The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-04-17
TWO VIEWS OF HAYES.
He Failed When He Tried to Be Enter
tanning. but lie Could BE Generous.

H8u TWO special interviews with MIN
totally different to those which usually re-
suit from casual calls upon a public man.
When Mr.. Hayes was first inaugurated
General Comfy, of Toledo. o., who was
afterward appointed minister to the Ha-
waiian islands, came to Washington City.
General Comfy, who was himself a news
paper man and the editor of a Toledo
paper, thought that he would serve
President Hayes interests best by
placing him in friendly relations
with the correspondents of all
the leading newspapers of the country.
There was a very bitter feeling through
out the country against Mr.. Hayes, many
believing that he was not elected, and
nearly all of the correspondents at Wash
ington City, without regard to their politics,
were of the opinion that he was not en-
titled to the office. All sorts of stories
were at that time in circulation at the
capital concerning the rural simplicity of
the president, and the badly concealed
rapture of the family when once they had
taken possession of the White House.
Some of the irreverant newspaper writer's
of that time said that the Hayes family
every evening locked the door of the
White House, closed the blinds, and then
gave way to the ecstasy of delight which
ndu Win SO muCQ Ol1lCQIty Deen con-
trolled by them during the day.
General Comlys idea was developed
within few days after his arrival in Wash
ington City. He wished to save the presi-
dent from becoming a butt for the ridicule
OF the correspondents. There were enough
absurd stories ahoat at the time to warrant
the suggestion that ridicule would be the
weapon employed, and that the al
legged provincial simplicity of the presi-
dent would afford the occasions required.
General Comfy thought that he would
take the correspondents one by one and
project them by the potent influence of
his engaging personality into the very
heart of the presidents confidence and SO
establish relations of a friendly character.
One evening l received visit from the
general. He said to me, ~ want you to
meet the president and talk to him as you
would to any other public man. He is a
good man and l 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 to see him. We will sit
down and have friendly chat, and in that
way you will see what good man he Is.
and establish relations with him which
will be valuable to you as a correspondents
during his term of Office"
General Comly's experiment was a dis
NAL failure SO far as establishing any very
intimate relations between the president
and the correspondents was concerned.
My visit was one of the most uncomfort-
able and unsatisfactory l ever made upon
any public man. 1t was understood that
the visit was to be of a private character,
and that the president was to be asked no
questions of any kind for publication.
Being thus deprived of all business inter.
ests. there was not sufficient social hilarity
developed as a compensation. President
Hayes acted as If he were Sunday-sehool
tandant w had haRu asked hu
some faithful outdoor missionary to talk
with some very unregensrate person in
the neighborhood. He had no reason
at that particular time TO have any
personal affection for newspaper cor
respondents in the abstract. The
air of benevolence and would-be ease and
the desperate devices employed to intro
duce harmless topics made up conversa-
ton far from interesting or amusing to
any one. General Comfy sat rigid upon
one chair, the correspondent upon an
other, while the president faced us as if
we were a class, and after he thought a
proper time had been devoted to the sub
jects introduced by him, he arose and con-
Quoted us to the inner part of the White
House, where We were formally presented
to Mrs. Hayes.
As this was supposed to be an evening
at home with the Hayes family, it should
have left upon my mind some agreeable
impressions. But can only now recall to
NINA Hayes Irantlc attempts TO talk
in an offhand way and restricting the con-
versation entirely to newspapers and
newspaper correspondents as method of
entertaining me. He was very familiar
with the OHIO correspondents and gave me
some light upon their private character
which was rather remarkable, coming
from a president. Mrs. Hayes share in
the entertainment consisted in bringing in
q beautiful brown Angora cat which dis
ported itself in quite as graceful manner
as the tiger cat employed by Nine. Bern
hardt in her receptions of newspaper
callers.
But while have no particularly happy
memories of this first interview with the
president, the second occasion leaves me
with particularly agreeable recoilections.
The president then had an opportunity TO
show kindness and q courtesy which l
shall never forget. | was at that time the
correspondent of the Chicago Times. 5lr.
| Story was a most exacting employer. To
satisfy him one had to have all the news
and little more. A correspondent was
obliged to furnish all that had happened
and fair outline of what was going to
happen. The highest crime known in his
journalistic code was to be beaten in a mat
ter of important news.
The old gentleman was not inclined to
lay stress upon small matters, but for a
rival paper to have an important piece of
news which the Times had not would bring
forth from his caustic pen letter of satiri-
cal reproof the reading of which would
make a cores pondent's blood run cold
| There was sardonic sayagery in his style
| of writing very amusing to everyone
| except the victim. During the five or six
| years thar | represented this newspaper
l never went to bed without trembling,
| and l always got up in the morning with
| my heart in my boots for fear that sons
| thing might have happened in the world
| OF news which had escaped me. The
| genial editor was an early riser. and he
| made 1t a point to send out telegram
| very early IN the day if there was anything
| lacking, and this was the toreruDner of
! the letter. No news from the home Fee
| or from him was the best that any of his
| representatives. could hope Tor. In those
| days the presidents message was regarded
! as the most interesting piece OF news OBJ
| tainable during the year. | have never
| met any one who ever read q message of q
| president, and they have no more real
| effect upon legislation than the queens
| speech Some day we vii! have a presi-
| dent who will write his annual message TO
| congress within the limits of a column of
| an average newspaper. When this Is done
| messages may be read.
| To obtain an advance copy of a message
was a great feather in q correspondence
| cap These messages are ordinarily sent
| to the government printing office, where
| proofs are guarded with great care. The
| government printer sets UP the message
| in the form of pamphlet, which is ready
to be laid upon the desks of senator's and
members upon the opening day of the an
| Il 4