The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-22
VISIT TO HARRISON.
(COntiuUed from P0oc 81

with jack-knife / told him that the
tree was mine and that | valued it, and
that l wished he wouldn't mutilate it in
that way. He said, oh, l was only
taking a small piece of it as a
Notwithstanding that would be missed
told him that there were probably many
hundred persons who might come by there,
and If each of them were to do as he was
doing, the tree would be stripped of twig
and branch and trunk. and even the roots
might be dug up and cut to pieces. And
that's the way it is IN my Office said Mr..
Harrison, pointing the moral of his apo
logue. 1.-THE request or the application
that each man has to prefer seems i'm
portant to him, and he asks only few
minutes for it. But when each of several
hundred persons wants a few minutes
there is not much left of the day."
l asked him whether the magnitude and
dignity of his office did not carry with it
a sort of inspiration. enabling him to en-
dure these annoyances. He replied:
Sometimes that may be the case when the
matters with which L have to deal are great
But there Is no inspiration in petty things. The
charitable and good-natured; but they do
not always consider the difficulties. The only
thing to be done il to meet them best one
can. When was going through the campaign
two years ago, and came in after hard days
work. tired and heated and sweating; and took
bath and put on a fresh shirt, and sat down to
some one to see me; and in would come some
old fellow. kind and simple and hearty, who
didn't want to take up my time, or to annoy
me, or to ask Tor anything, but just to thank
me, and wish me God-speed and happiness
And then would think, whatever comes of it,
must meet these people, and receive what
they bring in the spirit theybring it; if it kills
me, must do it,
AS Mr.. Harrison spoke the last words he
flung out his arm, and an emphasis almost
herce came into his voice. The question
and the tone revealed the depth of passion
In the man generally concealed by the
cold and quiet exterior. He was the chosen
leader OF the Republican party and the
chief magistrate of the greatest of nations;
and though plain man" in speech and
aspect, and merely casual chat with a
stranger, the dimensions of his character
and the force of his nature were indicated;
just as, in night attack, the chance flash
of a cannon reveals the extent and position
of the engaging army. There is, i'm
agine, no stronger man than he among his
followers, and none who, upon the whole,
Is so we'll fitted to do the work.
If only the kind, charitable, inconsider-
ate American people would give him a
chance to work on uninterruptedly! 1
recollect, when a child, pulling up the
newly planted beans in my garden TO see
how they were growing. l saw; but the
beans did not grow so well as they would
have done otherwise. So the American
peop,e keep routing out their public men
to see how they are getting along. The
public men realize-what the people do
not-that they were appointed to their Of
fees for better things than to sustain the
inspection of even the most amiable cur
loslty. On the other hand. the people, of
course, do not look upon them
selves as an aggregate of
65, 600, 600, but as individual persons, each
OF whom desires, once in a lifetime or so,
to catch glimpse of their representa-
tive, or their president, at his work in
Washington City,
1t seems hard to deny them the privi-
lege, since, after ALL 1t is their votes and
their money which have placed the repre-
sentatives and the president where they
are. Probably, as Mr.. Harrison intimated.
1t would prove impossible TO frame a law
to prevent their indulgence in this amuse-
ment Nevertheless, that indulgence is
not only hampering the servants of the
nation In the discharge of their duties but
by the same token. is depriving the nation
itself of whatever benefit the work in aues-
ton might have brought about
Mr.. Harrison is, | believe, at present en-
gagged in framing his message. / don't
suppose he will aliude in it to this matter:
SO will do what / can to compensate him
for the half hour L spent with him, BY
publishing this little narrative. Possibly
IL may come under the eye of some honest
eiector in some part of the country who
had been contemplating visit to Wash
lngton City to see the capitol and the monu-
ment, and to take the president by the
hand. If the reading of what is here
written shall induce him to reconsider the
last part, at least, of this programme, 1t
Will be so much the better for all parties
concerned. The president cannot hide
anywhere, but IL is IN our power to refrain
from going in search Of HIM.
JULIAN HAMTHnRNF