Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-01-14


that his heart is with the veterans. Many
little incidents 60 to confirm this opinion.
1t is expected that the boys in blue will not
be forgotten in the distribution of offices.
INDIANAPOLIS, January 13.-Whoever
ignores the old soldier in calculating the in
fuences that will have share in control
ling the next Administration makes a great
mistake. There is singular quality in the
regard which the President-elect bears
toward his old comrades in arms. On only
two or three occasions since he was nomin-
ated for the Presidency has he shown any
symptoms publicly of being overcome by
his feelings.
Once was when he attended, some time
ago, a reunion of the members of his old
regiment. Then he made little speech
that was almost tender, and, accompanied
by his wife and son, he spent an hour or
more in chatting, laughing and joking with
the veterans, who acted toward him, appar-
emily with his entire approval, as toward a
perfect equal, treated Mrs. Harrison as one
of themselves, and chucked Russell under
the chin and told him stories about the time
when he was the Colonels little kid and
used to be passed around among the soldiers
to be petted and made much Of 1t was re-
marked then that that evening was the first
time that General Harrison had seemed
really happy and free from care since he
was nominated.
HE Is ONE OF THE BOYS.
Another time when General Harrison
manifested real feeling was few nights
ago, when he bade farewell to his comrades
in George R. Thomas G. A. R. Post. He
spoke to the veterans as though they had
been his brothers, and singularly manifested
what must have been a leading subject in
bis mind when he impressed upon them
that the preservation of free and honest
ballot was the great thing need
full for the safety of the country
and urged them to use their in
fuence to preserve the purity of
significance had it been intended for the
public, but spoken as it was at a private
gathering, and at gathering where re-
marks of that sort were entirely out of the
natural order, it betrayed the fact that
General Harrison's mind must have been
dwelling great deal on that subject.
That the speech was intended merely for
the veterans themselves was shown by the
Generals manner when, afterward, one of
the comrades asked him for a copy of it for
publication. He seemed startled at the
idea, and exclaimed: "Oh, no; this is
family matter; it was not for the public"
and after moment he added, "Besides. 1
couldn't give it to you if wanted to; I
l. - : L. r
That remark about the speech being ''a
family matter" betrays significantly the
way in which the President-elect regards
his old comrades. Political associates may
be very close to him, but it is not likely
that he would ever refer to any transaction
with them as "a family matter" Another
phase of the same side of the Generals
character was shown by his refusal to ban
quet with the Loyal Legion in this city
recently on an occasion of which it had been
intended that he should be the bright par
ticular star.
BROKE THE MoNoToNY.
1t is with the soldiers as soldiers, and not
with any particular class of them, that he
fraternizes as with members of his family.
He recognizes no grSdations among men
who all alike risked their lives for their
country. 1t is not difficult to account for
this unusual bent of the Generals mind
when the circumstances of his life are con-
sidered. He was born and raised amid sur
roundings of the most commonplace sort.
His early years were as devoid of inter-
esting or inspiring experiences as the
level, monotonous country in which he
lived. The fame of his ancestors was but
lamp glowing behind him, which heightened
the shadows that stretched in front and into
.,1 Id H.
den of the poverty in which he lived was not
so hard as the burden of commonplaceness
that kept him always toiling along the same
even plane OF life, with nothing behind
worth remembering and nothing before
worth hoping for. So he lived on until
manhood, always moving in dull, monoto-
nous round, as devoted of adventure as it
was Of comfort.
Into this life the War of the Rebellion
broke like storm upon peaceful plain.
The crash of arms aroused in him a spirit
that had slumbered for two generations
nearly, and an inspiration came into his
life, probably the only thing of the sort it
had or has ever known. The customs of
lifetime are not thrown off IN day, and his
lot had ever been so hard that the idea of
any change, no matter what, was delightful.
The leaven of his ancestors had to take
time to work in the spirit dulled by an
eventless life, and so Harrison's military
career was belated and he missed the op-
portunities from which the instructive dash
and brilliancy of other men created great
ness.
PosToFFICEs FOR SOLDIERS.
But all the testimony agrees that he was
q thorough soldier, hard fighter and good
planner. As much as his nature would let
him he made passion of war and followed
it as mistress of his heart The hard ex-
periences and the novel companionships of
the campaign were like wine to a man who
had never drank anything stronger than
mild tea. The delight of the noise and rush
of battle and the rough adventures of the
march and the bivouac were like an opium
eaters dream to the country lawyer whose
lite Heretofore had known no more varia-
tion than that of treadmill.
Out of this single enthusiasm of dull
lifetime came the tenderness which has ever
since animated all General Harrison's feel
ings toward soldiers. 1t is like mans $ re-
membrance of youthful sweetheart. 1t is,
so far as can be seen, the one exception to
the rule of reason and logic that dominates |
the life of the President-elect. How far |
the exception will extend and how great an |
influence it will be on the course of the ad- !
ministration is matter that only time can |
reveal. 1t will certainly reach as high |
as a frst-class postoffice, and it may |
tell IN even more important official matters. |
In matters of a personal and social nature |
connected with the administration it may
even become predominant influence. 1t |
is safe to predict, at the very least, that dur
ing the next four years a Grand Army but
ton will be better passport at the White |
House than bundle of letters of recon- |
mendations from politicians. and that there