The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-05-03
With hlnvo n1ar Ctonhn,,r

Gov. Stephens had an especial fond
ness for yOung-IolkS, and he was par
ticuiarly kind to reporters who dealt
fairly with him. One thing that he al
ways insisted on was that ha alone
should supply the news of the ENocU-
tive office. Soon after he went into
office, the Constitutions young man
noticed things remarkably dry about
the Executive office, and after q few
queries learned that the Governor had
ordered that no news be given 10 the
press. That night the Constitution s
young man was in the office at the
mansion. The young man was feeling
q little blue, because an important
source of news had been taken away,
and in voice that showed his anxiety,
remarked:
''GovernOr, I believe you have in
structed the secretaries and clerks in
the Executive office totell me nothing?'
81 have" was the reply. ''My first
order is that no person connected with
the office shall comment on anything
that is said or done there"
''But Governor" asked the reporter,
chow am l to get my department news?"
Turning around to the young nl;gn
the face of the Governor lighted up
with a smile as he answered almost
with a shout:
,''Come to me! Tn bossr'
He was as good as his word. After
supper the reporters would drop around
and the Governor always kept them
well up with the news. Sometimes he
would throw in good story for their
amusement, as seven o'clock was his
leisure hour. One night three of the
'boys" were there. They were scat
tered around the room, one Young fell
low leaned on the mantlepiece, another
rocked on an easy chair, and the third
sat over by the secretary's desk. The
Governor told them the news of the
day, and as they fingered he began to
talk of times that were before the re-
porters knew of this land and cline.
'Said Mr. Stephens:
81 shall never forget my first trip
away from home, nor the impression
it made on me. l was quite young
man, and some business fell into my
hands that carried me North | had
never been so far as Washington be-
fore, and of course [ wanted to see
what there was to be seen. | went into
the Senate gallery and took my seat
I could easily pick out the prominent
men by the pictures l had seen Of
them. Pretty soon question came
up, and the President of the Senate
announced that Mr.. Webster was en-
titled to the floor. OF course | was
very much grati1ied that l was to hear
him. He arose and began speaking in
an ordinary conversational way. |
think he took his snuff occasionally
He never made a gesture from the time
he opened until he closed. | thought
it was all sound doctrine, but | was con-
vinced that | knew Il dozen college boys
who could have beaten him speaking.
The next morning picked up a paper.
There was his speech headed: ''Mr.
Webster's Great Speech on the Fin
ances." Pshaw, | thought they don t
call that a great speech, do they?
saw another paper. There it was again
headed Mr.. Webster's great speech on
the finances. | went to Baltimore.
There they had Mr. Webster's great
speech on the finances. | reached
Philadelphia and everybody was talking
about Mr. Webster's great speech on the
finances. l got to New York. There
everything was in Il forment over Mr.
Webster's great speech on the finances.
1t was the same way in Boston. SO
concluded that it must indeed be Il great
speech. 1t put me to thinking, and
made up my mind that it was not the
way a man said anything, but what he
said made him an orator.