The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-01-02
Especial Correspondence


taries Foster and Ruslz. The former is
recovering from an illness which came
SO near carrying him off that for two or
| three days those in the secret feared his
! death at any moment. Only the doctor,
Secretary Rusk and Mr.. Fosters private
secretary knew the truth, which was
carefully concealed from the patient
himself and the members of his family.
A man could not be more devoted to his
own brother than the big, pat1iarchal
secretary of agriculture was to his
friend of the treasury department dur
ing this long illness. Every day and
every night he was at the sick bed; he
was as thoughtful as a trained nurse, as
tender as a woman. When heard this
pretty story of friendship my mind re-
! verified to another story involving the
same men-a story of politics which has
never yet been printed.
When General Garfield became presi~
dent, Jerry Rusk came down from Wis
consin and was a candidate for place
| in the cabinet. He wanted to be secre-
tary of war. At this time he was sim
| ply ex-Congressman Rusk, having served
three terms in the house. Garfield was
not favorable to the idea, but in his mild
and pleasant way was careful to SO word
his expressions as to give no offense. AS
a result the Wisconsin man and his
friends continued to hope and to keep
up the pressure Finally Garfield wea-
ried Of their opportunities He sent for
Charles Foster, who had for years been
his intimate friend and who had also
been on friendly terms with Rusk when
the three served together in congress
from 1871 to 1877.
Jerry Rusk and his friends are both
ering the life out of me to make him
secretary of war" said Garfield to Fos-
ter. Cant you take him out one side
have a long talk with him and coax him
into accepting the post of commissioner
of agriculture?" 'sf'll see what can do
with him." said Foster, and that same
afternoon the Ohio man called for Rusk
at the Riggs House and proposed to him
that inasmuch as the day was a fine one
they take walk in the suburbs. Rusk
agreed, and they started out. For a
time nothing was said about politics.
Foster was thinking of the easiest man.
ner in which he could lead up to the
business in hand. Finally they stopped
under tree and Foster sat down on a
log, determined to begin then and there.
Before he could open his mouth Uncle
Jerry spoke. Charley Foster, said he,
"you needn't begin to hem and haw and
beat about the bush. know what you
have brought me out here in the woods
| for. Garfield has sent you to tell me
that can't be secretary of war, but that
may have some minor place if / want
it, Eyes" muttered Foster, ''you have
guessed it. But the place which you may
have is one not to be sneezed at. 1t is
the commissionership Of agriculture"
Rusk was furious Commissioner of
agriculturer' he exclaimed. Distributor
of seeds and peddler of pumpkins! You
go back to Jim Garfield and tell him
that Jerry Rusk is not that kind of
man. You tell him that if Jerry Rusk
is not good enough to sit in Jim Gar
fields cabinet he knows what he is good
enough for. He is good enough to be
governor Of Wisconsin, and you and Jim
| NAdA llClA l1ttA UCbJGI lOOh OQb lOI HILL.
Jerry Ruslr is going to be president him
self some of these days and he'll remem-
Der you fellows and don't you forget it."
| In vain did Mr.. Foster endeavor to
calm the anger of the offended states
man from Wisconsin. That same day
he packed his grip and started for home.
Two days later he sat in parlor of the
Plankinton House, Milwaukee, and
| gathered about him were half dozen
of the leading Republicans of Wiscon-
sin. 81 want to be governor" said
Uncle Jerry, ''and | want you men to
help me. want to teach these upstairs
at Washington lesson. VIII you stand
by me-" At the next election Rusk was
chosen governor of Wisconsin. Gar
field died so soon after his inauguration
that the reyengeful schemes of Uncle
Jerry were never put in operation, and
probably would not have been pressed
in any event. "The manner in which
Mr.. Rusk OWNED what Charley Foster
took him out into the woods for" re-
marked the gentleman who told me the
story, "shows how keen the secretary OF
agriculture is. He does not know much
about literature, but you cannot fool
him on human nature. He is as sharp
as razor, and tell you to keep an eye
on him. He will be president yet, just
as he said he would"
Speaker Crisp is known among his as
sociates as man of fine manners. Tried
in the crucible Of a speakership contest,
pulled and hauled about by scores of
men driven by selfishness or passion, ca
joled by some of his friends and threat
ened by some of his enemies, the speaker
has not for one instant lost that self
poise, that equanimity, that absolute
self possession which have made him
one of the most remarkable men Of the
times. was talking about this the
other day with Representative OFFER
rail-, of Virginia, who succeeds Mr.. Crisp
as chairman of the committee on cleo
tons. For six years." said Mr.. OFFER.
rail-, "Iudge Crisp and | have served
together on that committee. 1t is in
that committee room that we have thun-
der and lightning. There we try many
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