The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-12-31

luLO pOSSttoSiOu u blfc8c ccNICec, OK
the information which naturally filtered
to him in the course of friendly Converse
ton, he best man proceeded to act accord
ing as the circumstances Indicated. Not
word did he say to his friend, but where
there was piece of property to be bought
that promised big profit, where there was
a nice contract to be had, where there was
a speculation of any sort to be entered into,
there the best man was generally found.
So careful and shrewd was he that
goodly fortune is now his, and the senator
owes him 50 much money, borrowed at
different times without note or interest or
the scratch of pen, that neither Of them
knows the gross amount and neither
cares. These are debts which will never be
paid, and it was never expected they would
be paid. Why, this best man of whom /
am speaking actually paid for the enter
tainments which his friend gave in the
state mansion while governor of the COM
monwealth which he now represents in the
senate. The same financier bought the
horses and the carriage which the senator
now drives about the capital with. He
even pays the rent of the house in which
the senator lives. Now, this looks like dis
honesty, but it isn't. OF course the best
man has made money out of information
which has come to him from the senator
and from the senator's friends, but he
never made a dishonest dollar in his life,
and at no time is the statesman direct
party to the trapsactions. Still, it would
be better if the senator salary were large
enough to remove him from the necessity
Of standing in with fillanciering friend.
IN off n of Ia T.,
nit very readily to the wiles of the inter
viewer. They do not think it proper, ex-
cept on matters of extreme Importance,
that they should be quoted in the press as
discussing the affairs of the department of
which they are the head. Once in a while,
however, this rule is relaxed and the re-
suit is a small windfGll to the fortunate
correspondent who happens to be favored.
Mr. Window, the present secretary of the
treasury, is one of the most affable of gen.
tlemen to talk to, but he does not like to
be quoted. He is always good humored
and never fails to int crest his callers by
his conversation. but at the end of the
talk he usually says, Now please do not
quote me in print"
There was an exception to this recently,
when he was called en- by a newspaper
man for some information on the financial
situation. As usual, he was genial and
pleasant, and discussed matters in a per-
fectly free manner; and after talk Of
about half hour the correspondent went
on his way rejoicing without having been
told not to print the result of the inter
view. Accordingly the next day it ap-
peared in all the glories of big headlines.
When the sccretary's attention was called
to it he submitted with charming grace
and said; Il always like 90 talk to newspa-
per men. They are interesting conversa-
tionalists, but they always want to rush
right into print. Now, during the whole
Of that interview had it in my mind to
ask that correspondent not to quote me,
Tut | simply forgot 10 do So"
Senator Paddock has as his private sec
rotary newspaper man, and from this
fact arose a ludicrous incident over which
Washington Is still laughing The other
day the senator had been making a speech
in the senate upon the Indian question.
On the same day his private secretary had
been writing some interviews with certain
prominent members OF congress on the
subject of the senatorial situation in Idaho.
The manuscript Of the speech was turned
publication in The Congressional Record.
and when the messenger from the govern
ment printing Office came for the senator's
copy by some mishap The interviews, which
were to have gone by wire, got mixed up
with the manuscript. The next morning
Senator Hoar, the great stickler for con-
gressional proprieties, nearly had fit when
he saw included as a part Of Senator Pad
docks remarks a series of interviews said
to have been personally obtained by him
self strongly urging the selection of one
particular candidate for the senatorship
from Idaho. 1t had happened that in Sen
ator Paddock's speech he had had occasion
to refer TO one or two interviews which had
been published with some military officer
on the Indian situation, and he had re-
marked, ut has como to this, that when
ever one or more of these distinguished
gentlemen charged with responsibility in
this matter stop over at any city, village,
hamlet or crossroads in their peregrina-
tons they hunt up an interviewer"
The innocent compositor had naturally
that the senator had then gone
on to give specimens of these interviews,
for Immediately after this sentence appear
the talks which should have been in the
columns of a western daily. Speaker Reed
and Senators Platt, Cullom and Paddock
are quoted in support of the Idaho candi-
date. What makes the thing appear more
silly is that after presumably hearing these
gentlemen express their opinions upon
Idaho, Senator Voorhees,, who was carry
ing on the actual debate with Senator Pad
dock, remarks gravely, ''If the senator is
with that attack upon Gen. Miles,
think Gen. Miles can stand it," The
thing as it appears in The Record reads
like farce. 1t has been suggested, how
ever, that the able editors of The Record
ran in those interviews for the purpose of
the circulation of their daily.
snd in order to bring it more upon the
plane of the ordinary modern journal.
ROBERT GRAVES