The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-12-25
ABOUT INTERVIEWS.
How Some Distinguished Men submit
the CQrrAa nondAnt'a Art.

country TO interview, and even now Will
only talk for publication with his most
intimate friends in the profession, and
then almost always insists upon revis-
Ing tho interview Alexander II.
Stephens was equally particular. Time
and again while Mr.. Blaine was engaged
In his hardest political struggles have
tried TO get few words for my paper
UPON the results he had accomplished.
| remember that only two years before
he was beaten for tho Presidential NOM
nation ir 1850, and then became the
Secretary OF State il Gar.icld's Cabinet,
was guest at MS house IN Augusta,
writes Frank a. Durr in Liprincott's.
He lad just aon ono of the most
bitterly contested State campaigns in
his political career. | asked him for a
statement Of the situation, and some
little story Of how he had won the
battle. Senator Hale was present at the
moment NJ. blaine turned to me
quickly, and said. pleasantly:
"Oh, interview Hale. lie can tell you
all about 1t. do detcst being quoted
in the newspapers in the form OF an in
tcrvicw."
Two years later, when he was assailed
about his South American policy. one
the mos. important incidents OF his re-
markablo career, he a. once sought the
form OF an interview, and two long ones
from him were printed In nearly every
newspaper in tho land. lie wanted to
reach tho general pablo, As we'll as the
60 zoe cf hn frvy nd
knowledgcd that the only way TO 10 1t
successfully was In . conversational
form. Since that time hc has always
sought tho interview when attacked
Upon any important matter which he
desires to answer. No greater tribute
could be paid to the efficiency OF this
:lass of newspaper work.
General Grant was tho best man to
interview ever met. lilo would only
talk to person whom he knew well,
and then he could tell you exactly what
you wanted to know in fewcr words
than any man over made an inquiry
Of Ho was very pleasant to newspaper
men in whom he had confidence, but
when one came about whom he did not
know or trust you couldn't get word
out OF him with q crowbar. lie never
cared much to talk for publication, and
leyer did to any extent upon public
matters, except to John Russell Young,
who, by the way, Is one OF the ablest
and most successful interviewcrs OF
any time. He, alone, among scores OF
daily toilers with the pen Of this day, Is
equally able as an editor, correspond
ent. descriptive writer, or Taper OF sap
from all sorts of fountains of informa-
ton.
Roscoe Conkiing was tho only public
man / ever met who never would DO in
teryicwcd for publication upon any sub
iect whatever. lie once told me that
he would rather have a mad dog set
upon him than to have newspaper
man sent after him for talk. Two or
three times in his lifc interviews we're
printed with him, which he never In.
tended should go beyond tho privacy Of
his room, and his meyer forgayc the men
who quoted him. lie had ono able cor
respondent discharged from the Herald
for publishing a talk with him which
occurred at tho breakfast table, and
Mr. Bennett directed that he should
never again write for his paper.
David Davis could not be interviewed
While he was Justice OF the SUI
prcme Court it would not have been
proper, and after he became + United
States Senator he always believed him
sci; to be on the high road to the Presi
dency, and vas afraid to talk lest he
might injure his chances OF getting
there. l never approached him bu,
once, and that was for the story OF how
Lincoln was nomiRted in 1860. ! told
him that l had already secured the
recollections of two OF tho men who
then operated with him, when he drew
himself up and said very seriously:
"Therc arc only four men who know
the history of Mr.. Lincoln's nomina'
ton, and any ono OF them would be q
fool to tell it."
Charles Sumner was by no means ar
easy man to be led into talk upon pub
lie matters. After the passage Of tho
treaty OF Washington once interviewed
him as to tho meaning Of the damage
claim of that instrument. He was cx
ceedingly dignifed, although in his
own apartments, with his dressing
gown on. lie spoke with great dclibera
ton and to the point. could readily
remembeE every thing that he said-al
though he was talking upon very i'm
portant subject.
Colonel Robert G. Ingersoll, like Gen
eral Gordon, OF Georgia, is just the kline
of man that journalist likes to NEE
for business purposes. Both ars Gu
takers and say original things. II tn,
subject is very important Colonel In
gersoll will write 1t out for you Will,
you wait. lie does DISLIKE to be mis-
quoted, and he says that interviewers 81
often miss tho mark that he prefers t,
do tho work himself when he will tall
| at all
John Sherman Is difficult man to In
terview, but no does not seriously OBJ
jcct to it. In fact, he is very pleasan
with a writer he knows. But, despit,
his great ability, he is not fluent, and i
is very hard to get from the very hes
work with him any thing moro than
cold sta tement of facts.
Senator Edmunds can never be inter
viewed upon any subject. Ills chun
while in the Senate, Senator Thurman
nicknamed tho ''Old Roman," was YER
much like him.