The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-07-29


other persons of great Importance.
'You can imagine my confusion and
humiliation. Lout that I was to in
trude upon the privacy of the dining
room of the president of the United
States! I was fairly dumfounded, par
alyzed, by the predicament in which
1 found myself, but was just finding my
tongue to stammer out some apology
when President Pierce rose from the
table, walked toward me with kind
ly smile on his face and his hand
outstretched in greeting. Il am very
glad to see you,' he said. Il
I beg your pardon ! muttered; ]
did not intend to intrude, but r do
not apologize said the president, smil-
ing at me and holding my hand in a
way that put me thoroughly at my ease;
there is no intrusion. Some day per-
haps you will come here to be president
yourself, and if you do, please think of
me when you eat your first Christmas
dinner in the White House. Gould
there be in all the world finer manners
than that2' asked General Woodford.
met boy on the street without being
tempted to take off his hat to him on &C
count of the possibilities of the lads fu-
ture.
1t is conceded by every one that John
Sherman would have been president ere
this had he had winning manners. They
were not natural to him, and like Har-
rison he has been too proud to make an
effort to acquire them. Like II sison
again, he is misunderstood, for Senator
Sherman, now without question the finest
figure in our public life, has warm
heart and manners which, though lack
ing magnetism" are indicative of true
gentility.
A man who has made more than one
half of his success in public life through
his fine manners is Governor Mckinley.
Probably no man in his party has great
er personal popularity than he at this
time. His urbanity and sweetness Of
character nearly made him presiden-
tial candidate a month ago, and they
may yet land him in the executive man 4
sion.
Had he had atenth part of McKinley's
fine manners Colonel William r. Nor
rison might have been president long
ago. He was chairman of the ways and
means committee, the leader of his party
on the predominating issue, a man of
high character and great abilities, yet
he could attract and attach men only
after they had had opportunity to know
him well and to discover how much that
is lovable there is in him-and this was
not enough.
AS rule the men in public life best
blessed with the gift of fine manners
are from the south. Speaker Crisp is a
model in this respect. If Senator DAN
lei were not lame he would make
dancing master for the Four Hundred.
Senator Ransom's stately courtesy makes
one want to take him out of trousers
and put him in knee breaches and big
buckled shoes, with fine powdered wig
to hide his bald pate. Congressman
Hooker, of Mississippi, is another whose
dignifed and almost ceremonial polite |
ness is exceedingly charming in a legis-
lative body where good manners are al
together too rare. Benton McMillin is
a Chesterfield, and Senator Gibson, of
Louisiana, is another.
But few northern statesmen are dis
tinguished for the grace of their speech
and bearing. If we name in this list
Senator Mcmillan of Michigan, Senator
Henderson of Nebraska, Senator Aldrich
of Rhode Island and Senator Washburn
of Minnesota, we shall have practically
exhausted it, though of course scores
of others are charming and well bred
men. The country could be searched
long time without unearthing a finer
gentleman than the Democratic candi-
date for vice president, who has ma
tional reputation for his good manners.
These same manners contributed more |
than any other one thing to the popu-
larity which led to his selection as Mr..
Cleveland's running mate.
WALTER WELLMAN.