St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-15
SILENT AS A SPHINX.
Harrison Declines to Deny or
Affirm Reports Regarding
Jim Blaine.
He DeVOtes His Time to Talk
ing Politics With w. D.
WashbuPn.
Sabin's Rival for the Senator
ship Sizes Up Dwight MS
influence.
All Indianapolis Turns Gut to
Honor PreSident-Elect
Morton.

a quiet day. They did not have very
large number Of callers at the house to-
day, doubtless owing 10 the fact that 1t
was understood the public would have
an opportunity OF seeing them together
tonight at the public reception. The
president-elect put i'll the morning at
his desk debating letters, and MIR. Nor
ton remained in his room good share
Of the morning. feeling somewhat in
disposed on account Of his sore
throat. When he arose this
morning he found it difficult TO
talk above loud whisper and suffered
considerably, 50 much so that Mrs.
Morton prevailed upon him to send for
DR.. o. 5. Runuells, 4 homeopathic, who
prescribed for Mr.. Morton, and this
evening ms throat was much better and
he conVersed with but little noticeable
difficulty. About ! o'clock Gen. lIarri-
son and Nr. Morton went out for short
walk. They did not come down town,
and were gone scarcely half an hour.
Among the callers to-day were Gen. W.
-. Washburn, OF Minnesota, and Col. j.
M. Underwood, Of minneapolis. 1t is
understood that Gen. Washburn is here
OK a POLITICAL MISSION.
Col. Underwood Is the president Of
the Harrison and Morton club, of Min
neapolis, which has membership Of
2,O00, of whom 600 have decided TO at
tend the Inauguration in a body, by
special train. and Mr.. Underwood came
here for the purpose Of securing from
Gen. Harrison 4 request 10 Coy. Beaver,
the grand marshal Of the day, that the
Minnesota men bc accorded a prOmi-
rtanf V,4Aftiat1 ia fln fngtrunpni tta1sqnn
1t is said Col. Underwood was
successful in his GRAND. Another
caller of prominence was Gen.
Henry Shippen Hudekoper. ex-post-
master OF Philadelphia, who was
removed by President Cleveland. His
visit, to-day, was social one. MeSsrs.
John w. Stubbs, J. II. Buford, j. A.
Swoyeland. NJ. X. SulZer, members of
the Republican State Central committee,
called about o'clock and held private
consultation with Gen. Harrison. Mrs.
Morton and Mrs. Harrison had mum
Der of callers during the day. Shortly
after 4 O'Clock Mrs. Harrison. Mrs.
Morton. Mrs. Bcrgland and Mrs. Mckee
attended the o'clock tea given
by Mrs. DIR. IL. Il. Allen il
honor of Mrs. Morton. AT O'Clock
Gen. Harrison and MIR Morton walked
over 10 Dr. Aliens and Joined their
wives at tea. For a time tins afternoon
Gen. Harrison house was bcsieged by
the newspaper correspondents. who are
i'm hutter of excitement over report
published i'm New York this morning to
the effect that Mr.. Blaine had been
offered and al accepted the state port
folio. Efforts on the part of the cor
respondents Ia induce Gen. Har
ris0n TO talk upon this subject
proved a fiat failure. Immediately
after his election Gen. Harrison caused
ii 10 Ice known TO the press representa-
tiyes that he would
NEITHER AFFIRM NOR DENY
any newspaper rum0rs or stories re-
garding himself on what he proposed To
do. He has observed this rule with
tenacity and rigidity that eminently
CharacteriZes his disposition, and when
appealed TO. on the ground of It's extra
ordinary nature, to give some express
sion regarding the Blaine report. he re-
piled, with considerable emphasis:
II makes no difference what u the nature
OF the report or through what channel 1t
comes, | cannot allow myself 10 be troubled
with questions about such things. II |
should say anything once | would be cX-
pected 10 again, and yOu can see what il
would lead TO. might as we'll undertake To
keep the public Informed as 10 what | have
in mind-and it would amount 10 that-if I
should take up the newspaper reports every
morning, ANA say this is true, or that is not
true. on gentlemen may 70 uu with your
speculation as 10 what you think will hc
done, but must not be asked TO confirm or
deny the reports that are put in circulation.
| say this in all Kindness. but hope il will
De understood an around that | will not
allow myself 10 DC placed in the position of
determining the trustworthineSS of any Ic
port no matter now important OF from what
source IL comes
The Associated Press correspondent.
IN cOnYersing with Mr.. Morton late this
afternoon. mentioned that the Blaine
story seemed 10 have caused a great
deal of excitement in Eastern political
circles, judging from the character of
the press dispatches. Mr.. Morton in
Quired rs to the nature of the report,
stating he had heard nothing of it.
This seemed little surprising under
the circumstances. and when the rumor
was told 10 Mr.. Morton he remained As
DUNE As \ SPHINX
upon that subject. Private Secretary
lalford had no opinion upon the sub
jcct for publication and ingeniously
escaped the ntrrviewers by referring
them 10 Gen. Harrison. 1t may be
stated, however, that no one can be
Harrison and would be likely to know
who places any credence whatever i'm
the reported tender of the state port
folio TO Mr.. Blaine. Outside of news
paper circles here, the report Is treated
with absolute indifference, even with
leVity in some eases, and from many
sources and CoTrOhoratiVe circum-
stances, there Is every reason TO believe
that II lacks the essential element of
truth. Hon. John {. New, when asked
for his opinion OF the Blaine report,
said:
| have reasons TO- believing there is no truth
whatever in the story, IL l. mere newspaper
run o. don't think Gen, Harrison has pos
itively fixed upen member of his cabiuet.
and il he has, he has kept the matter en-
tircly TO himself, ana not even communicated
as yet his conclusion to the person or per
sous he viii select. place no credcnce in
the story from New York
Chairman Huston. of the state central
committee. who is himself a cabinet
possibility, says he does no. place any
reliance in the truthfulneSs of the re
port. but knows nothing about it. In
fact, of all the prominent Indiana poll
ticianS. many of whom were To be seen
about the corridors of the New Dennison
tonight not one would say he believed
tine Blaine report. They all regard il as
a pure "down-eastern' fabrication. and
not few of them express the belief
privately that il was published in New
York with 4 motive as a "feeler." as
one gentleman said, with view to
drawing from Gen. Harrison some eX-
preston as 10 his intentions. If this
theory is correct, il has ignominiously
failed of its purpose. Some weeks ago
al almost similar story was telegraphed
from the East. and Gen. Harrison is
quoted by one near 10 him aS
having remarked at that time
that lie Guessed the newspapers
were merely taking that method 10 draw
him out \ gentlemen who is close To
the preSident-elect, and would be very
apt 10 have early knowledge of his cabi-
net selections, when accoSted this even
ing 10y the Associated Press correspond
ent for his opinion of the Blaine TumoT,
said nVnn,pffN-