Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-26

ried Mr.. Evarts into the cabinet of that chief
magistrate. In 1872 he was q liberal and would
have been outspoken for any other candidate
of the new party than Mr.. Greeley, but the
Persuasions Of good clients again prevailed and
he took the stump for Gen. Grant. In 1876 he
earned another cabinet portfolio by making the
legal argument which seated President Hayes.
In 1879 Mr.. Evarts supported Cornell for gov
ernor of New York and denounced boilers; in
1882 Gov. Cornell said Mr.. Evarts bolted Folger
and refused him any possible aid In 1880 he
was regarded as so uncertain in his faith in
Garfield because Of the understanding between
the latter and Mr.. Blaine that Mr. Dorsey would
not let him make q speech in Indiana. In 1884
Mr.. Evarts was on the stump for Blaine. His
election to the Senate in 1884 was the result of
combinations originating entirely outside Of
Mr. Evarts desires or power in New York
politics. To Warner Miller and Chester A.
Arthur he owes that honorable passage in his
life.
EvARrs' WITTY SAYINGS.
There are good many stories to be told Of
Mr.. Evarts. His wit has embellished his per-
eonality through all the political vicisstudes Of
his long life. The best Of his jokes have been
told again and again and will still bear telling.
The best of his sayings, considering the situa-
ton in which it was placed, occurred when he
accompanied Lord Coleridge, the English chief
justice, to visit WashingtOn's tomb at Mount
Vernon.
81 have read" said the Englishman, measur-
ing with his eye the width of the Potomac from
shore to shore, ''that Washington was q SPLEEN
did athlete and could throw q silver dollar
across this river. 1t looks pretty far. Do you
think he could do it?''
81 don't know" said the Secretary Of State
ut is possible he did. You know a dollar
would go further in those days than it will
now"
Nearly as good was his remark at the close
OF his first day as Secretary Of State under Mr..
Hayes, when he had been besieged by office
seekers all day. MANY called" said the weary
statesman, but few were chosen"
OF Mrs. Hayes first state dinner he remarked
that water flowed like champagne"
When he undertook to argue the mistress Of
the White House out of her determination not
to serve wine at her dinners she insisted that
people must ''be sociable with water
II never knew people to be sociable with
water, Mrs. Hayes said MIR. Evarts With the
gravest face imaginable, "except at bath"
When some one was explaining how Xerxes
measured his army by marching detachments
OF men into pens that held just a hundred Mr..
Evarts commented that he always preferred
measures to men,"
Once it is told, a sneak thief called on Mr..
Evarts In his New York Office and giving him q
retainer asked for legal advice.
Il am sneak thief. MIR. Evarts," said the
man. suppose go into a bank and make a
teller or porter think am an employee of the
place and he hands me a bundle of money, and
run off with it, what are my legal rights?'
You will need to consult some other attor-
ney, sir. for an answer to that question" was
the reply.
"Who?' said the thief
1.-THE district attorney" was the laconic re-
spouse.
The ex-senator delighted in telling one or
two stories on himself One was about Span
ish donkey he bought for one of his grandchil-
dren, Of whom there is large troop. The
donkey at first was homesck and prayed good
deal. The little girls OF the family went out to
comfort the animal, but to no avail He kept
right on braying. At last one little miss
thought of source of relief.
''Never mind, girls" she said. "grandpapa
will be here tomorrow and then the poor little
donkey won't be so lonesome"
At a White House reception. when he was
Secretary Of State, Mr.. Evarts overheard COM
ment on his personal appearance that he has
found more enjoyable than remarks by the
newspapers in a similar strain. There came
along in the stream of callers an old man lead
ing little boy. The youngster looked at
everybody critically and at Mr.. Evarts very
closely. AS he moved off he said in a louder
tone than was entirely Necessary: Gran pa, is
that little man there too poor to get a dress
suit!''
MIR. Evarts' wit sparkled as brilliantly in the
Senate as in the Longing room Of the Union
League Club in New York. His fellow Sena-
tors not only admired him, but felt o deep
affection for him. There, too, although he did
not assume in any degree party leadership, his
speeches displayed his great learning in the
law and his wonderful aceumen and skill in
argument. His absence. like that of Mr.. Ed
munds, is one of the most conspicuous things to
lie noticed In these FIRST days OF the new Con-
gress. JA.T.