 acres at Mentor. IL,
is a Freemason, and is said to have clainiet
to have Welsh blood in his veins. In thi
respect, however, he was beaten hollow by
General Hancock. The Democratic candi
date held quite levee Of Welshmen, VIII,
waxed quite enthusiastic on his behalf afte
he had assured them that his great grand
mother on his mothers side was descendes
from Jenken Jenkcu, an emigrant fron
North Wales who settled in Pennsylvania
before 1928. General Hancock, however