The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-07-29
Harrity and Whitney Are Very Amiable
Gentlemen in the Opinion of Our Cor
respondent - Harrison and Clarkson
Shed Tears
Especial Correspondence.l


! Democratic committee. That is a great
honor, great responsibility, a great OPP
portunity. Yet it has been won by a
young man who until very recently was
comparatively unknown.
At the Chicago convention met Mr..
Harrity and liked him very much.
What was my experience was also that
of hundreds of more important persons.
He has manners-native, innate, inbred
from his gentle Irish ancestry-that will
make him friends anywhere. Scores of
prominent men there met him for the
first time and were charmed with him.
He is simple, plain, sincere. There isn't
an atom of affectation in his compost
ton, not the smallest speck of acting
and this is saying good deal for an Irish
! man.
You all know these handsome, Gull
tured, charming Irish gentlemen-good
friends, delightful companions, and yet
they will blarney just little. Harrity
doesn't. Somehow he contrives to make
you feel from the first minute you meet
him as if you were old friends. You
want to be confidential with him, be-
cause you trust him, because you stake
to" him; but until he knows you pretty
well he isn't confidential with you
Harritys has genuine ability, a good
head, a strong character. But more
than half his success may be attributed
to that rare gift-fne manners.
There is another of the same sort.
W. G. Whitney, who might have been
chairman, but wouldn't, and who is
pretty near the top of the heap in the
Democratic yard, has won his way and
is winning his way as much with his
good manners as with his good brain.
It doesn't matter where he is or what he
is doing-in cabinet council, secretary's
office, society drawing room, the crisis
of great political battle like that at
Chicago, paying compliments to a
countess, placating a faction leader or
dealing with an angry and savage ward
worker from Tammany Hall-he is al
ways the same-cool, suave, though firm;
quick, but not previous, smiling while he
puts the knife in, but always striking
fairly.
Some men get to the top without fine
manners, butSfor every one such | can
show you dozen who might have won
success but for this deficiency. There
is President Harrison. His manners
never helped him. He didn't win the
presidency on account of his manners,
but in spite of them. He says SO him
self, and he also says there never would
have been any opposition to his renomi-
nation had he been fortunate enough to
possess the faculty of charming men
through personal contact. He is no
table exception to the rule.
Garfield won the presidency with his
fine manners, his sympathetic quail
ity, which finally, at the height of a
storm, ran through big national con-
vention like awave of light and brought
peace. Garfield was much like wom-
an. He was all heart, and he could cry
at the slightest provocation.
Speaking of this reminds me of re-
markable incident. You wouldn't think
President Harrison a sympathetic man,
would you? If you were to hear of his
shedding tears you would naturally be
incredulous. He is supposed to be one
Of the coolest of men. He isn't. Only
he is so constituted it is on but rare oc-
casions he shows the depth and warmth
of his feelings.
Three weeks before the Minneapolis
convention Mr.. Clarkson called on the
president. Their interview ran through
two hours. They had been warm friends
and were about to part company polit-
ically. Harrison was going for himself,
Clarkson for Blaine. Both are wonder
full takers. When their feelings are
stirred their tongues are magic. On
this occasion they were stirred. The
fire of eloquence melted them both, and
when they parted both were in tears. A
remarkable interview between politi-
clans? Yes. But if did not absolutely
know the foregoing to be true account
of it, so far as it goes, would not writeit.
Chester Arthur had magnificent man
ners. His manners, not his Importance,
made him the candidate for vice presi-
dent, and ultimately president Little
Van Buren's manners made him presi-
dent, too, because they charmed the old
lion who had no manners himself, ex-
cept those which were bad-Andrew
: Jackson-and Jackson chose his own
successor. Old timers say the finest
hammered president we have had since
Van Buren, was Pierce. A few weeks
ago was talking with General Stewart
L. Woodford, the famous orator, on this
very subject. Having an admirable
courtliness himself, General Woodford
naturally admires it in others, and at
once spoke of Pierce.
81 shall never forget" he said, can
interview which I had with Franklin
Pierce. 1t was in 1864, Christmas day.
was then just of age, and my father
gave me permission to run over to
Washington for holiday. OF course I
visited the White House. The doors
were opened and / walked in, and there
being no one to stop me wandered
through the corridors and rooms, gaping
about as boy will. Finally found
myself in a large apartment, and on
looking up I saw dinner party at table.