The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1893-12-22
DUMB AS AN OYSTER.
NEWSPAPER MEN COMPLAIN OF PRl-
vATE SECRETARY THURBER.

4
Foreign Idea-The Most Devoted and Self
Sacrificing Friend President Cleveland
Ever Had-senatorial Dignity Shocked.
WASHINGTON, Dec 90. = Especial. -
The state department sometimes has
strange and delicate duties to perform.
Not long ago information reached the de-
partment that a newly arrived foreign
minister was being black sailed by GER
tain adventurer, who was assisted in his
work by woman who is fairer of face than
of fame While there is nothing in the
traditions of the department or the diplo-
matte code requiring it's officials to inter-
! fere for the protection of a foreign minis
/ ters reputation or pOcketbook, there were
| circumstances in this case which seemed
| to require action. First it was necessary
| to make sure that the information was
correct. So one of the younger officials of
| the department was detailed to call upon
| the foreign representative and to put to
him few delicate and leading questions.
The minister was being blackmailed. He
had been guilty of some little indiscre-
lions, and for them was paying rather
dearly. The business-at least the pay
ment part of twas altogether new to
him, for he remarked:
SIT is a strange custom you have in
this country"
| "But it is not a custom here"
ooh, [ thought it was. They told me
it was regular thing to make man pay,
or they would publish all about it in the
newspapers. l couldn't afford to be pub
lished-my government would recall me if
1 were to get mixed up in any public scan
dal-so | paid"
"Don't you pay another cent, was the
advice of the state department. agent.
"Leave these people to us. F"
In "a hours a woman fair of face and
with stylish gown, accompanied by DASH
ing young mana pretty pair who had
been living, and living well, by their wits
found it convenient to leave Washington
for New York. There were no arrests, no
publication, no scandal. And the foreign
minister has learned in the dear school of
experience that the exaction of hush
money from gay but inexperienced diplo-
mats is not one of the customs of our vir-
tuous country.
Thuroer Afraid to Speak.
The newspaper correspondents have not
done complaining of Private Secretary
Thurber. Their grief is that Mr.. Cleve-
lands private secretary does not give them
any assistance in their work of gathering
news. Mr.. Thurber seems all the time to
be afraid to utter a word, always to have
before his minds eye the horrible thought,
"What will the president say?" The news
paper correspondents say they do not ex-
pect Mr.. Thurber to give them great state
secrets. They do not ask him to reveal
the contents of diplomatic dispatches, nor
to repeat what is said at cabinet meetings.
They do say that Mr.. Thurber should be
able and willing to tell them the little
things which it does no one any harm for
all the world to know. For instance, when
the newspaper men ask the private secre-
tary what plans the president has made fol-
celebrating Christmas, there does not seem
to be any good reason why the private Sec
etary should not enlighten them. When
the president decides to slip away to New
York ON private business, the newspaper
men cannot imagine why Mr.. Thurbel
T should tell them fbs about it and throw
dust in their eyes, Evidently Private Sec
, rotary Thurber has not yet learned the pri
vate secretary art of which Daniel Lamont
; was so great a master-the art of satisfy
! ing newspaper craving for news by telling
; the little things while all the big thing
are kept as mum as extra dry.
A case in point occurred not long ago
D Joe jefferson was in town. and as he ant
a Mr.. Cleveland are warm friends nothing
+ could be more natural than that the presi
dent should make up a box party and go t
see Old Rip. There was no great stat
3 secret about this, and yet Private Secre
: tary Thurber was afraid to tell the news
papers that the president was going to tn
< theateri
The Venerable Senator Palmer.
d Poor old Senator Palmerl That's wha
r the gossips are saying in Washington. Th
: old senator has been one of the most de
voted and self sacrificing friends Presiden
Cleveland ever had, and he has had
good many. Senator Palmer's friend
wanted to send delegation from Illinoi
Il to the last Democratic national CONVEX
!, ton to boom him for president, but th
e senator himself objected and declared b
g was for the nomination of Mr.. Cleveland
j. When the convention came on and crisi
q was reached, there was a movement t
bring the old man forward and if possibl
to nominate him with rush. Senate
Palmer put stop to it, and when Gale
out in the convention declared for Cleve
!, land. AS senator he has always been on
e of Mr.. Cleveland's stanchest supporters
@ He stood hard and fast in the silver fight
! in the Hawaiian debate, in everything
t But whenever there is big Office to b
9 given out in Illinois, an appointment reall
worth having, it is Senator Palmer's pc
litical enemies who are consulted by tn
president, not Senator Palmer. The sen
q ator's ill success in the matter of appoint
e ments has become one of the standing
jokes of the capital. 1t is now well IN
e derstood tradition among the Office seeker
q that the Endorsement of the aged senate
6 who has loved Mr.. Cleveland so well an
served him SO loyalty is sure to be fatal
Therefore the expression, heard on ever
5 hand, "Poor old Senator Palmern
l An Awful Lapsus Lingue.
Senator Cullom was guilty of an almos
unparalleled offense against the dignit
: of the senate the other day-an offens
e which would have sent John j. ingalls, o
George f. Edmunds into conniption fl
had either of those old time guardians o
the senatorial dignity been present on tn
floor. Some little bill or resolution hat
come up for consideration. AS it was
matter in which Senator Palmer wa
known to be interested, Senator Gallon
8 eager to follow the rule of courtesy whicl
, a senator extends to his colleague from
the Same state glanced arOur a and sa .