Daily Republican., 1886-10-01
LINCOLN's STORIES.
How the Great President Managed 81
Coueiliate Contending Factions

How the Great President Managed 81
Couciiiate Contending Factions.
President Lincoln knew human
nature. Long intercourse with the
people and with politicians, practice as
a jury lawyer and experience as a
legislator, made him familiar with the
weakness and strength of men. On
one occasion the Governor of North
ern State rushed to Washington, brist-
ling with complaints against the War
Department. He had q stormy inter
view with Mr.. Stanton, and then went
over to the White House to lay his
grievances before the President.
In the course of a few hours, the
Governor was seen vending his way
to the railroad station. wearing pleas
ant smile, and only anxious to go home
by the next train.
"Mr President, how did you dispose
of the Governor" asked q friend. ale
went to you in towering rage, and
came out smiling. suppose you found
it necessary to make large concessions
TO his demands?"
80, no, didn't concede anything"
replied the President. "You know
how that Illinois farmer managed the
big log which lay in the middle of his
field9 To the questions of his neigh
bors as to how he was getting along
With it he replied, I've got rid of that
logv"
"Got rid of it? How did you do it,
1t was too big to haul out, too knotty
to split, and too soggy to burn. What
did you dep
"Well now, boys, if you won't tell
the secret I'll tell you how l got rid of
it; plowed around it,
"Now," said the President, "don't
tell anybody, but that's the way got
rid of the Governor Iplowed around
him."
Another Governor, though able, pa
triotic and untirmg in raising troops,
always wanted his own way, and was
very exacting in his intercourse with
the General Government. Once his
complaints and protests were so bitter
that it was feared he would refuse to
cooperate. The Secretary of War,
therefore, laid the dispatches before
the President.
"Never mind, never mind" said
Mr.. Lincoln, after reading them.
"These dispatches don't mean any
thing. Just go right ahead The
Governor is like boy saw once at a
launching. When everything was
ready they picked out 10y and sent
him under the ship to knock away the
trigger and let her go.
AT the critical moment everything
depended on the boy. He had to do
the job by a direct, vigorous blow,
and then lie fiat and keep still while
the ship slid over him. The boy did
everything right, but he yelled as if
he was being murdered from the time
he got under the keel until he got out.
II thought the skin was all scraped
off his back, but he wasn't hurt at all
The master of the yard told me that
this boy was always chosen for that
job, that he did his work we'll, and
had never been hurt. But he would
always squeal.
"That's just the way with the Gov
ernor. He only wants to make you
understand how hard his task is, and
that he is on hand performing it,
During the war there arose con-
fiict of authority between the military
and civil powers. Civil officers would
grant permits TO bring out cotton from
certain districts in a state of insurrec-
ton. The military officers, however,
believing that the cotton speculatators
interfered with army operators, nulli-
fed the permits issued by the Trea-
sury Department. The cotton specula-
tors brought the matter before Presi-
dent Lincoln, and through one of his
friends from Illinois, asked what
would be the probable result OF the
contest.
"By the way, what has become of
our old friend, Bob Lewisr' asked the
President, referring to the clerk of the
Circuit Court of Dewitt County.
"When Bob became of age" said
the President, che found among his
fathers papers number of land. war
rants. AS the land was located In
Northeast Missouri, he went there to
investigate, going on horseback, with
a pair of saddle bags
CARRYING at the locality, he hitched
his horse and went into a log cabin
standing near the road. The proprie-
tor-a lean, lanky, leathery-looking
msn-was casting bullets preparatory
to hunt
81 am looking up some lands which
belong to my father" said Lewis, by
xyav of introdun,pp hinnaelf ttWhat Ia