Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-11-10
THE TICK OF THE KEY
How President Harrison will
Hear His Fate Good or
Evil. Tonight.
Scenes That Have Been Enacted
in the White House Tele-
graph Rooms.
The Chief Executive VIII No
Lose His Calm and
PaSSiyeneSS.

will read his fate in the Geographic
bulletins which will flash over the
special wires leading into the tele-
graph-room at the White House to-
morrow night 1t is an interesting
place, that telegraph-room.
1t was over the wire from the West
ern Union telegraph Office to this room
that the news of Cleveland defeat
was carried to him four years ago. A
little group of his followers and friends
stood about him and read the returns,
while Dan Lamont, the faithful
private secretary, tabulated them
and figured out results. Little by
little the truth became more
manifest and still more plain
that New York had gone Republican.
Then it was that one of Mr.. Cleve-
lands intimate friends is reported to
have said, encouragingly: Wait I'M
til we hear from Illinois," and it was
in reply to him that the President
made that famous epigram. "Illinois!
H! | want to hear from New York. "
He did hear from New York, and the
little gathering of the women of the
Cabinet circle, who had come together
to be ready to offer their congratula-
tons to the new President before any
one else should have chance, broke
up early, leaving an atmosphere of
intense disgust at the White House.
President Harrison will not have any
little social gathering to celebrate the
event of Tuesday night. He will not
have his private secretary with him
and it is doubtful if he will have any
Of his ca binet at his side. All of the
members of the cabinet have promised
themselves the pleasure of voting the
Repu blican ticket, and Mr.. Halford,
too, will remain in Indiana to cast one
ballot for Harrison and Reid in accord
ance with his convictions. Secretary
Tracy and Secretary Elkins are the
only members of the cabinet whose
homes are near enough to make it pos
sible that they should vote and then
return to Washington in time to re-
ceive the returns with the President.
The President expects to read the
bulletins in his office at the White
House Tuesday night. There are three
loops from the telegraph offices run
ming into the Executive mansion, and
all of these will be manned, so that the
President can get copies of all the bull
letins sent out by the Associated press,
the United press and the Western Union
Telegraph company. Probably Mr..
Tibbott, in the absence of Secretary
Halford, will bring the bulletins to the
President and help to ia bulate them
To the unframed mind nothing could
be more confusion than these bulle-
tins. The Western Union company has
very elaborate system of news-gather-
ing on election day, and as fast as re-
turns come in from different parts of
the country they are grouped and COM
pared with the results of the last
presidential election, so that, as nearly
as possible, some standard of judg-
ment can be had. But to appreciate
the value of each of these statements
it is necessary to know something
more than the bulletins can give. In
New York State particularly the To-
cality in which change occurs gives
it much of its value. The President
has a thorough general political
knowledge and the bulletins will
speak very simple language to him.
Whatever the result of the contest,
the President will take it .as he takes
most things-coolly and philosopher
ally, He is not IAN excita BILE man and
it takes a great deal to arouse him.
1t is said to be of record that he has
used profane language on but two oc-
casions in the whole course of his life.
One of these was at the battle of Res
AGA, where he is said to have adiured
a confederate gunner with the words,
Come out of there, you ID REBEL"
and to have emphasized this adiura-
ton by yanking the gunner over the
breastworks behind which he was
stationed. Gen. Harrison was very
much ashamed of this little lapse, and
he called his officers together after the
engagement and apologized to them.
The President has taken SO little in
terest in the campaign with so heavy a
load of grief in his heart that no per-
sonal consideration will move him to
Joy or sorrow in the result. He be-
lieves now that the Repu blican party
will be successful, but success will not
be a personal triumph to him nor will
failure bring a selfish disappointment