Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-17
TWO VIEWS OF HAYES.

He Failed When He Tried to be Entertain.
ing. But He Could BE Generous
When President Hayes was in Office ]
had two special interviews with him totally
different to those which usually result from
casual calls upon a public man. When Mr..
Hayes was first inaugurated General Comfy,
Of Toledo, O., who was atterward appointed
Minister to the Sandwich Islands, came to
Washington. General Comfy, who was
himself newspaper man and the editor of
Toledo paper, thought that he would serve
President Hayes interests best by placing
him in friendly relations with the corre-
spondents of all the leading newspapers of
.he coantry. There was a very bitter feel
ing throughout the country against Mr..
HAYES, many believing that he was not
elected, ard nearly all Of the correspond
ents ut Washington, without regard to their
politics, we're CT the opinion that he was not
entitled TO the office.
All sorts of stories were at that time in
circulation at the capital concerning the
rural simplicity Of the President, ard the
badly concealed rapture of the family when
once they had taken possession of the
White House. Some of the irreverent
newspaper writer's of that time said that the
Hayes family every evening locked the
doors of the White House, closed the
blinds, and then gave way to the ecstasy Of
delight which had with SO much difficulty
been controlled by them during the day.
Awkward Attempts at Entertainment
One evening received visit from Gen.
eral Comfy. He said to me. 81 want you
to meet the President and talk to him as
you would to any other public man. He is
a good man and know you will like him.
He is very anxious to be on friendly terms
with the correspondents, and so If you have
no engagement tomorrow evening will
take you up to see him."
General Comly's experiment was dismal
failure so far as establishing any very init
mate relations between the President and
the correspondents was concerned. Ny
visit was one of the most uncomfortable and
unsatisfactory I ever made upon any public
man. It was understood that the visit was
to be of q private character and that the
President was to be asked no questions of
any kind for publication. Being thus de-
prived of all business interests, there was
not sufficient social hilarity developed as
compensation. President Hayes acted as if
he were a Sunday school superintendent
who had been asked by some faithful out
door missionary to talk with some very un-
regenerate person in the neighborhood He
had no reason at that particular time
TO have any personal affection for newspa-
per correspondents in the abstract The air
of benevolence and would-be ease and the
desperate devices employed to introduce
harmless topics made up conversation far
from interesting or amusing to anyone.
General Comfy sat rigid upon one chair, the
correspondent upon another, while the Pres
ident faced us as if we were q class, and
after he though. proper time had been de-
voted to the subjects introduced by him he
arose and conducted us to the inner part of
the White House, where we were formally
presented to Mrs. Hayes.
Mrs. Hayes Introduced Her Cat
As this was supposed to be an evening at
home with the Hayes family, it should have
left upon my mind some agreeable impress
sions. But can only now recall to mind /
Mr.. Hayes frantic attempts to talk in an
off hand way and restricting the CONVEX
sation entirely to newspapers and
correspondents as a
method of entertaining me. He
was very familiar with the Ohio correspon-
dents and gave me some light upon their
private character which was rather remark
able coming from President. Mrs. Hayes
share in the entertainment consisted in
which disported itself in quite as graceful
as the tiger cat employed by Mme.
Bernhardt in her receptions of newspaper
callers
But while have no particularly happy
of this first interview with
tie President, the second occasion
leaves me with particularly agree
able recollections The President then
had an opportunity to show q kindness and
q courtesy which shall never forget