Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-07
OLD WHITE HOUSE SCENES.

News OF Their NominatiOns-Servant
and Attaches Went Wild With Joy oI
Each and Every Occasion.
| WASHINGTON, D. G., July 6.-Sinc'
1860 it has fallen to the lot of four President
| to receive word that they have been selected
| by the National Conventions of their parties
for another term. They were Lincoln, who
was renominated in June, 1854; Grant, wllt
was the unanimous choice of the convention
OF 1877; Cleveland, who was renominated II
| 1sSs, and Harrison. In the cases of Lincoln
Grant. and Cleveland there was lacking the
| uncertainty which prevailed in the minds O.
| many In MI. Harrison's case. for in each OF
| the three the denomination of the Ch1e
Executive had been a foregone conclu
| sion.
The facilities for receiving news ut the
white House then were not as great as now,
ana the general service by bulletins was not
as complete. and thrt may account for some
or the di1lorenca in the scenes.
When Lincoln WAS renominat ted it appears
from the published reports to have caused
little comment or stir at the White House
ana IN the reports in the daily papers the
simple announcement was made that "the
nomination was foregone conclusion" Ii
was added that in the evening Of the day the
nomination was made a stream of callers
came TO congratulate Mr.. Lincoln.
when Grant was renominated the situa-
tion was about the same, and it was not
thought worth while to comment on the re-
SCpbiOu W tno news at CNe w lite 1OuSo.
Henry Wilson, says O correspondent of the
New YORK Tins, who was nominated as the
wee presidential candidate, secured his first
1ntlmation of that fact in telegram from
superintendent Eckert, of the Western
Union Company, which gave the result OF
the ballot. More excitement was caused by
the announcements that Mr.. Wilson had won
the hight over Schuyler Col!ax, who was q
candidate for denomination, than over the
announcement that Grant had been given
the first place on the ticket.
How Grover Got the News In 1888.
WHEN the st. Louis Convention was
balloting four years ago the arrangement OF
the telegfaphic service at the White House
was the same essentially as at present. and
bulletins came regularly. In his executive
office Mr.. Cleveland received them as he
would have received messages on any other
subject, SO far rs his surroundings were con-
oerned. The news came Wednesday, II little
before O'Clock, when the President usually
goes to the East Room for public reception.
In the privacy of his office Mr.. Cleveland
learned that he was renOminatcd, and he
went to the East Room as usual There was
no marked addition to the usual w edne esday'
afternoon crowd, and, except that some
congratula ted the President as they passed
him in line, little was said of the Important
event. Newspaper men who were anxious
to know how the President received the
news obtained the facts through the Gus
tomary news channels, and the facts were
announced with the customary White House
dignity and, perhaps brevity.
All this was vastly CHANGED on Friday,
June 10, when Benjamin Harrison was re-
ceiving the news from Minneapolis.
The doors of the White House had been
closed to the public at the usual hour in til 9
afternoon. Every member of the Cabinet
was in the Presidents private Office or NOV
ing from that place across the ante-room to
Many officials we're there from the depart
ments and several well-known men who
were on familiar terms with the official
family.
For the first time on such an occasion
newspaper correspondents were given free
entrance to the Executive portion of the
building. and with members Of the Cabinet
they strolled about the ante-room or sat
where they could hear the clicking of the
telegraph instrument. Probably 20 CORE
spondents were there.
Everybody Went Wind With Joy.
BUT all the proceedings of receiving the
bulletins as the States were called were cold
and uDfnteresting compared with the scene
which followed the announcement that
enough votes had been given the President
to insure his omination. If it had been the
corridor of public hotel the rush from the
operating room to the private room where
the President sat would have been no more
informal. Everybody went on the jump.
Secretary Elkins ran like a deer The news
paper men and the oficeholders almost fell
over each other in their desire to get the first
sight of the President. Some of the officials
put their hats on and forgot to take them Off
when they reached the Presidents room.
There the spectacle was presented OF men,
bers of the Cabinet, the President leaders
of the household and the minor employees,
fairly dancing around the room, shaking
hands with everybody and forgetting every
thing except the one fact that the President
was renomfnated. This lasted for ten min
utes or more, and then the most wonderful
hir,ry oil 90 Ers, Il
a speech for the especial benefit of the news
paper men. This was the result of a confer
ence between Secretary Elkins and the cor
respondents.
He won't talk to you," said Mr.. Elkins
when the subject was broached. Apparently
for the first time in the afternoon the pre-
else nature OF the unusual proceedings
flashed over Mr.. Elkins.
"Ask him if he won't, said the correspond
ents.
MI Elkins drew the President to one side
and after minutes consultation the Presi-
dent made the speech which has been pub
hshed all over the county. 1t was the first
time anything of this nature had ever been
done.
ceedings when Mr.. Harrison was officially
notified of his denomination, and as widely
different from the proceedings in the earlier
days. In the formal notification, however
Mr.. Harrison was treated much after the
same manner as was Mr.. Cleveland. The
custom has changed essentially since Lin
coins time. 1t was more formal then, and
Was, as rule, not made SO much of q family
affair.
How Lincoln Was Notified.
LINCOLN was notified the day after the
at Baltimore completed its work,
June 10, 1864, OF $50 o'clock in the afternoon.
The committee-one man from each State
went in q body to the White House. and in
the East room Governor William Dennison,
who Il
vention, made short and dignified address.
MI. Lincoln replied still more briefly, clos
ing his remarks by saying he supposed it
had not been thought wise to swap horses
while crossing stream" Then the men,
bers OF the committee shook hands with Mr..
Lincoln and left the mansion.
The speech Of notification to General
Grant in 1872 was one of the shortest State
speeches on record. The occasion was
formal. Few were admitted to the White
House and General Grant received the COM
mittee in his private office, no other visitors
being given access 1t was O'clock in the
afternoon, June g. 1872 Thomas Settle, who
had presided over the nominating conven-
ton at Philadelphia. was the spokesman.
the brevity of the candidates own style.
When General Grant had risen from his
desk and bowed, Mr.. Settle said:
ave are before you to perform u very
agreeable duty. We are here to officially in
form you of your unanimous nomination for
the Presidency by the National Republican
assembled Mt Philadelphia in
the 9th inst Beyond this do not know
that we have anything to say"
This WAS all there was of the formal noti-
fication. General Grant replied briefly, and
gave u letter of formal acceptance the same
day.
On behalf of their own States Emory A.
Storrs, of Illinois, Paul Strobeck, of Ala
bama, B. F. Conley, of Georgia, Governor
spoke briefly to the President and the pro-
ended.
pb;,rs wor% Wild ,A thu M,r.,on