The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-04-25

When was In his presence he would talk
as freely as he did when my acquaintance
with him really began at Augusta But II
was always with the understanding that
none of il was to be used rs conversation
with himself. Some OF the best pieces OF
which used IN nv letters had from Mr..
Harrison himself. l could always obtain
much more interesting material from the
president than from Mr.. Blaine, because
the president seemed to have much bet
ter knowledge of the general situation OF
politics and what constituted news than
the brilliant secretary of state, whose
mind was wholly absorbed IN the Held OF
diplomacy.
The material for the interview which
was published in the Tribune was selected
from conversation running through two
or three weeks. The principal converse
ton was, however, obtained during rlde
with the president. Mr.. Harrison, who Is
fond of driving q pair of horses attached
to q light Brewster buggy. invited me to
go out with him one February afternoon.
1 was then with him for q drive of upward
of three hours. The president out Of doors
and in the country, freed from ali re-
straints, talked With great rapidity and
emphasis. He went over nearly all OF the
history of his administration, giving most
intimate and interesting pictures Of the
This was coupled with caustic and pointed
criticism of some of the peculiarities of
men who were opposing him. A full and
accurace verbatim report of all he said
would have filled at least three pages.
None of the personal part can be more
than alluded 10. 1t was easy to see, how
ever, that the presidents combstive dis
position chafed at times under the re-
straints of his office.
The president is often attacked when, If
he were permitted to reply. his opponent
would be completely knocked out. This
can be illustrated in no better way than by
giving q story that the president told in
that talk of certain public man who al
though a Republican had become practi-
cally an opponent OF the administration.
This Official sent one day to the presi-
dent an applicant for Office with letter Of
the most cordial Endorsement. 1t was
letter written in such terms of eulogy that
the president felt that if the bearer of 1t
was worthy of the encomiums heaped
upon him nothing short of a cabinet Office
would be his due. He took the matter
under consideration in connection with an
important appointment. The next day
the high official, who was a leading mem
Der of congress, called upon him, and in
the course of the call the president said:
"Do you really want this man appointed ?"
Not at all, !" was the reply, '.he Is the
biggest scoundrel in the state, and meant
to have sent you letter Yesterday to pay
no attention to my letter OF Endorsement"
Several months after the member of
congress called upon the president for the
purpose of asking him to help secure his
own reelection. The president treated
him with great civility, but gave him no
encouragement. 1t was with difficulty
that he controlled himself SO as not to
hand over to the member of congress a
letter which the applicant mentioned
above had sent TO the president that morn
ing. The letter was from the member of
congress to his constituent, explaining to
him why he had not received his appoint
ment. He said in this letter that Harri-
son was a failure as president, had no real
appreciation of working Republicans. and
that it was impossible to obtain anything
from him. think the president must
have had great self-controlt TO have listened
calmly to the pleadings of such q lying
hypocrite as this particular public man in
question. The story is valuable in illus
trating the point that In most of the stories
against the president it is possible that if
the presidents story of the same thing
could be known quite a different impress
sion would be created.
&C. CRAWFORD.