Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1892-06-17
The President Receives the
News of His Renomina-
ton Very Coolly.
He Expresses His Feelings in
a Short Address to News
paper Men.
Sketch of Whitelaw Reid, Re
publican Candidate for
Vice President.

WASHINGTON, June ia kiss giver
by Miss Jeanette Halford as she flung
her arms about the presidents neck
announced to him that he had been re.
nominated by the Minneapolis conven
ton for president. The president was in
his Office across the hall from the tele.
graph room where the bulletins were be.
ing received by an enthusiastic crowd
composed of cabinet officers, generals OF
the United States army, newspaper men
and women, attaches Of the executive
mansion and colored servants. Miss
Halford rushed across the hall and sa.
luted the president as she did four years
ago at Indianapolis when he first re.
ceived the nomination.
The president was surrounded by Sec.
retaries Tracy, Noble and Rusk and
Mrs. Mckee, Russell Harrison, Mrs.
Lieutenant Parker, Lieutenant Parker
and other members of his private family.
1t was a memorable scene and only one
face was missed to complete the picture
that of Mrs. Harrison, who lay on a
sick bed less than a hundred feet
away, anxious, no doubt, but as yet un-
conscious that the extreme anxiety of
the past few days had been dissipated
and that her husband had been selected
to head the Republican party in the
coming campaign for the presidency.
In a moment Mrs. Mckee embraced
and kissed her father. Russell Harrison
congratulated him. Mrs. Parker, in her
e~xuberance, kissed him also, and all the
cabinet officers in the outer mansion
rushed to the presidents side and heartily
congratulated him. They were followed
by Mr.. Halford and perhaps two dozen
newspaper men who had been in the
telegraph room for an hour previous
hearing the news as it came from the
wire. He shook hands with them or had
some pleasant remark to make to the
many warm greetings he received. Ii
an informal way the whole party ex
changed congratulations. The president
seemed to be the coolest person in the
room. He did not in the least betray
any emotion, but stood behind his desl
with Mrs. Mckee at his side, receiving
the many kind compliments showeret
upon him. When, after some ten min
utes' informal talk, the president re
sponded to a universal request from the
newspaper men present, and said:
Well, gentleman, l have had a good dea
of interviews with newspaper men. Il
has been mostly at arms length, excep'
on q few occasions of this kind, and SOM
of you know that while l am very averst
to interviews my door has always beer
open to a friendly call from n of yor
and information about public business ha!
been at your disposal, and l can only sa,
with reference to this event, that ha.
brought you here, that the first though
that fills my mind is one of gratitude tt
the great multitude of friends who hav,
in this way and divers other ways ex
pressed approval Of every conscientiou
though possibly now and then mistaken
attempts, to serve the country upon Re
publican ines. l claim no other credi
than that of having attempted. withou
sparing myself labor, to discharge thes
public duties conscientiously. l can
expect my Democratic friends to think
have been on right lines always, and ye
it has been very gratifying to me to kno1
that many things have secured the az
proval of my political opponents. 1 hav
been filled with the thoughts hat thi
country was coming to an epoch when tn
flag and those under it would engage uro
a still higher plane than now and whe
our influence among the people of th
earth will be enlarged wisely and yet Ell
ergetically.
The president stood behind his desk
he delivered his speech, which was 81
tirely off hand. As is his custom b
threw his left hand under his Goa
spoke impromptu and slowly and wit
great earnestness. He made no gestur,
but looked his small audience full in til
face and seemed to be impressed wit
the fact that in addressing the newsps
per men present he was in fact talkin
to that larger audience, the public of til
United States.