The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-04-26
NOT AyERsE TO A KISS.
Henry Clay, General Sherman, Blaine.
President jackson and Cleveland as
Kissers.

Ex-United States Senator Clingman,
of North Carolina, was great friend
of Henry Clay. He was young man
in Congress when Clay was in the
Senate, and he tells me that Clay was
one of the best mixers who has ever
shaken hands with country constitu-
ents. 'Henry Clay" said he to-day,
''was fond of kissing pretty girls, and
he was quite as popular with the wo-
men as with men. 1t was his custom,
in meeting lady, to salute her in the
good old English style, and the young
ladies of Washington, during his latter
years, were as anxious to get kiss
from Clay as those of the present are
to receive a friendly salute from Gem
eral William Tecumseh Sherman. l
remember, however, that he had to
kiss many women whom he did not
wish to. and during one of his calls a
bony-featured, thin Tipped old girl of
forty-odd years was receiving with
friend. AS Clay entered she rushed to
him and got his first kiss. She then
slipped out the back way, ran down
the street several houses and got into
line with some other friends of hers
who were receiving, and here she re-
ceived second kiss. She said to me
that night. 'Oh, Mr.. Clay kissed me
twice to-day and she smacked her
| lips as she said it.
"Shortly after this" continued Sem
ator Clingman, "Mr. Rives. editor of
the Globe, entertained Mr. Clay at his
country seat. The time was during
Clay's latter years, when he was be-
ginning to break. At Mr.. Rives'
house there was bevy of pretty girls,
and Clay, as usual, got all the kisses,
while We young men stood back with
hearts that yearned and mouths that
watered. AT last l said: Senator Clay.
1 have long thought that you were
overburdened with your public duties,
and. us your friend, l don't want to
see you overtax yourself. There are
! few things in which l can help you. l
would not attempt to make your
speeches. but | really think that |
could do the kissing for you as far as
the younger generation are concerned,
and / assure you if you will turn this
| over to me, will put my soul into my
lips and will take pleasure in the work.
''Mr. Clay drew himself up to his
full height, while the girls thtercd. and
said, with grandiloquent air: Il thank
you, Mr.. Clingman, but Lam perfectly
able to attend to my duties, private ~
we'll as public. ;"
General Sherman's kisses have been
almost national in their reputation, and
he might answer as did Buchanan at
one time when some youth offered to
relieve him of this feature of his presi-
Dental popularity. Buchanan waved
the young man aside and said: Il kiss
1for the nation" 1t is the same with
the jolly General, though it is said that
his short, wiry mustache scratches the
lips of the tender maidens. He says
pretty girls are God 5 most perfect
handiwork and that he is never aSham-
ed to express his .S,miration for them.
One day during his calls here in Wash
ington. friend of his said on meeting
him: "Oh, General, have beautiful
girl here whom | want to present
to you, and l know you will like
like her, for she is very nice. She will
be glad to see you, and l want yon to
kiss her." To this the General replied
that he was always glad to meet pretty
girls and always glad to oblige a
friend. the lady then asked him to
wait and she would bring the young
lady to him. A moment later she re-
turned with little one-year-old baby
girl in the arms of her nurse, and the
two W ere formally introduced. Cen
eral Sherman was surprised at the size
of the young lady. but he leaned over
and put a rousingSsmack on its rose
bud of a mouth In the meantime the
girls are quite as friendly to General
S ,erman as he is to them, and S e
would be foolish indeed who would
refuse a kiss from the genial general.
James G. Blaine, as rule confines
his kisses to babies, but lie is the most
affectionate hand-shaker in seventeen
states, and numerous instances occur
during his trips throughout the United
States which evidence the admiration
of women for him. At Bellaire, dur
ing the campaign of 1880, he made a
stirring speech, which called $4,000
people from the surrounding country.
The West Virginia girls came over in
squads, and each one of them was
bound to shake hands with Blaine.
They besieged him at the little coun-
try hotel where he stopped and pushed
their way into his room, where he was
decidedly en- deShGbiile. After the meet
ing was over they hung around the
train, and he reached his arm out of
the window and shook hands with
them as they stood upon the platform.
Now, Blaine has way of squeezing
and holding on to your hand while he
talks to you. He had just grasped the
soft, plump hand of a sweet sixteen-year
old girl when some friend engaged him
in conversation inside the car. He evi-
IDENTIFY forgot all about the girl, and
supposed he was holding the hand of
the man he was talking TO. 1t may be
the touch was soft and soothing, At
least he held on, pressing it in emphi-
sis of each kind worl he gave to his
friend, until the young girls lover.
whose face had grown blacker and
blacker as he saw Blaine evidently
flirting with his girl, came up and
pulled Blaine's sleeve and made him
let go! In the meantime the crowd
had begun to laugh, and it was very
embarrassing to the girl.
President Cleveland is ayerse to the
kissing of babies. and he avoids it
whenevel~he possibly can at his noon
day receptions. Now and then he has
to succumb, however, and he would
add to his popularity with his cabinet
If he would do as Andrew Jackson
did-delegate the kissing to them
, Jackson, on one of his tours, was hand
ed dirty faced baby by its proud
mother. Secretary of War Eaton was
standing beside him at the time. Jack
son hold the baby up and said: Here
is beautiful specimen of young Amer
lean childhood. Note the brightness
of that eye, the strength of these limbs
and the sweetness of these lips!' Here
he pushed the baby into the face of
General Eaton and said, without
word of warning, kiss him: Eaton!"
and of course Eaton had to do so.
My authority for this story is Judge
A. R. Boteler, now of the Attorney
Generals Office, who was with jackson
at the time and witnessed the incident