Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-02-26

We are the servants of the public, there
fore 7 can see no reason why we should
withhold matters from the newspapers
which properly belong to them. lam even
willing to strain point in their behalf. /
would not violate a confidence for the
benefit of a newspaper friend, but in a case
of doubt | would give the newspaper the
benefit of the doubt"
Mr.. Cullom's colleague, Senator Far
well, is one of the frankest men in public
life. He believes in frankness as 4 rule Of
life, and used to quarrel with Logan on
that point. Logan told FarwelI he was
an idiot for babbling so much, and Far
well retorted that be never pretended to
any great wisdom, and was not smart
enough to have and to keep secrets. OF
course their quarreling was of a good nat
ured sort. There is very little that Senator
Farwen knows that he is not willing to
communicate to his newspaper friends,
though he often accompanies his COM
munication with the remark, eff you print
that | will kill you"
Senator German, the leader Of the Demo
cratic side in the senate, is d secretiye man.
He never tells one-half what he knows,
and as a rule doesn't tell anything. He is
polite, apprOachable, even suaYe; all the
correspondents know him, and he knows
them all They all talk to him, and smile
with him. and pass the compliments of the
day with him-and learn nothing, except
what they knew before, to wit, that Arthur
p. German is a very smart person who be-
lieves i'll keeping his own counsel If Mr..
German has anything to give out to the
newspapers he usually gives it to his
favorite, Robert Larner, Of The Baltimore
ic n F,I+ hf,,J
man and worthy the confidence reposed
in him.
Senator Sherman rarely talks to news
paper men,. though he always receives
them pleasantly. His favorite way of cIud-
ing the searcher for news is, "You can sec
for yourself that this is a matter about
which [ cannot talk at this time" Senator
Edmunds is not much bothered by CORE
spOndents, for they are all afraid of him.
lie does look sometimes as if he could eat
three or four newspaper men for break
fast, but as u matter of fact he is one OF
the most genial and talkatiye of states
men, if you can only catch him in CON-
municatiya mood. Senator Hoar is exceed
ingly short and crisp in his conversations
with representatives of the press.
Senator Ingalls, is very fair to newspaper
men whom lie knows well, and is not above
asking favorS in return. The reader who
supposes that it is the correspondent who
always runs after the statesman for news
or interviews or copies Of speeches is very
much mistaken. Often it is the statesman
who runs after the correspondent. Even
as great and popular an orator as Ingalls,
sometimes asks correspondents to send out
his speeches in full, and volunteers to fur.
nish the copy for that purpose without
trouble or expense to them.
Speaker Reed is popular among news
paper correspondents, and talks very freely
with them though he has an unpleasant
way of saying, just as he concludes a char
acteristic and soul stirring chapter of COM
ment on current affairs a1d living men,
''Now, this is not for publication, mind
YOU" 4 few days ago one Of his newspa-
per friends asked him for an interview.
'Id like to give you talk" replied the
big speaker, but | must restrain myself
If once opened up should throw so many
stones through peoples windows that I
would be in danger of going TO the work
house as an enemy to society" Even the
newspaper reader, who is not supposed to
know much about the hopes and aspira-
tIons OF newspaper makers, Will perceive
that this remark was not one calculated to
for all interview with Speaker Reed. in
which that gentleman engaged in whole
sale throwing of stones through peoples
windows, would be worth about $50 a
line. Mr.. Reed is generally impartial
among his newspaper friends, but he has a
fondness for \. Maurice Low, of The Bos-
ton Globe, and for o. p Austin, of the
Press News association.
The only public man know of in Wash
ington who makes it Il rule to have moth
ing to do with newspaper correspondents
is Senator Don Cameron. Don hates Il re-
porter as the devil is said to hate holy
water, though the smile need not neces-
sarily be considered pertinent in all par
ticulars. There is not correspondent in
Washington who calls on Cameron or
talks to him, and, moreover, there is not
onC-at least let us hope so-WhO would
call on him if an invitation were sent by
means OF perfumed card and liyericd
footman. Mr.. Cameron has publicly de-
clared that he has no use for newspaper
men, and the newspaper men are declar-
ing, perhaps not publicly, that they have
no use for hi:sl. If Cameron can stand il
the correspondents can, that is quite GER
tain. Yet Cameron's friends and chums,
Senator Butler, of South Carolina, and
Senators Farwell and Vest, say he is one
of the best fellows in the world.
Senator Hiscock is another statesman
who has managed to get on bad terms with
the press representatives. Their complaint
of him is that he not only will not be COM
municative, except on rare occasions, but
that he is offensive in his manners Any
statesman who assumes that senator of
the United States is of more Importance in
the world than the correspondent of a
metropolitan newspaper makes Il great
mistake, as the correspondent himself will
admit, il he gets q chance. Another charge
against Hiscocfl is that when he does deign
to speak he purposely tells what isn't So,
though fancy this complaint is the result
OF some mistake or misunderstanding At
any rate the correspondents do not loveth
handsome Mr.. Hiscock, and they have a
way of their own of getting even With
him. They do not print his name in their
Journals except when they have 10, and
when he rises to speak in the senate every
correspondent in the gallery at once gets
up and leaves. l am told that the CORE
spondents have won the victory, and that
hiscocll, who is really good fellow at
heart, is ready to sue for peace.
ROBERT GRAVES
How Sc,,>a Ccyo,.tors V-o,l-