The Washington critic., 1888-03-03

MR.. DICKINSON AND HIS OFFICE.
He was going on to criticise the
President, when Mr.. Dickinson thin
lips grew tighter and tighter together,
until the man made mention of the
Presidents name, when Dickinson
bmrted out:
"Get out of here ! 1 want you to
leave this room Immediately f.
The politician was thunderstruck,
and he said:
"Why, what's the matter?"
81 want you to understand" re.
Joined Dickinson, "that no man can
criticise President Cleveland in this
Office. ] am thoroughly in accord
with the Presidents policy, and / be-
lieve that everything that he has done
and is doing now as Chief Executive
is right. l want no more of such talk
here, and want no more of you. Get
out of here-get right out -
1t is needless to say the politician
left, and as private hint / would not
advise any one else to try the same
game.
Still, Postmaster General Dickinson
is ordinarily the mildest hammered man
that ever cut an Office seekers throat
lie is
THE CHESTERFIELD OF THE CABINET,
as he was the Chesterfield of the
Michigan bar. A man of strong
social and literary taste, he makes
friends everywhere, and he is president
of the Detroit Club, the leading social
organization of Detroit. He Is presi-
dent of his college class society, and he
evidently believes, with Marcus Aure-
lius, that mans social nature should
be cultivated as well as his moral and
intellectual nature. Don Dickinson has
always been strong anti-corporation
manr
He sold his interest in telegraph
stock before he came into the Cabinet
for fear that 1t might be considered as
influencing his actions in the Post.
Office Department, and l am told that
he would not take premium for it..
AS school boy he was fond of de-
nouncing corporations among his fell
lows, and his hobby in debating so.
cieties was, ! am told, corporations
He does not believe in allowing cor
porations to trample on his rights, and
few years ago the Brush Electric
Light Company introduced their sys
TEN in Detroit. They put up bare,
ugly pine poles along the streets, and
in many cases did not ask permission
One day Dickinson was very busy at
court. He came home late, and as he
approached his handsome brick house
on Front street he saw one of these
white electric light poles standing as
sentinel before his front gate. Its
foot was imbeded in the earth, and
it appeared TO defy him as Casa
blanca defied the fire on the burning
deck. The limbs of his favorite tree
had been clipped to make room for it,
and as Mr.. Dickinson saw 1t his thin
lower lip went up, and his classical
brows came down into frown. His
nostrils quivered with rage, but he
walked rapidly into the house, took off
his frock coat and vest, and seized an
AK which had an edge like razor. 1t
took just twenty cuts to lay that cleo
tric light pole low, and the future
Postmaster General then and there
served notice on the company that
whenever any corporation trampled
upon his rights he would defend him
self, and the corporation could act as
they pleased in reply.
HIS RESIDENCE.
Postmaster-G General Dickinson lives
at Washington in fine brick house
on Farragut Square, not far off from
Secretary Whitney's and just across
the reservation from Senator Stan.
ford s. He is within stones throw
of the White House, and not far from
the Corcoran mansion. He lives very
well here, and Is worth, | am told
$3.50, 900. His wife is fine-looking
woman, who came originally from
Grand Rapids, and whose recep-
tions here have been largely attended.
Postmaster-G General Dickinson was
great friend of Tilden, and he always
visited Tilden when he came east. He
stands at the head of the Democratic
party of Michigan, and it is largely
due to him, / am told, that that State
became doubtful one. Zach. Chand-
Ter used to say that any man could
carry Michigan, but after Dickinson
was chairman of the State Central
Committee the Republicans were moi
so confident, and the late election
III mOudlt ulStIlCli III NulCn Jut
Republican majority was so radl.
cally reduced, leads to ques-
ton as to how the State will
go this fall, Dickinson's work has
been for the publication of the poll
tics of his party, and he downed, ]
am told, the syndicate which a large
number of Democratic Congressman
of Michigan formed TO control the
Offices at the beginning of the present
administration. His admiration for
and allegiance to Cleveland were
shown in the prayer which he made
at one of the conventions, in which,
with uplifted hands and solemn
voice, he said: "God bless and save
and keep that Democrat of Demo
Gratis, the noblest of them all, Grover
Cleveland, President of the United
States"
Do you wonder that the Presiden
thought of him when he was looking
out for new Cabinet officer.
| | don't