Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-07-21

A STORY OF PRESIDENT BUCHA.
NAN
His Rigid Ideas Of Official Propricty.

NAN
His Rigid Ideas OF Official Propricty
The last Democratic President
James Buchanan, had very strict ideas
as to the use of our public vessels, ant
they cost Howell Cobb, his Secretary o.
the Treasury a nice little sum. 1t wa
at the time of the launching and tria
trip of q revenue cutter. which had
been made under Cobb's direction anC
named after Buchanan's niece "The
Harriet Lane" Cobb concluded thai
on this trial trip of the new vessel ht
would invite the Cabinet, the foreign
legations, the President and others OF
his acquaintances to take a sail with
him down the Potomac. He made' al
his arrangements without saying word
to the President, and the matter wa!
pretty well advanced before buchanan
heard Of il. When 1t first came to hi!
ears sold Buck" sent for his Attorney
General, Jere Black, and Black, wher
he came to the White House. found
Buchanan flushed with anger. As
Black entered he said:
Are you going on this blamed
frollc? 1 would like to know what
you think of Cobb's using our public
property for his private entertainments
Attorney General Black replied that
he was not going on the Harriet Lane
trip, and though he did not like to criti.
cizs Cobb, still he was not backward in
saying that he did not approve Of it.
''But," continued he, "Mr. Presi.
dent. Cobb has gone on with this affair
and issued his invitations and l don't
see what you can do about it,
.'Do about it, said Buchanan, in a
rage; do about it! Why of course
will stop it. It is a scandalous affair
and 1 will not be held responsible fol-
it. Icsriainly will not allow it togo on. u
Black then placed before Buchanan
the probability that Cobb thought he
was doing nothing wrong when he
was making the arrangement, and the
fact that if he stopped the affair now it
would cause a great deal Of scandal
both in this country and abroad, as the
foreign ministers had been invited.
Buchanan appreciated this and finally
said that he thought that he would let
Cobb 60 on if he wanted to and he
would pay all the expenses out Of his
own pocket. The excursion did go on.
but neither the President nor Attor-
ney General Black were present. At
the first Cabinet meeting after it Bu-
chanan said to Cobb:
"Mr. Secretary, want you to bring
me an itemized bill of the expenses
incurred during the trial trip Of the
Harriet Lane. want a detailed ac-
count of everything-the coal con-
sumed, the salary Of the officers, the
wages of the seamen and the cost of
every bit of supplies used on the trip"
Cobb did not know what TO make of
thIs demand, but he replied quietly:
Certainly, Mr.. President, l will do
3d."
Shortly after this the Cabinet meet
ing ended, and Howell Cobb and Jere
Black walked down from the White
House together. When they had gotten
opposite where the Attorney Generals
office Is now. Cobb, who had been silent
up to this time, burst forth:
"What in thunder does the old Squire
mean?" Black made no reply and
Cobb went on: You know what he
means, and 1 know you do, and now
l want you to tell me frankly what lie
is up to!''
Black then related his conversation
with Buchanan. and concluded with
the statement that Buchanan had
asked for the bill in order that he
might pay it out of his own Iocket.
Howell Cobb always whistled when he
was surprised, and he now gave loud,
long continued whistle and said:
"That is what the old Squire is up
to, is itp Well, l will see whether 1
can't surprise him."
At this point the conversation drop
ped, and Black and Cobb went on to
the Treasury. Every once and a while
Cobb would repeat his whistle, and IS
Black left him he heard the whistle
coming out Of the Treasury door as
Cobb entered. The next cabinet day
came, and with it came Cobb, who
seemed to be the happiest man Of the
council. The President looked glum,
but Cobb was cracking his jokes at
everybody. The business of the meet
ing was at last concluded, and the Sec
retaries had arisen to take their depart
ure, when Buchanan turned to Cobb
and said very sharply:
"Afr. Secretary, where is that blll?"
Cobb, assuming an innocent air,
answered: "What do you mean, Mr..
PresidentP"
"I mean that bill of expenses for the
trial trip of the Harriet Lane" an
swered Buchanan sternly, ''have you
got 1t with your"
''Obl that bIllI'' said Cobb; "yes, l
believe 1 have 1t somewhere about my
Clothes" and hereupon Cobb fumbled
first in one pocket and then in another,
and finally drew out piece Of crumpled
paper which he handed to the President
with: 81 guess that is It."
Mr.. Buchanan took it and looked
over 1t item by item. His face was
full of disgust as he read, and seemed
to look dasgers at the paper till he
reached the end, when he almost
Jumped to his feet as he exclaimed:
"Why, 1t Is receipted-paid in full
by Howell Cobb2"
"And who in thunder should have
paid it but Howell CObb?" broke In
Cobb with an air of injured innocence,
sit was my frolic. Who should have
paid for itp" -
s.Sure enoughl sure enoughp' was all
that Buchanan said. But he frightened
up at once, and in short time became
as merry as Cobb had been at the be-
ginning of the session. Cobb and
Black went away from the White
House together, and as they were going
down the steps to the yard, CopD salo:
s.Djdn,t I come 1t over the old Squire
thenP" 1t Is needless to say, In conciu-
sion. that the government vessels were
not used during the remainder OF Bu-
chauan's administration for private
purposes.
A Tale of a Picture