Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-12

Harrison Returned TIE Fire With His Revolver
merely to show that the Presidents Demo.
cratic opponents at Washington conoede all
that is necessary to be said concerning the
President; they charge, however. in COM
mon with some of the residents at Washing
ton, that the President is cold in his man
| ner.
A distinguished oficisl, who has lived
many years in Washington, in discussing
| this seeming trait in the Presidents charac-
| ter, said that much of the dissatisfaction
felt with recent Presidents by those who
came in contact with them could be traced
to a very small cause He thought that the
Presidents should receive their visitors sit
| ting. Mr.. Lincoln always sat; he took
position at the head of his table and had a
chair at his right for visitor General
Grant observed the same rule. The visitor
felt always more at his ease in this position,
and the strain upon the physical strength
of the President was not so great 1t would
take no more time, because the President
always has the right to close an interview
when he pleases, but in later years the
Presidents always receive their visitors
standing, and this is such an uncomfortable
attitude for most people. 1t sets up at once
such barrier of formality that no one ever
goes away pleased. You can never boast of
intimacy with man who has only stand
ing acquaintance with you. Mr.. Stanton,
the famous Secretary of War, inaugurated
this custom of standing to receive the many
people who crowded upon Tim during the war.
But MIR. Lincoln, who received equally as
many people, never followed Mr.. Stsnton's
example.
Harrison's Magnificent Equipment
The ready utterance of President Har-
rison and his easy flow of language comes
from his great reading and his great powers
of observation. His equipment is unusual
ly good. Few Presidents have been so well
prepared to administer any part of the Gov
ernment His military experience was .
very thorough one, so that he has the tech
nical knowledge required for the admins
tration of the army and the navy. In his
six years in the Senate he made such a spe-
cial study of the financial question that he
soon mastered the details of the Treasury,
Department following Mr.. WINDOWS sud-
den death. Mr.. Foster, when he was ap-
pointed Secretary, went to the President
for his instructions and for his preliminary
training. Mr.. Harrison has the legal re-
quirements for filling any of the other Cabi-
net offices, and this same legal knowledge,
combined with his powers of observation,
his logical mind and his enormous industry,
would make him a good Chief Justice.
plain and patent to everyone who knows
him in Washington. J
He has very decided literary tastes; he is
wide reader of light literature as q means
of relaxation. He is very precise in his
habits and is always on time. He regulates
his duties with the accuracy of q machine.
He is fond of eating, sleeping and working
at mathematically regular intervals He
has order and system to great degree in
his methods. He is constant student and
it is this wide reading and faculty of obser-
vation which give him such readiness when
called upon to undertake unexpected duties.
When he made his trip to the Southwest
and West his speeches were not prepared in
advance. He did not know the exact route
of his journey until o'clock the night be-
fore he started. He took with him, as q
basis OF his speeches, census reports of the
localities which he visited.
Prepared for All Emergencies.
This readiness and versatility of the Presi-
dents skill to rapidly master a case and to
prepare himself in q short time for an un-
usual intellectual effort was shown in his
argument before the Indiana Supreme Court
in the case of the celebrated Republican
Lieutenant Governor of that State whose
election was contested by his opponents.
Mr.. Harrison had only one day on that case
that was ever made before that court. AL
though the court was Democratic in its
makeup, it gave Mr. Harrison the verdict
of its opinion
l know that it is fatiguing in these latter
days to talk about anvbody's war record.
1t is universally conceded that physical
courage is common quality and to speak
merely OF q mans bravery who served dur
ing the war is to pay him no special COM
pliment L have heard just two points of
view concerning the Presidents military
service which were enough out of the COM
mon to merit passing notice asked an
officer who served with him in the Seven
tieth Indiana Regiment to give me an idea
of Mr.. Harrison as soldier His reply
was at first what did not expect: he said
that he was perhaps the most unpopular
Colonel who ever went out of Indiana.
He knew nothing about military affairs,
but devoted his entire time to studying
them so at the end of two months he was as
competent to drill the regiment as any Off |
Ger in it He was too strict disciplinarian |
to be popular There was Lieutenant |
Colonel in the regiment who had the love of |
the men. He was good politician and was |
fond of sitting down with his soldier BOYS |
as one of them He was very careless in |
his observation of military etiquette and 80 |
for a time he was the most popular officer |
in the regiment. The soldiers, to affirm his |
popularity and emphasize their dislike for |
their Colonel, presented beautiful sword |
to the Lieutenant Colonel and asked the |
Colonel to make the speech of presentation. |
This he did with great cheertulness and |
showed no sign of feeling injured on &C. |
count of the intentional reflection upon his |
Harrison in the Army.
When the regiment entered into actual |
service all this was speedily changed, The |
regiment soon found that the Colonel never |
asked them to 60 anywhere where he did |
not lead, and his personal devotion to the |