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

The Days Of the Administration Organ
Have Gone-Nearly Every Statesman
Has His Special Journalistic Friend.
Some Gossip That Will Be Interesting.
Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9.-The newspaper
press is a great and powerful institution at
the national capital There are few public
men so great or so prosperous that they
can afford to ignore its friendly aid or be
indifferent to it's criticism. Even presi-
dents seek to win favor in the eyes Of the
modern Argus, which sees all things and
has all mems fame and popularity safe in
the grasp of its metal fingers In the old
days it was quite the thing for an admins
tration to have it's organ at the national
capital to lie for it, to praise it, to abuse
enemies for it. These organs were general
ly maintained by means of the public
printing, just as the county commissioners
in some western county m support a
friendly weekly by means of the tax list
and other official advertising Such an
organ was the old National Intalligencer,
and such were many other papers found
ed, or at least started, after it. Bat of late
years the business of maintaining friend
~ newspaper at the capital has not been in
vogue. 1t was found that it did not pay.
A paper at the capital has very little in
1ueucc upon public sentiment in the
provinces" as they say abroad. The great
newspapers printed at the commercial
centers, and the even more powerful local
press, which in u measure draws its in
SEPARATION from the city journals, are the
real arbitcr5 of power-the leaders and
molders of public opinion. 1t follows,
therefore that the agencies which admin
istratiOns and ambitious public men cult
waite are tie Washington correspondents of
the big papers. These arc the men who
make and unmake presidents, who tear
down or build up senators and who re-
elect or defeat representatives in Congress.
Nowadays The fashion is for public men to
have, not an organ, in the old sense, but
intimate relationship with one or more cor
respondents. The relationship is, OF course,
like all enduring relationships in this self
fish world, one of mutual advantage. 1t is
a good thing for the statesman and good
thing for the correspondent.
When Gen. Grant came to Washington
to be president he picked out as his news
paper friend Mr.. Deb. Randolph Keim, an
old army correspondent. If Grant had
news or opinions or Inspirations to give to
the newspapers Keim was sent for Before
Grant, Andrew Johnson had his newspaper
friend in the person of Dr. Warden, one Of
the Old time correspondents, who died q
few weeks ago full of years and hOnOrs.
After Grant the custom was kept up by
other presidents. Hayes and Garfield
lookel TO Gen. Boynton, of The Cincinnati
Commercial Gazette, still one of the most
prominent and popular Of the Washington
writers, rs he is one Of the ableSt and ola
est. Cleveland depended upon Dan La
mont, himself an old newspaper man,
and Daniel knew his business and attended
to it SO faithfully that now he is in a fair
way to become millionaire. Lamont was
very free in talking with correspondents
who would treat him and the president
wei, and he used often to come down on
Newspaper Row so give his friends q tip
Lamont was of positive benefit to his chief
in the way of ayerting misrepresentation
and in toning down criticism
President Harrison has no newspaper
mouthpi2ce at the capital Private Score
tary Halford is an old newspaper man, and
has the respect of all the corps, but he is
not communicative, and is of 50 little bene-
fit to the writers that the great majority
of them never so to the White House UNI
less errands OF necessity take them there.
Mr.. HalfOrd is always courteous, and ever
genial, but he gives no news, and does not
even let little tips run off the end of his
tongue-an art in which Lamont cXcelIed
all private secretaries ever seen in the eX-
ecutiyc mansion. Col. Perry Heath, an
alert correspondent, formerly Of Indianap-
oils, and q personal friend Of the president,
was expected to be mOuthpiecc of the ad-
ADMINISTRATION in certain ways and on Ger
tain occasions, but it has not turned out to
be so.
Conkltng and Blaine were two great pub
lie men who made it Il rule to maintain
friendly relations with certain newspaper
men. Oddly enough, the newspaper writer
who was nearest Coukling's confidence is
the same man who is now nearest Blaine's.
Since the death of his son Walker Mr..
Blaine has leaned much upon William Z.
Curtis, . we'll known newspaper writer,
who, as special agent of the state depart
ment, managed the Pan-American tour.
Mr.. Blaine has had other close newspaper
friends, among them Mr.. L. G. Crawford,
who is now writing letters to two or three
metropolitan journals. To all other news.
paper men Mr.. Blaine denies himself ex-
cept on rare occasions.
The late Secretary Window had true
appreciation OF newspaper men and the
best method of dealing with them. His
door was always open to representatives
of the press, and he treated them all alike.
If he had news to give out-and he Cener-
ally had, for he was inclined to construe
literally the laws Of propriety respecting
publication of official matters-any one
that asked could have it. In the matter OF
interviews and opinions he was equally
impartial and maintained no favoritism.
An instance of this was had but few
weeks before his death A correspondent
whom. he had never known went to his
house one night, engaged him in CONVERSE
ton on the financial situation and the
probable action of the treasury with ref
ercnCe thereto, and went away with u col
Nnn interview which attracted attention
MI over the country.
Postmaster General Wanama!ler is an
other good friead of the newspaper corps.
He is approachable and talkative if he
chances to have anything to say, or if the
prophecies Of the occasion will permit him
to talk. Ii he can't talk he Will very
frankly and promptly say SO. The best
public mar seen in Washington in many a
day, from 4 newspaper standpoint, was Mr..
Wanan.aSer's late first assistant, Mr.
Garrison. He was not only ready and
fluent taliler, but y man of courageous
methods, never afraid he was going to be
ipic far ~ word foo ,,,,4nb .,D,l