The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-03-02
MATT CARPENTER.
The Only Newspaper Interview OF HIS
Entire Life.

| The Only Newspaper Interview Of Ms
Entire Life.
Washington Cor New York Word-l
Carpenter had been disappointed when
Angus Cameron was sent to the Senate,
it having been Carpenters ambition TO
sit in that body. After his defeat he
settled down to law practice here. His
political ambition was aroused again
when the time came for the election Of
n successor to Mr.. Howe, now Post
master General. Carpenter had not
been in Wisconsin for three years. His
health would not permit his making o
personal canvass of the State, so, deter
mining to place himself as candidate
before the Legislature through news
paper interview, he sent for the writer
of the present sketch. The writer
found Carpenter pacing his Office in
high humor, pulling at a huge cigar.
His partner, Coleman, who was posted
on Wisconsin politics, was present In
the capacity of brakeman. Carpenter
began by saying: II want you to sit
down there and ask me few leading
questions. Don't pin me down too
close. 1 want an opportunity to talk to
the people of Wisconsin In my
own way If you ask me a question 1
don't want to answer, 1 don't want that
question to appear. want you to write
down carefully every word of my an
swers. Then must have the oppor-
tunity of revising the manuscript after
ward"
An assent was made to all of these
propositions, and then the interview be-
gan. Carpenter would start off in
brilliant, sarcastic, happy way, only to
be stopped by Mr.. Coleman, saying:
"For Gods sake, Matt, don't say that!"
Then Carpenter would wheel about with
great intellectual ease and express a
directly opposite opinion. There was
hardly an answer that was not changed
at least a half-dozen times. When it
came to the financial question, Carpen-
ter threw up his hands in despair. He
said: 81 don't know enough to manage
my own finances. L have not the
slightest idea upon the subject. know
absolutely nothing about it. Coleman,
do you know what the people up in
Wisconsin would like to have me say on
that question? If You do L wish you
would tell me, instead of sitting there
with that absurd grin on your face"
Finally, after smoking up half cigar,
Mr. Carpenter began with great rapid
ity and clearness, and talked for Mt least
ten minutes. When he had finished, he
said: Read it over" 1t was read.
He then turned to Coleman and said:
"How is that?" Coleman said: 1T
will not do You can never get through
on that statement Burn it them"
said Carpenter He tried it again, but
an hour had passed before he could
satisfy his partner.
Carpenter then told the writer to
hold the interview for two or three
days, and the next day he called on
him and said he had brought mp anoth-
er financial chapter to be used in place
of what he already had. He approved
the interview finally and went away.
He went to New York that night, but
before he went to bed he telegraphed:
Hold the interview until / return"
He came back to Washington within
day or two and called again. II have
decided" said he, "to omit everything
relative to the financial question. L
don't know anything about it, any way,
and / am not going to risk any blunder-
ing"
The financial chapter was chopped
out, and the much-cut and mangled in
terview was sent to Chicago, where It
was printed in the Times 1t was aft
erward reprinted in nearly every news
paper in Wisconsin. The interview was
very diplomatic one as it finally APP
peared. 1t put him in the canvass ut
a very early stage, and received the
most favorable comment from the Re
publican newspapers of the State. Mr..
Carpenter afterward attributed his cleo
ton to the United States Senate to tins
carefully-prepared interview-the only
newspaper interview of his entire life.