Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-06-30
A TALK WITH pEpEW,
He Considers the Question of Ac-
cepting a Pubic Office.
He is Not Rich Man, and it Might No


assembled the stoop 10 inquire if the
great orator had arrived from Washing
ton.
Mr.. Depew ran up the steps with
grip in each hand and with the agility
Of an athlete. He wore an old white
soft hat and looked warm, but happy.
He asked the reporter to step in the
library and then excused himself for =
moment while he ran up to see Mrs.
Depew, who had been expecting him.
Mr.. Depew came down again in
couple Of minutes, and for three-quar-
tiers of an hour he talked with the Jour.
nal man about his trip TO Washington.
Right here let it be said to the honor
of New York, that Chauncey NJ.
Depew was offered the position Of Sec
rotary of State by President Harrison on
Saturday. He did not accept it outright,
but asked for time to consider In other
words, he wished to confer with the
Vandorbilts and discover how his Iosi-
ton us president of the great New York
Central system would be affected by the
change
If it can be arranged that Mr.. Depew
can return TO the management of the
railroad when he leaves the Secretary of
States office he will accept. If not, he
will decline.
This is exactly Mr.. Depew's position,
although he would not say so iii Sd
many words. lie was very careful re-
garding what he said of the vacancy in
the Presidents cabinet, as more than
once he repeated the remark that it was
entirely u secret Of President Harrison's.
Mr.. Depew did all the talking, and he
began by saying;
81 had conference with President
Harrison, which lasted more than four
hours. In that time we talked great
deal on great variety of subjects, and
we exhausted every one of them. The
political situation, both national and
state, was discussed.
There is one thing about Mr.. Harri-
son which impressed me this time
greater than ever before. have always
had great respect and admiration for
him, but left him Saturday having a
higher and deeper regard for him than
ever. He has grown on me like he has
grown ON the country in the past four
years.
Il have met every man of note in
the country, and | have noticed two
peculiar things about all men who have
risen above the surface. One is that
| the more you sec of some of them the
less them impress you, and the other is
that the more you come in contact with
others the greater is your admiration
and respect for them. Harrison comes
under the latter class.
MANY public men call him unfeel-
ing and cold-hearted. But an incident
occurred while was talking with him
that showed he is a man of deep feeling
and sympathetic in nature. While we
We're talking the news came that En-
mons Blaine was dead.
"For several seconds the President
could hardly speak. When he did, Lis
eyes were full of tears, and his voice
tremblee as he uttered words Of SYM
pathy for his old friend, who has sur
fered such succession of terrible TRACE
dies in the past few years. What he said
was beautiful, tender, and came from
his heart 1t was genuine grief He
sent dispatches of sympathy ia few
moments to both Mr.. and Mrs. Blaine.
"The reason public men call him I'M
feeling is that he is besieged night and
day with men wanting certain places.
Mr.. Harrison is an honest man ana a
transparent man. If lie cannot give the
Ilaco asked for, which is the case nine
times out Of ten, he tells the applicant
50 frankly and fairly. If the man is
persistent then he has a most unpleas-
ant time.
But coming down to what you have
called upon me about" Mr. Depew
went on seriously, "as | said 1 had this
long conference with Mr.. Harrison, and
, Whit we said on this subject is the
Presidents secret, if secret il be. But |
Will say that the conference was salts
factory 10 myself in every way"
Al this point Mr.. Dcpew was asked il
it was not so that he had been offered
the secretaryship Of State and that he
} asked for more time before deciding ia
accept Or refuse, In reply he made the
significant statement:
IF answered that in the affirmative
or in the negative | would be saving
7 everything. Frankly my desire is to
! answer your questions, and by the exer,
I else OF diplomacy leave you completely
in the dark as to the real situation.
"0f course, the Secretaryship of State
Q is great honor. 1t is unlike any othel
cabinet office. 1t is and always has
been conferred upon man because OF
, his distinctive merit The other cabine
, offices are given to men rs rewards fol
r services rendered.
/, 81 VIII say hero that have declinee
J more offices than any man living.
S have had United States senatorshi,
twice within my hand and when Mr.
( Harrison was. elected four years ago
I could have had anything in his powe
a to give.
: Nut my position is q peculiar one.
I am the manager OF the affairs of Il groa