Evening journal., 1888-07-10
PRESIDENT POLK.
a TALK WITH HIS PRIVATE SEC
RETARY CONCERNING HIM.
LSpeclal Cofrospondence. J

Three Great asen-Ingans' Aphorissns.
Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, July 10-One OF the pleas
ATTEST takers among tho public men OF tho
United States is ex-senator Whitthorne, Of
Tennessee. Wen educated and bright, be
has been in public life more thnn forty years.
and his memory embraces Ill OF tho great
men q several generations. Immediately
after his graduation at the East Tennessee
university he began 10 study law in the Office
Of President Polk, and when a year OF SO
later Polk came 70 the White House he gave
/ Whitthorne a place In the treasury and
from that transferred him to tho executive
mansion, where he used him as private sec
retary Senator Whitthorne Is now G1 years
OF agc. He has white hair and whisEers. but
his skin Is as fresh and rosy as when he was
law student, and bis mind Is as clear as
spring water. | chattcd with him Tonight
about President Polk Said he:
president Polk was a very remarkable
man, and the story OF his administration
forms one Of the most important periods Of
the present century. During it the Mexican
war occurred, and we had the annexation Of
Texas with oil Of the immense territory CON
nected with il. During it tho Oregon ques-
tion was settled, and New Mexico and Cali
fornia were acquired. Polk WIS a very popu-
lar president, and the history Of his admin
istration would mako a very interesting
volumen
"Why has it not been writtenF7 asked,
"One reason is,n replied Senator Whit
thofne, "that President Polk died before he
could superintead the work. His term
closed, you know. In March, 1e4a. During
that summer he went to New Orleans, grew
sick on his journey home and died at Nash
ville on the 18th OF June, lS49 lie had pre-
pared the notes for history Of his admins
tration and bad engaged his secretary Of war,
MIR. Marcy Of New York, to write it.
president Polk was very methodical in
all his ways. He kept all OF his letters and
had them indexed. He kept n diary and
noted everything OF historic interest. He
never destroyed ga important paper, and as
"A rule kept all Of his correspondence. FIe
had a large house at Nashville which still
stands, and in which his wife now lives
One room 81 this house he had fitted up for
his biographel's workshop. Hehad arranged
the papers ia order, and the room was await
ing the coming of Secretary Marcy at the
time Polk died l6 hos noa been disturbed
through an these years, ana the papers are
now inthat room u Nashville ia the same
condition that they were whom President
Folk prepared chem thirty-nine years AGO
it was expected thatGeorge Adams. of The
Washington Star, would take them in hand
and prepare biogrphy. He died too soon
however, and the wogk viii have to be given
TO some ono else
"What were tho elements Of President
Polk's successr
ssThev vycra rnapv rarlira co,,4o,. T1-l,;t
thorne. "Eie was inthe first place man Of
considerable ability. He had the faculty OF
drawing young meA to him He started
into political life atan early age and made
many friends and hw enemies He had
good memory, and sddom forgot face or a
name. He married a good wife, and she
helped him with his correspondence, advised
with him as TO his political actions, and
acted, IN short, as his confidential secretary.
She was to him as nGich as Mrs. Logan was
TO the general, and while Polk was in the
White House it was said that his wife made
him. | don't think this was true, but she
undoubtedly helped him a great deal. An
other element Of Pollss success was his atten-
tion TO his constituents. He answered the
most trivial of letters, and he had nothing
OF the snob or the aristocrat about linn. He
was a good story teler and q good sumner.
He mixed WE'LL and the only time he was
defeated for governor Of Tennessee was
when he ran against Jones Jones defeated
him because he was better story teller and
more Of q demagogne than Polk.
"jamcs G. Jones WIS governor of Tennes-
see FROM 1871 to 1916 and a senator early in
tile ifties. He was a remarkable stumper.
and very quick to turn everything to
bis own advantantage He and Polk had
Joint discussions throughout the state during
the canvass, aud as "a instance of his meth.
ods may be told the iollowing: At one time
Folk was quoting from o report Of the secre-
tary 81 the treasury, end was bringing forth
some figures which were decidedly detrimental
TO the cause Of Jones. When lie had hurled
his thunderbolt Jones arose and interrunted
him and asked: And what, Mr. Polk, did
you say was tho title Of that bookF
That is the report Of the secretary Of
the treasury replied Polk, with vigor and
emphasis
And whoro Is il printedf said Jones.
Polk turned to the title page and said II
was printed at The Globe Office. Jones said
nothing, but riorely made an expressive
shrug Of his shoulders, which gave tho audi
ence to understand that nothing true could
come out Of that printing Office and that IL
must be and was a Democratic lie. The re-
suit Of this campaign was the defeat Of Polk
and the election of Jonesn
"Aow was Polk nominated for the presi-
dencyp
1T was dono at the Baltimore convention
Of 1914, and Polk's nomination vns a surprise
10 all. Van Bnren was the leading candidate
but had written letter against the annex
alton Of Texas, and it was soon seen that Il
was impossible to get him the two-thirds
vote for nomination. Polk had expected Ia
be nominated for vice president with Van
Buren as president, and had fixed IN a Van
Buren delegation from Tennessee for this
purpose. Andrew jackson was for Poll. and
especially SO because Polk sustained him
against the defectionof Hugh L. White. Who
had run against his lieutenant, Van Buren,. alta.
previous election. When Polk had been norni-
mated at Baltimore, Silas Wright was chosen
as vice president. Ee declined it. and Dallas
took his place. After the convention Van
Burens friends claimed that they had rnade
Polk and they wanted to run him. He made
them very angry by taking Marcy.
who was the head Of the opnosir9
faction in New York, as his secretary 81 ,vor'
II remember wel,n continued Senstor |
Whitthosnc, "rny first meeting with President |
Polk after he had been nominated. Ia had
sent me ON horsebaclSsi sixty miles from Colum-
bia to pay a sum Of money 70 client Of Ills
lie was very punetual in such matters. and hi |