New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-26
ME-. FOSTER ST4RTs FOE WAsHINGToM.
AFTER TAKING TIE OATH II f SECRETARY
WILL GO WEST FOR A FEW DAYS.

WILL GO WEST FOR A FEW DAYS.
Secretary Foster left the Fifth Avenue Hotel yes
terday at noon and came downtown and made anothef
! call upon General Thomas, in the Union Trust Building.
He then went t. the shoe and Leather Bank to see
some friends, and while there several Of the directors
came in and a Jolly time was passed until Mr.. Foster
started on the 3 20 O'Clock train for Washington.
\ Tribune reporter met the new secretary on the
ferryboat. Mr.. Foster seemed surprised TO see MN,
nut welcomed hin cordially, and asked him naively
where lie was going. When he was told that the rr
portcr's sole desire was to see the secretary OF the
Treasury. Mr.. Foster averred that it was exceedingly
kind Of the reporter TO come TO see him OH.
The eX -Goyernor said he expected TO go to Ohio
after taking the oath ard arrange his business affairs.
after which he would return to Washington 10 take up
the active work II hi, office. lie was asked about
the rnmor which mentioned c. f.. Coon As Assistant
Secretary. lie would only say that he had heard Mr..
Coon'S name mentioned. lie had not yet had any
conversation with the President on the subject.
Mr.. Foster expressed himself as surprised at the ap-
parently almost unanimous feeling Of content Win
which the news Of his appointment had been received
by both parties.
IL fear, he continued. ~ that the end of my term Of
Office may not be 50 pleasant aS the beginning. l 20
in TOO easily too highly II a man
takes a position without recommendations nobody ex-
poet, much OF him. and so, if lie does anything great
everyone praises him. ON the other hand, a man as
snming the duties Of the Office when a, highly spoken
of As | am, il he doesn't come up 10 tie standard peo'
pe have made for him. they begin 10 talk disagreea'
bis: ard il he does DO everything a. they think no
| should, they merely take ii a. a matter OF course. |
well remember how hard it was for me TO accept tho
nomination for Congress in 1870. II seemed TO me
that there was something wrong in a merchants hold
Ing a public Office. | had never been in politics be-
fore. although | had always been interested in them
When. however, ! received such a hearty nomination,
and in n Democratic district, l was finally persuaded
into accepting IL.
What curious changes come into a mans HE l
had no idea before | received that first nomination for
Congress. that would ever be weilknown. and yet see
where / am to-day. The strange thing about IT Is that
have never worked for these honor>. asked Brice
Yesterday II he remembered the time when we were
Young men together. and when he was stumping the
state all the way from Findlay - the state line. ]
also asked him what his highest ambition was at thas
time. lie answered that he never expected To be any
thing more than the Attorney. Seems rather
funny. when lie Is now scnator-clcct from ONO.
doesn't IT,
The genial eX Govcrnor recalled his fight with Hen-
erol Butler in 1874, with a chucklc. "lcs,' he SAID,
&" il was a great fight, and IL was the first time that the
old fellow had ever been beaten. lie felt pretty sore
about IL. as YOU may imagine
There was no one with the secretary, ana no friehus
saw him OF.
Washington. Feb. o5.-Tle President has signed the
commission Of Charles Foster as secretary OF te
Treasury, and ID is expected that he Will assume, hls
new duties tomorrow morning. Mr.. Foster arrived
here from York ut . 10 O'Clock, and went at once
to the Riggs House,