The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-08-20
Tho Two Journeys to Bennington.

Once when President OF the United States,
THOMAS JFrPEnsoS was invited 20 make
tourney into New England for personal OK
ploitatton and political effect His digniiled
.sply remains rs n warning and rebuks 70
all Presidential junketers:
IL confess that not reconcilet TO the iisa Of
Chief hasistrata rarAdnk himself thiors the several
states - object Of luhiic and IN ques. of
applause which. 10 IA valuable. should be purely vol
untary. had rather acquire silent good will hy .
faithful discharge OF my duties, than owe expressions
Of II to my putting myself III tho way Of receiving
0sm Wore to make such a tour to Portland
Portsmouth. ! must do It 70 Savannah perhaps to
rev orisaus snd Frankfort A have never seen ne
sme wbsn the public businsss would have re- mited
ne 20 Ne so long in = situation In which could no:
carry II on 20 have rsa.on to expect that su.h
tims will como while remain IN Office journey 10
Portsmcuth or Boston, after | shall have become =
private citizen would much better AArmonizs with ny
feelings ~ wall ~ duties"
Tho Hon. BENJAMIN HARRISON does not
tako JEFpEasON's view OF the exactions OF
his Office. lie has never seen the time
whom the public business could be permitted
to interfere with an opportunity 20 parade
himself through the several States as an OBJ
ject OF public gaze, and in quest o. en- ap-
plnuse which, to DO valuable, should be
purely voluntary. No predecessor Of his in
tho White House ever knew so much rs
Gen. HARRISON knows about private
cars, special engines, extra running
schedules, and all the incidents and
circumstances OF dea,ihcid travelling
on n royal scale. No other President, not
even GROVER CLEVELAND, has over deliver
ed SO many speeches from the rca. platform
OF private excursion train, or said so many
winning things to railway station audiences
to tho accompaniment OF footing :ocomo-
tivcs. or shaken so many hands. or
kissed so many babies, or heard so
much applause of the sort for which
THOMAS JEFFERSON did not greatly care.
Gen. HARRISON is frankly and squarely
candidate for denomination. and Journeys
Xix" that to which he is now devoting him
self are a part of his plan Of campaign. The
public gaze has no terro:s for the Hon. Ben
sAM1N HARRISON, ard silent good will ON
the pat t II his fellow citizens is not what his
soul hunkers for.
1t may enable the President to estimate
m re accurately the political value OF the
applause which ho REQUIRES by the anti
Jelrrrsonltn policy o sci exhibition, If We
recall some ui the circumsi auces attending
a similar journey to Bennington undertaken
Just !o;rtccn years ago this week by Mr..
RUTHERFORD Il. HAYES Of Ohio, then oc-
cupying the White House. and them like
Con. HARRISON, tho chosen candidate of a
select circle Of Federal officcholders for q
second term for himself and for them.
Mr.. HAYES started out from Washington
for Bennington. attended, by m assortment
OF Cabinc, officers rather more interesting
and picturesque, on tho whole, than th;rt
which President HARRISON takes along. Mr.
HAYES had in his train the Hon. WILLIAM
NJ EvAETs, whose short and witty speeches,
supplement AIRY to the more elaborate efforts
OF tho Fraudulent President, invariably
provoked roars OF laughter from tho
crowds at the railway stations. The
Hon. CHARLLs DEvESs of Massachusetts
was with the company in the capacity OF the
brave soldier o: tho Union, and Mr.. HAYES
was also able to present to successive au-
dienccs along the rails his Postmaster Cen
cral. Judge KEY of Tennessee, in the -6lc of
an crrng Soutl.crE brother and pcnitcnt
sinner ready on every occasion to confess
his sins, II the train stopped long enough.
All OF tho incidents OF Con. HARR1soN's
Bennington journey Of 1891, all Of tho local
demonstrations Of welcome, the enthusiasm
Mt The appearance o, the President In
knockabout Int, the cagcrncss to gaze upon
the Chief Magistrate, the flags. the banners,
the evergreen arches, the bouquets, tho ba-
bios held alott to have their innocent cheeks
scratched by tho whskcrs nf tie Chief Ex-
ecItivs OF n great nation. the speeches from
car platform and the applause from station
platform, tho warm hand clasps by the
horny fists OF honest toll. were anticipated
In the experience OF Mr.. RUTHERFORD b.
HAYES wien he made his Bennington journey
In 1877 That the last touch OF sentiment and
enthusiasm might not he lacking to the now
forgotten HAYES boom for n second term,
Col. ELLIOTT +. SHEPARD tcegraphed from
Monmouth Beach paid despatch conceived
in his most elegant style, as follows: "Tho
sea sends greeting to the mountains which
hold tho President In their mighty arms.
Ills political course has poured oil on tho
troubled waters where sails tho ship of
State ELLIOTT r. SHErAlD" And in be-
half OF Col. SEEpAKDS ideal statesman, Sec
rotary EyAHlS majesticallv replied to this
message OF encouragement and approval:
"TEe mountains are justly entitled to the
grateful greetings OF tho Sea- as long rs
water runs down hill"
Mr.. HAYES and his advisers were the
mountains thcr. and water ran down hill
then as nov. to tho thirsty deep. Taken
altogether. the bennington journey OF 1877
was fnr mere successful In spectacular
way, and "a" moro promising, in its iniica.
tions for the Political furlre VI tho indlvid-
usl who was the central figure of the earlier
celebration, tlaE tho present picnic.
1t is all ungrac!ous thing to send Z skelc-
ton to fcast, and We beg pardon Of the Pros
idont for reminding him that HAYES onco
went to Bennington, that HAYES was cheercd
to the echo. and hailed as the party's hope;
that HAYES was even described "a the savior
Of the nations peace by SO unconditional aud
an observer as Col. ILLICIT T.
SHEPARD. Tho water always runs down
hill from, the mountain, but the mountain Is
the Office and rot the man.
1t was too much to expect that tho Hon.
BENJAMIN HARRISON would takc THOMAS
view IL such an opportunity
for parade before tho public gaze as the