The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1889-08-08
A Scene at the White House.
: More Light On that Honorable COMPROMISE"
Tie Conditions of the Dicker

following report of purperted inter
view between Hon. Jno. s. Wise and the
President and Mr.. Clarkson
"Mr. John S. Wise accompanied by Mr. Grubb
who wants to be postmaster at richmond, call
ed at the White House yesterday, and a highly
sensational scene occurred, in which some very
plain language was INDUCED i'll by all the ,palti-
cipantS AS far as can be learned MeSSrs. wise
and Grub presented themselves at The Execu-
tive Mansion primarily to talk over the itch
mOnd poStmaSterShip, which 1t seems had been
tacitly assigned to Nr. Grubb as part OF the re
cent compromise between the factions. Besides
tine President and MeSSrS Wise and GIubbS, First
Assistant Postmaster General Clarkson was pre-
sant during the consultations as all the polifcal
cases arising in the Postoiiice Department nave
so it is said, been assigned to his especial care.
The meeting had been rreaffanSeq ana after
the conferences other Virginia leaders had
Gently held with the President, there. was moth
ing to indicate the approaching storm
"Mr. Wise proceeded on the assumption that
the appointment OF Mr.. Grub had been agreed
to by the Malone faction aud sanctioned by the
representatives OF The republican national com
mittee especially detailed to pacl1y the contend
ing factions i'll the Old Dominion The Fresi-
dent however, declined to make positive
promise that Mir. Grub should receive the place
and referred to Mr.. GARRISON to know whether
or not such action was contemplated when the
comnronise plan was formulated. Mr.. Garrison
conceded with the President that no promise
had been made, and this brought out Il vigorous
rejoinder from Mr.. Wise. incidentally he stated
that he had received Il letter from Mr. ClarkSon
in which the latter made specific statements as
to the postmastership at richmond. This was
eral whereupon Mr.. Wise, it is said, produced
the letter in question from his inside pocket and
waved It 4ef9re e very cosa u6 6s @
feelings and proceeded to show to the President
that the promised harmony i'll Virginia was not
as it had been predicted it would be, but that
the anti Malone men would not be molllned by
few beggariy offices, when the Tau positions
| were being given to the oppoSltlon
Then followed a heated conversation, i'll
which Mr. Wise had to stand some hot personal
shot fired at him by the President ana Mr. CLARK
amino Nv ipUini9n finch III
retorted to the full extent OF his well-known
ability. He told the President very plainly that
he was tired of having the statement thrust into
his teeth at every turn tnlI ne Is now a New
Yorker and should not mix up i'll Virginia poll
tics. He remarked that he still owns burial lot
in Virginia and pays his poll-t there, and adj
ded that the administration would find out
whether or not he is Nlfglnlan on election
.sThe President reminded him that his son had
just been appointed cadet at West Point and
that fact ought to convince him OF the friendly
disposition on the part of the administration.
This personal alluSion only added fuel to the
flames and in the plainest of AnSlo-SaXon, ac-
companied by gestures with his left hand, the
now irate Virginian informed the President that
under no circumstances could he perimG a per
sonaI courtesy to stand in the way of his duty to
his constituents. He said that ne was III WASH
ington to see that a promise made to his friend
Grubb should be carried out, ana he was met
with a rebuff coupled with the statement that
if Mr.. Grubb is not appointed TO ghe position, 1t
will not be conferred upon Mahone man.
That. he said, was not acting fairly with him,
and he did not hesitate to say tnat The enGlfe ad
mnistration from the PRESIDENT down, is afraid
of General Malone. Continuing, he said that
he would be derelct in his duty to the people OF
his native State if he did not protest against
such treatment, and more especially in view OF
the much paraded assertion that all differ
ences in the republican ranks have been heal
siBut a few DAYS ago, added Mr. Wise, a so
called compromise was effected, whereby MIR.
Brady was appointed collector at Petersburg,
and now he heartily repentS being led into such
an agreement as it has placed nlln III a false
position before the people OF Virginia. 1t was
further started that Collector Brady is seriously
contemplating throwing up his position and go
ing i'll with the anti-Mahone element to prevent
the willy General, who wants to be United State s
Senator again. There was no attempt at mlnclng
matters, and the President was told the exact
condition of affairs in the State, where so much
| is expected next fall.
subsequently, there was another stormy and
/ protracted interview at the Post office Depart
| ment between Messrs. Garrison and Wise, in
| which the latter was taken to task for having
divulged the contests of a letter Which con
! fdential This MIR. Wise justified on the ground
| that he had been placed i'll false position be
/ fore the President, and it was merely a queS-
| ton of veracity between Mr.. ClarkSOn and him
| self.
zone result of the conference at the Postoffice
/ Department was that Mr. Wise vowed as he left
the precincts Of the first assistants office that he
would not again ntrude his presence unless
upon the special invitation of Mr.. GARRISON.
at remains to be seen what following Mr.
Wise has in this matter, and especially i'll view
OF the fact that Messis. Groner, Langston and
| Brady have accepted the terms OF the COM
/ promise effected by the national committeeman
recently. General Malone is understood not to
/ be DESTROYS of having the nomination for Cover
nor but would be content to resume his place III
/ the United States Senate if a Legislature favor
! able to the republican party is chosen in Viz
| ginia. Surface indications are that the present
| fight is more personal than political
/ 1T is predicted that the Norfolk convention
| will be conspicuous for the apparent unanln1lty
] in favor of Malone, but it will also be notable
because of the absence OF all of the leaders who
I have opposed him. On the other hand, Senator
! Quay and General ClarkSon are not i'll favor OF
dealing with Wise, as they pin their entire faith
1 so far as Virginia it concerned, to Malone. They
| regard the average Virginia republican as a
chronic seeker for office, and they DeileVe that II
the administration is judicious IN the dlstI1oq
| ton of the federal patronage in that state IL
! will be found i'll the republican cOlulnn next
fall. ,,.,-
''First Assistant Postmaster General Garrison,
upon being questioned concerning the matter
/ acknowledged that there had been a strong
! interview in which Mr. WISE he said, talked in
an unreasonable manner 1t was represented
4 to him both by the President and MI GARRISON
| that it was their impression that he had been
I contending for principle when he agreed to
| the compromise recently, but it was now appar-
| ent that he merely .wanteda postofice for
friend An objection raised by those in author
| ity against Mr.. Grubb for postmaster Is tnaG ne
is clerk in the postoffice at salary OF $500 per
annJm, and is not in any sense a representative
man. If Mr.. Wise had proposed the name OF
some leading man OF citizen of richmond he
would it Is said, undoubtedly nave Deell IaVof-
/ ably considered in connection with the office
| AS the matter stands, Mr.. Grub Will not pc APP
pointed postmaster at Richmond, and it is not
! likely that Mr.. Wise will be further consulted
The Washington CORRESPONDENT Of the
Alexandria Gazette under date of the 9th,
has the following reference to the above
While the interviews between Mr.. J. S. Wise
! and the President and Asst. Postmaster General
! Garrison, as published this morning are not ex-
| actly correct in some particulars, It'll learned
| from those who know that they are not much
! exaggerated, and that Mr.. Wise was so provok-
! ed at finding his worst anticipations about the
| one SideneSS of the famous compromise realz-
I ed that he was thrown off his guard and spoke
! out in meeting His blnster, however, did no
/ good and he was plainly informed that his man.
! Grubbs, would not be appointed postmaster az
! decentralization fact was announced III this
I correspondence two weeks ago.
/ The Washington Star of the 9Th, has
| the following denial from Gen. Clarkson:
press representative to-day showed a news
paper story about big row Saturday between
the President, First Assistant Postmaster Gen
eral Clarkson and John s. Wise, about the Rich
mOnd, Va, post-office, to Gen. Garrison. lie
said there was no row; that Wise called in the
interest of Mr.. Grub, and that the matter is still
undecided. The statement that the appoint
men OF Grabb was part Of the reeene 1aftnrs
from Gen. CarksOn to that effect is also denied
by Gen. Garrison.
MR. wIsEs SIDE.
Mr.. John S. Wise, in response to telegram I'm
from the Dispatch asking for his version of his
interview with the President last night sentthe
NEW YORK, August 5, 1882
To the Editor of the Dispatch
The Sans report is highly sensational and III
many particulars absurd. | would be Incapable
of diSrespect to or vehemence with the Presl-
dent. He has been too kind to me personally to
admit of such conduct on my part. Our inter
view left us as friendly ever and saw him
again in the afternoon. l am sorry the names OF
Brady and GrubbS were lugged into it. Brady
has been true to me throughout, and it is a pity
if GrnbbS, who is 50 much more fit than any 9th
er person named and who is the choice OF SO
large majority of both parties, is to be pref
udiced by such publication. JOHN s. WISE
In New York on Saturday last the con
spicuous feature of the railroad bond
market was the movement in Chesapeake
and Ohio fives, the sales of which aggre~
gated $379, 900, resulting in an advance
in the price of them and causing sym
pathetic advance in the balance OF the
list. Chesapeake and Ohio fives rose I,
to 1906; Cincinnati, indianapolis, st.
Louis and Chicago tours to 103; Hooking
Valley ives I, to 70: Richmond and Al
leghany frsts 3, to 69B; do. seconds J, to
354; Richmond and Danyille consols ],
to 116l. South Caroline firctc ! to 90