Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-10-12
Mrs. Harrison's Death but o Question
Of a Short Time.
IrMAY BE WEEKS OR ONLY DAYS.
The President Anxious, but he Attends to
(fficial Business.
no TINE TO ATTEND THE CELEBRATION

of New York In attendance upon the gay
| festivities in honor Of Columbus and his
discoveries. His private secretary, upon
whom Mr. Harrison so largely depends, was
in the metropolis; all the prominent politi-
clans and Government officials had LETT the
capital for various points to participate in
the great political campaign, and the Presi-
dent was left alone to watch the bedside of
his sick wife.
Mrs. Harrison was desperately i'll last
| night. She had recurrence of the dreaded
| cough that causes her such pains, and failed
to obtain refreshing sleep. The President
sat up half the night to wait upon her and
chat with her, so that he would have been
in no condition to 60 to New York with his
Cabinent, even had he decided it to be
best for him to do so. He telegraphed this
| afternoon that he could not be present, even
long enough to witness the parade.
DR.. Gardner made another call at the
White House tonight, and, while there, he
said to q reporter of THE DISPATCH that
Mrs. Harrison continues to grow weaker
and weaker every day; that her right lung
has entirely ceased to perform its natural
functions 1t is as solid as piece of lead,
he says, and she is simply existing with the
aid Of the left lung, which is also at
fected
Her Case Is Thought Hopel IS.
To direct question, the doctor replied
that his patient might survive week longer
or she may possibly last two or three
months. The family realize that she has
hopeless case of consumption, and they are
prepared for the end at any time. The
ing at present is one that would be apt to
break down a man of less will power.
To the casual visitor who sees him at his
desk or shaking hands with general callers
at the tri-weekly MONDAY receptions in the
East room, or as he walks for half an hour
through quiet street just before dinner, he
seems the same self-satisfed, well-poised
man as ever, but his friends and intimstes
know that he has suffered mental and
physical shock that has LETT its mark.
For more than a month now the Presi-
dent has felt compelled to almost entirely
abandon participation in the political cam
paign and to give only the most formal and
meager attention to the thousand and one
routine matters of public business that
would, under ordinary circumstances, de-
mand the most protracted and serious con-
sideration. The official routine business,
however, cannot be wholly neglected, and if
the President instead of his wife were lying
on sick bed there would be those on duty
who would not let the public interests
suffer. There are those who are deputized
10 attend to 1t.
The Exigencies of the Campaign.
With regard to the political campaign
the situation is entirely different Each
mail brings to the Presidents desk COM
munications from every State in the Union,
asking that he do this and that and the
other thing to help along the general cause
h., TO- Nf ~,
personal friend. Every hour there are men
with campaign suggestions waiting at the
White House door for 'just word with
President Harrison" and night and day the
telegraph service of the Executive Mansion
is employed in bringing to the Presidents
attention the details and incidents
of the great political contest In
q majority of cases the messages
come from those who want the
appeals would be listened to and granted.
At present, however, the President is in no
mood to 60 into the details of the campaign
in any State, and contents himself with
turning the questions over to be settled by
others
Mr. Harrison has all his life been nm
eager and generally successful politician,
and it is characteristic of him that he places
much more reliance upon his opinion and
judgment than upon those of his friends He
realizes that he has a desperate uphill fight
his inability to be the managing man in it
only makes his chances of success the more
uncertain.
Forced to Forego His Plans.
The President early in the summer, i'm
media tely after his denomination, mapped
out plan of campaign in which he was to
ho fhA ~ h,,k L l.
tended to be the real manager of the Ma
tional Committee, and it was understood by
tom" Carter and the others on duty in
New York that all orders of importance
were TO originate in the White House. It
was on the programme that Chairman Car
ter should make frequent and flying trips
to Washington for the purpose of re.
ceiving instructions direct from the Presi-
dent, and on one or two occasions the
Chairman did come and spend the evening
at the White House just before making an
important political move. Now, however.
since the return of Mrs. Harrison from
Loon Lake, Carter comes no more and such
messages IS the President has for him 60
through the mails, over the telegraph wires
or are personally conveyed by Mr. Russell |
Harrison, who for the past few weeks has
been acting as messenger between WASH |
ington and the National Committee head |
quarters |
But however serious in its results may be |
upsettlng the Presidents plans with regard |
to the political campaign by reason OF Mrs |
Harrison's illness, he has uttered no word |
of complaint. No one, not even his most |
friends, has heard him express a
word of regret at the sad turn OF affairs He |
goes about the daily work that he is re-
quired to do with Q cheerful aspect, and |
gladly devotes every spare moment to cheer I
ing and comforting his sick wife, as if it |
were pleasure for him to do So
Regrets His Inability to Attend.
The absence of the President from the re-
union exercises of the Grand Army of the |
Republic last month, and his declination of |
the in vitations to be present in New York |
and Chicago at the opening Of the Colum-
bian celebrations cause him the keenest
regret of his public life.
Mrs. Harrison, moreover, shows this re-
yret and has time and again besought her
husband to lessen his constant attention at
her bedside and 60, at the head of his
historic events He has turned q
leaf ear to all such generous ap-
peals, however. He fully realizes
What great opportunities to improve
bis political claims he gives up and how
feebly he allows his political rival to reap
the benefit of the eclst which will follow
MS appearance in the Capital City Of the
West But the President also knows that
his wife is hopelessly and critically i'll, and
ne, therefore, persists in doing a. his heart
prompts him, 30 be remains with her. He
kn ows the sacrifice Is great, but he makes 1t
and even gladly. His friends
admire his honest devotion, but they fear
nevertheless that he is abandoning the great
of his life. The President
knnyEa theY are riRht hnt he has No fhonohf |