The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-09-09
TALKING TO REPORTERS.
Blaine Makes it a Rule to Trust
a Newspaper Man
Implicitly.
Instances of Consideration and
Courtesy With Which He
has Treated Them.
The Plan Advantageous, Whether the In.
nocence of the Dove or Wisdom
of the Serpent

Especial Correspondence of THE INDEPENDENT
WASHINGTON, Sept. 4.-James G. Blaine a
gillie! He has been besmeared with titles
signifying pretty nearly everything from
plumed knight to a tattooed man, but who
ever thought of calling him confding
simpleton? And yet the fact is, there are
few men in public life whose private con-
versaton smacks more of unsophisticated
candor or who talks more unreservedly on
matters of a secret character; and probably
there is none who give more confidence to
newspaper men. There are many CORE
spondents in this city-all eager, of course,
to publish every scrap of interesting infor-
nation that they can rake up-who could.
by betraying Mr.. Blaine's confidence, stir
up some genuine sensations and make deal
of trouble for the secretary of state.
One day when Mr.. Blaine was President
Garfeld's chief adviser he was seated in
company with several gentlemen who had
come together by chance. The CONVERSE
tion was of social nature and reminiscent
ces prevailed. Something reminded Mr.;
Blaine of an experience which he proceeded
to relate with all the interesting details.
He had not gone far when one of his friends
left the room and sent an attendant to call
the secretary out. In the hallway the friend
said:
"Are you not aware that there are two
newspaper men in that room?''
'Of course l am" answered Mr.. Blaine.
"Well, do YOU want to see this converse
ton in print!'
Nonsense" said the secretary; ''they
won't print word of it," and he returned
and took up his story where it had been in
terrupted. At the close of it, when he had
laid himself wide open, he simply said with
n smie Il needn't say that no part of this
is for publication"
Not a word of it was ever printed, though
one of the correspondents was then and
still is reputed to be utterly constituencies
in such matters.
1t is also one of Mr.. Blaine's practices
never to make man promise that he will
not publish a story. He merely tells him it
is not for publication, or, as i'll the case of
correspondents who have enjoyed his con-
fidence, he takes it for granted that they
will not publish any part of private con-
versation without first receiving his ex-
pressed permission to do 80. Nor ere these
reserved for correspondents of papers
friendly to him. In more than one case
those who are closest to him are in the en-
ploy of papers which lose no opportunity to
hit him a lick, and in some cases he contides
in men who persistently write against him
and his plans. rs one of his political
friends puts it:
"He shows his hand first and bets it after
ward"
Whether this is tho innocence of the dove
or the wisdom of the serpent, it certainly
operates to the advantage of him who prac-
tices it, for even when it does not make q
friend it dlsarms an enemy. correspond
ent of democratic journal recently told
an experience which illustrates the truth of
this. When Mr.. Blaine was making his
campaign speeches i'll Ohio in 1884 there
took place one day little incident which,
had it been published, would have been
Ixy {S wit, ,Avhn
much effect as the Burchard ALTERATION
Rum, Romanism and Rebellion) was after
ward used.
"That evening"" says the correspondent,
several of us were seated with Mr., Blaine
enjoying a social chat, when he asked me
(the only democrat presently if | had no
ticed the circumstance. l told him had
not, and he revealed it to me in apparently
the most unguarded manner. If he had not
done this should have made sensation of
it, for my assistant had seen it all. But,
you see, Mr.. Blaine had muzzled me; could
never have made anybody believe that got
the story anywhere but in private converse
ton with him. So l cut 1t out of my as
sistant's report and nobody else ever pub
lished it,
1t is said by those who claim to know that
there is hardly a man of Importance among
MIR. Blalnes republican acquaintance who
does not share some secret of his-that is to
say. something that the public generally
would not be permitted to know: and stu
dents of men who have had their attention
called to this phase of his character de-
clare his candor to be one of his most potent
qualities in politics. Whether (as some
say he knows the power OF frankness and
plays it as part of his profession, or las
others maintain) he only lives his natural
life, ! leave 1t for those of better judy
ment or greater prejudice to say. hut those
who have been accepted rs the truest hiog-
raphers of the popular men OF history seem
to agree on the one point that the subjects
OF their writings were men of exceeding
frankness. Another fact that may have
some bearing on MIR. Blaine's case is that
his son Walker, who recently died, was
very much like him in this respect. When
he died the correspondents generally agreed
that they had lost most accommodating
friend: for it was commonly talked among
them that he gave them all the news he had,
and then told them what portions of it
were for their private information, and
what might be published to the world.
This is So rarely the practice of men in
such positions that it seems significant of a
family characteristic.
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