Omaha daily bee., 1888-11-21
THE OFFICE SEEKERS RAID.
1t Has Begun in Earnest on the
President Elect.
sEselegp WITH APPLICATIONS.
Congratulatory Messages Rapidly
Giving Way to Letters Of Totally
Different Character - Clark
sons Wis it TO indianapolis.

INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 20.-The president
elect put in the day, which was cool and
pleasant, hard at work reducing his stock of
unanswered letters. There seems TO be but
little appreclable decrease in the voluminous
correspondence daily received, and hendricks
of congratulatory letters still continue to
arrive; but gradually the complexion of his
mail is changing from congratulatory to So
licitatory, and applications for Office are
daily growing more numerous. 1t is Cen
eral Harrison's present intention to endeavor
to acknowledge the receipt of all letters Of
the latter character. But owing to the great
accumulation of congratulatory letters and
kilograms he again requests the press to
convey his thanks and serve as a friendly
medium to explain his inability to separately
acknowledge the receipt of so many con
CALCULATIONS. No small portion of the gen.
erals mail at present is from the south.
Miss Sanger, who has acted as his faithful
amanuensis since the day of his nomination,
left for Europe to-day. Mr.. Tibbott, of this
city, stenographer to the president-elect, sue
ceeds Miss Sanger. Among the numerous
other letters answered by General Harrison
to-day were forty-four replies to parents who
had informed him that they had named their
babies Benjamin Harrison" With
one or two exceptions these namesakes
were all born since General Harrison's
election. The EXCEPTIONS were two setssof
tllplStS, uONS, DOEU SIOIlly DClOEt JHc clcC-
ton. The parents in each case named one
for General Harrison, one for President
Cleveland, and the other for the father.
Acknowledgement to the parents of the third
set of triplets, similarly named, was made "a
couple of weeks prior to the election.
Mrs. Harrison is also in receipt of nuner-
Gus letters stating that several ''Carrie Har-
rison" had been christened since election day
and to all such communications she promptly
replies; but the numerous applications for
Office that are being mailed to her receive no
attention, and are consigned to the waste
basket. 1t may be stated that this rule
has been adopted by Mrs. Harrison and will
be impartially observed. No communication
of a political character will receive attention.
While Presidential Harrison was read
ing his mail this afternoon he came across a
blank circular sent out by a Philadelphia
newspaper, Offering a prize of $50 to the per-
son who would fill in the correct names of
General HarrisOn's cabinet. AS he read the
circular it seemed to suggest an idea, for he
remarked: "1 think l could win that prize,
but l won't try for it,"
Cabinet building continues to occupy the
attention of political circles, and one can
hear cabinet talk everywhere except in Gen
eral Harrlson's house, and if the president
elect has progressed far enough to give this
important subject even its initlatory consid-
Grafton he keeps his own counsel absolutely
inviolste, tor his most intimate personal
friends are known to have stated that they
know nothing whatever upon this subject.
fulOnR NrCuGIat IItll " . IlOullhSluO u
of-town callers to-day were Governor-elect
Hovey and Colonel George &. Friedly,
of Lafayette, ex-chairman Of the re-
publican state committee. Governor
elect = Hovey SAID he passed a very
pleasant hour with General Harrison.
Mutual congratulations opened their visit,
and the campaign was talked over as it re-
lated to and resulted touching Indiana. Gen
eral and Mrs. Harrison had for their guests
st tea this evening Vice Chairman ]. S.
Clarkson and wife and Sergeant-at-Arms
Swords, of the national committee, and wife.
Later in the evening Judge and Mrs. w. A.
alsp MIR. and Mrs. Russell Harrison and
Mrs. Brown and Miss Strickle. The evening
was passed in social conversation. The
president-elect and Colonel Clarkson, how
ever, held quite q long talk alone in the front
parlor, while the ladies and other gentlemen
chatted IN an adjoining parlor. Colonel
Clarkson was requested by General Harri-
son to stop over en- route home and make
him a visit, and while it is thought that the
visit partoOk very largely of a social charac-
ter, there are good indications that politics
were somewhat discussed, perhaps even to
the extent of cabinet suggestions. Colonel
Clarkson states that he had much to say to
General Harrison about the business of the
national committee. but declined to give any
expression Of a political tendency bearing on
his pleasant visit.
Mrs. Judge Woods, who is among Mrs.
Harrison's warmest friend in this city, is a
native of Iowa., and an old acquaintance Of
both Mrs. Clarkson and Mrs. Swords, the
latter having been one OF her bridesmaids.
This former acquaintance made the little
party tonight more of a reunion of old
friends than IL formal gathering of visitors.
Mrs. Russell Harrison leaves tomorrow
morning to visit her parents, ex-senator and
Mrs. Saunders at, Omaha, Neb.
Among the presents received by General
Harrison to-day was q richly bound volume
containing illustrations of character taken
from Munkasry's famous painting, 'Christ
before PLATE" which happens now to be on
exhibition in this city. The present was
from John WannaInaker, of Philadelphia.
There seems to be practically no founda-
ton for the published reports that ex-Sena- |
tor Warner Miller, ex-senator Plat, Sena-
tor Frank Hiscock, and Chauncey M. Depew
and wife on their coming visit to General
and Mrs. Harrison. Mr.. Morton's contem-
plated visit is looked upon as an interchange
of social amenities, and no unusual political
ciated with his visit, the date of
which will probably be announced
at an early day. 1t is reliably, stated that
General Harrison has determined not to go
invitation extended to Senator Allison. +!
Those in position to form q good opinion
think that in view of Vice Chairman Clark
sons intimate friendship with Senator Alli-
son he may practically be regarded
interchange of political views between the |
senator and the president. Should Senator |
Allison visit the president-elect close upon
the heels of his friend, Colonel ClarksOn, |
such a visit would doubtless be regarded |
here with considerable significance. There |
la pretty good reason for believing that a |
goOdly part Of Vice Chairman Clarkson's
conversation with General Harrison was
devoted to the political situation in New York |
state, as viewed by the former after four
months residence and commingllng with the \
leaders OF the factions in the Empire state. !
This conclusion Is reached from the fact that
Colonel Clarkson admits that he had given
his journalistic interests scarcely a moments |
attention since the campaign opened. His |
paper, the Iowa State Register, has been
edited and managed entirely by his brother
during that period. Furthermore, he
gave the eastern end of tho campaign
far more personal attention than the western,
which was managed principally by General
HarrisOn's home friends, 1t Is this expert
ence with, and fresh political knowledge of,
eastern men and affairs that Colonel Clark
son is believed to have been imparting to the
prosident-elect. The correspondent would
add that in the absence OF his ability 10 quote
either of the participating authorities, the sit
uation in New York from the Administrative
standpoint is thought here to have som ex-
cecdingly p~uz2ling and prospectiyely con
tiicting features growing out of the ambitious
expectations Of leading statesmen and poll