The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1890-09-01
GREAT MEN AND THE INTERVIEWER
Ability and Disposition Of Public Men to
Furnish Material to the Newspaper Writer.

Frank A. Burr, in September Lippncott.
Until recently Mr.. Blaine has been one of
the most difficult men in the country to
interview, and even now will only talk for
in the profession, and then almost always
insists upon revising the interview.
Alexander II. Stephens was equally part.c-
ular. Time and again while Mr.. Blaine
was engaged in his hardest political strug-
giles l have tried to get few words for my
papers upon the results he had accom-
plished. / remember that only two years
before he was beaten for the presidential
nomination in 1880 and then became the
Secretary of State in Garfield's Cabinet. l
was q guest at his house in Augusta. He
had just won one of the most bitterly con-
tested State campaigns In his political ca
reer. / asked him for statement of the
situation and some little story of how he
present at the moment. Mr.. Blaine turned
to me quickly and said, pleasantly:
''Oh. interview Hale. He can tell you
all about it. / do detest being quoted in
the newspapers in the form of an inter-
view"
Two years later, when he was assaulted
about his South American policy, one of
the most important incidents OF his re-
markable career, he at once sought tie
form of an interview, and two long ones
from him were printed in nearly every
newspaper In the land. He wanted to
reach the general public, as well as the
statesmen of the country. and he acknowl-
edged that the only way to do 1T success
fully was In a conversational form. Since
that time he has always sought the inter
view when attacked upon any important
matter which he desires to answer. No
greater tribute could be paid to the efi-
cheney of this class OF newspaper work.
General Grant was the best man TO inter-
view l ever met. He would only talk to a
person whom he knew well, and then he
could tell you exactly what you wanted to
know In fewer words than any man L ever
made an inquiry of. He was very pleasant
to newspaper men in whom he had conf
dence; but when one came about whom he
did not know or trust, you couldn't get q
word out of him with crowbar. He never
cared much to talk for publication, and
never did to any extent upon public mat
ters except to John Russell Young. who, by
the way, is one of the ablest and most sue
cessful interviewers of any time. He alone
among scores of daily toilers with the pen
correspondent, descriptive writer, OF Taper
of sap from all sorts of fountains of infor-
nation.
Roscoe Conkling was the only public
man ever met who never would be inter
viewed for publication upon any subject
whatever. He once told me that he would
rather have q mad-dog set upon him than
to have newspaper man sent after him for
talk. Two or three times In his life. in
terviews were printed with him. which he
vacy of his ROOM and he never fOrgave the
men who quoted him. He had one able
correspondent discharged from the Herald
for publishing talk with him which Oc-
Cured at the breakfast-table. and Mr.. Ben
nett directed that he should never again
write for his paper.
David Davis could not be interviewed.
While he was a Justice of the Supreme
Court 1t would not have been proper, and
after he became United States Senator he
always believed himself to be on the high
road to the presidency. and was afraid to
talk, lest he might in ure his chances of
of getting there. never approached him
but once. and that was for the story of
how Lincoln was nominated In 1860 told
him that l had already secured the recOl-
lectlons of two of the men who then OPP
Grated with him, when he drew himself up
and said, very seriously:
There are only four men who know the
history of Mr.. Lincoln's nomination, and
any one of them would be fool to tell It."
Charles Simmer was by no means an easy
man to be led into talk upon public mat
tiers. After the passage of the treaty of
Washington / once interviewed him as to
the meaning of the damage clause of the
instrument. He was exceedingly dignified.
although in his own apartments, with his
dressing-gown on. He spoke with great
deliberation and to the point. l could
readily remember everything that he said.
although he was talking upon very i'm
portant subject
Col. Robert q. Ingersoll like General
Gordon. of Georgia. is just the kind of man
that a journalist likes to meet for business
purposes. Both are fine takers and say
original things. If the subject is very i'm
portant, Colonel Ingersoll will write it out
for you while you wait. He does dislike to
be misquoted, and he says that interview
ers so often miss the mark that he prefers
to do the work himself when he will talk
at ALL
John Sherman is q difficult man to inter-
view; but he does not seriously object to it.
In fact. he is very pleasant with writer
he knows. But. despite his great ability,
he is not fluent. and it Is very hard to get
from the very best work with him anything
more than a cold statement of facts.
Senator Edmunds can never be inter-
viewed upon any subject. His chum w lille
in the Senate, Senator Thurman nicknamed
the "Old Roman" was very much like him.
Gen. Ben Butler is a capital subject for
the interviewer; He likes that form of ad-
spirit and originality. Any man to whom
he will speak at all can always get good
story from him that Is full of meat: but he
usually wants to revise it before 1t Is
printed. He is very particular.
Ex-President Cleveland Is usually good
man to seek information from. He is quite
easy of access. and does not waste any
words in what he has to say. Ex-Governor
Foster. of Ohio, next to General Grant is
the most perfect man ever met for inter-
viewing purposes. He always gets in a
good deal of his personality and imparts q
zest to his words. Business men, as rule,
are rather undesirable customers for the
journalist. They are careful about what
they say, and have few entertaining sub
lects to talk about TO q greater or less
extent this IL true OF lawyers. Ex-Governor