New-York tribune., 1885-07-12
STORIES ABOUT FOLGER.
THE HUMoR OF A POLITICIAN.

is remembered hero cbieny a. gentleman oS uns
blemished character and excellent intentions an Inc
dustrious WORKER fond Of detail, with judicial turl
Of mind which be applied to everything and everybody
with whom he thrown into contact; an Official
kindly in disposition strong in his preudices, easily
led by those who had gained his confidence. and
lastly as one of the most unfortunate politicians THE
generation has produced. Those who met him In
casual way or in the course Of business only never
would have suspected that under his quiet and
dignGed exterior there hidden all the love Of fun
and roc ordinarily ascribed To youth only but In bic
case tempered perhaps by age and mellowed by ex-
perience As painful disease and the suffering
pauying il made their inroad upon the constitution Of
Judge Folger be lost something OF that old time
vivacity which his friends accustomed to In
him, but he entirely lost that appreciation of
humor and instant conception of the ludcrous aspect
of things which made his conversation at times -
agreeable and entertaining. Some Of his bon mots }"
are still handed about, their origin often being
ascrbed to Others His stories and anecdotes and hs
happy maoner of telling them are still remembered
La the earlier days of his administration Of the
Treasury the appointment clerk welded unusual
powers than he does at the present day. The
pense Of collecting the revenue from imports and the
manner in which the money voted by Congress In
lump sum tor that purpose should be expended were
left auos entirely to the discretion of the Secretary
In addition he had the control for the purpose of
all moneys received in the way of forfeures and anes
| averaging about fZ,OOW,VUU every year. lnl3 va8U
sum$S, 900 OO0or the greater part OF it, at least
the Secretary could exrend practically rs he pleased
as long il expended in the collection Of the
revenue He could increase or cut down the salaries
of certain employees he saw it, He could create
new places and abolish others. The result that
the number OF applications tor increase OF pay and APP
pointment to places throughout the country wac
enormous. The power of the appointment clerk was
naturally very great especially so in the case OF APP
pointment Clerk Butler who enjoyed the entire
fdense and was indeed personal friend of the Secre-
tary have mentioned these details for the purpose
OF showing incidentally what tho powers Of Eugene
Higgins would have been to-day, had not Republican
Congress tho XLvIIh tit to abolish this loose
manner of appr0priatng lump sums OF money and rc-
qurc instead estimates showing the sum IN each in
stance which it proposed to pay to every employe
under the Department
But to return to Secretary Folger and his appoint.
msnt clerk. The daily mail of the latter under the old
system very heavy II was his custom every day
to 20 the Secretays Office at the close OF business
hours and submit to him tudget" Of proposed ap-
pontnents changes in the service. One sultry sum
mer day he went into the Secretarys room found
him there sitting in his chair bis hands folded,
gazing out OF the window ongingy in the direction OF
little while for the Secretary to stir. Judge Foger
didn't move. Butler coughed to make his pr. sence
known. As the Secretary turned around aud saw
not to-day Butlerr " Are you NOT going t. fll any
vacancies to-day, Mr.. secrctaryp asked Butler, il
astonishment.
None, except this the Secretary replied tapping
that part of his person most appreciave Of good din
ncr and without another word or smile on his lace he
Secretary Folger felt keeny his defeat as candidate
| for the Governorship OF New-York. lie never Will
ngly referred to that subject in conversation. l. was
| a sore one with him. Yet nobody that did not know
| him thoroughly would have suspected from what he
said several occasions that he felt very much ag-
grieved his defeat by nearly 195 900 majority:
Shortly after that event Congressman Mckinley visited
| the Secretary at the Treasury
" How do things look in Ohlor asked Folger
cheerily. Z" | see you got back to Congressr
"Yes. by four majority" replied Mckinley, some
/ what gloOmily.
"WeIl, that's mighty big majority as things 90
nowadays" said the Secretary quietly. Blue even AZ
| he was Mckinley had to laugh.
On another occasion the Secretary had appointed
day upon which to hear the arguments OF certain citi-
zens OF Rochester who did not feel satisfied with the
selection made by the Department OF the site tor
| public building 10 be erected in their town. Their
spokesman presented himself at the appointed hour.
he young gentleman, faultlessy attired with kid
glcyes, cane, patent leather boots-in word what
would nowadays be called O" dude." Fogcr looked
at this apparton with some astoushment at first bat
finally told the young man to on" settling himself
in the meantime comfortably In his chair for q good
rest as be thought. The young man proceeded to
state his case and soon warmed up to his subject lie.
fore the Secretary kneg il he found himself interested.
He nodded encOuragngly assent to several PROPOSE
tions which the speaker offered. He said yes aud
Young man was very much dattered. He felt sure Of
having won the day for his clients. With sudden
Jerk stopped In the midst of his carefully prepared
argument and as il inspired by happy thought ex-
claimed
Mr. Secretary II the question of selecting the site
for the public building at Roch ester were submitted
10 of its citizens they would vote ten to one N
favor of the site which my clients desire selected and
which, it seems to me, Mr.. Secretary, you yourself
favor"
moment over his spectacles, and then in the most
quzzcal manner possible. said
i" don't know about that They have dcyilish
queer way of voting on some subjects up there"
Rochester had just cast 5000 majority against
Foger: Sill another story is told Of Judge FSger
meetings at the White House. President Arthur IL APP
pears wanted certain thing done. forget what 10
was. 1t is not material anyway. he had LAID out nis
plans considered tho subject carefully, taken the adj
Vice of competent persons was sure that what he was
about dowas right, and simply wanted 70 submit the
possible, that he had had their support. When tie
Cabinet sat down in the little room adjoining tho
library he presented the subject 70 them and gave
them his views. He spoke frankly and forcibly
throughout; he made it appear that he had made up
his mind about the matter. and was going TO act ac-
cordingy, whether his Cabinet agreed with him or not
went through the form Of asking the advice OF his
Cabinet and wound up by saying:
wnas 90 tue ~ogeS
Brewster, Lincoln frowned inqufrngly at Teller;
Chandler wiped his eyeglasses, aud Gresham stroked
hls beard Finally Foger' who had been quietly ssc h
THAT, reminds me Of q story" he said; said;
EysryS9dy .tory repeated Jadss
Folger "Theis was o man In my town once, whom
knew well. who had collection Of pictures OF which
he was very proud He was man OF culture ana
means He had travelled extensively in Europe. lie
himself aeonnoisscur Of pictures and bis col
lection which had taken him years Of toll aud labor
TO bring together the special object OF bis care and
attention He delighted in showing II to his acquaint:
ances in fact on every possible OCCASION he invited
their criticism OF it, One day friend called whose
ious to know He had heard that bis friend was con-
sdered an critic OF the first order. After dinner,
rhen be led him into the gallery. They passcd from
IN hoSt eyDlaniug the merit OF
each the time and circumstances under hich 4 Was
bought. aud He considered this and that picture
very ine in fact, the whole collection But he invited
opinion. Do you know he said, turning suddenly TO
his visitor. that man Brown was here the other day
an1 would you believe it, he had the impudence Wien