The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1893-04-27
At THE WHITE HOUSE.
JONATHAN EDWARDS" OF NORTH
CAROLINA. VISITS TIKI WHITE
HOUsE.---A SCENE THAT TOOK
HIN orr HIS FEET.
What fife Sass and Heard at the Pis-Foiiian
HoteI.--Ha.ty Pen-Pietare of Some of
Pie Hunters From North Carolina
Robbins sounds the key-Sote of
Alarm.
[copywrited by Jonathan EdwarIs''I

W AsHISGTDN, ID. t., Apfil -.
| arrived here this morning As
soon as / could get the cinders sepe-
rated from the hayseed in my hair
and my clothes busted, ] went at
once to the White House to see Pres
ident Cleveland. ] did not vote for
him, but ] was anxious 10 make
coed impression and YVES Il little per
picked how to go about it. They all
said here-at the PIe-Polltan hotel.
that the proper thing to do was to get
Senator Ransom TO present me, that
he was here for that purpose-had
nothing else 10 do and was Il master
hand at the business. 1t was rather
delicate matter; for | thought 1t
might embarrass him to be seen in
such conspicuous company as one Of
the plain, common people. 80 fol
lowing my natural and political in
stincts / went it independent. \
very dark compiexioned, well dress
ed, polite negro was at the upper
door. With n call-by-appointmcnt
air. asked to see the President. |
mentioned incidentally that / was
from North Carolina, when the darky
showed all the ivory in his capacIous
mouth. He offered to shake hands,
told me that his name was Simmons
and that he was kin (by purchase to
ex-Congressman Simmons. He took
me right in on that card, or an
nOuncement and whispered me, ''Jes
tell the President that you are from
North Carolina and don't want any
office and it will be all right" There
was big crowd in the room, but |
had little time TO study faces or peO-
pie. | saw n group of three or four
familiar North Carolinians surround
ing the President. ! heard Il name
mentioned that took me completely
off my feet. | clutchcd at the back
of chair, saw n pair Of long embrace
ing arms violently gesticulating and
heard a voice, like one crying out
in the Wilderness" eyes, Mr.. Presi-
dent, / am the man that broke the
backbone of the Alliance in North
Carolina: but it is not dead sir. No
sir, that fellow Marion Butler is max
ing speeches over in my country now
and unless something is done for fell
lows like me, | can't tell what may
happen!" Well, a Tennessean who
was after an office, but didn't get it,
rs afterwards heard, (and | am sor
ry too came to my rescue. Instant
ly my equilibrium was restored. The
speaker, who had already attracted
genela al attention by the vehemence
of his oratory, was man by the
name of Robbins, the one the Demo
Gratis were compelled to ball and
chain and muzzle during the cam
paign. By all the gods at once, 1t
was the same corn-husking voice |
had heard at Goldsboro on that dark,
rainy night when Vice President Ste
venson passed through. Ransom was
standing by looking heroic and vigor-
ously pulling at his immaculate cuffs.
(They tell me that the cuffs are sew
ed on TO his shirts to prevent acct
dents when he is under any great
mental strain.) Also near by Con-
gresham (but he didn't look it Bit
by the name of Henderson. They
say Henderson is worth all the dele
CATION put together, and that he real
1y is the only man in the lot who has
any recognition at the White House.
He is very homely looking, with red
hair and stopped shoulders. | motto
ed that "our beloved Zebn was not
on hand, and when afterwards |
spoke of it, they told me Ransom and
Vance didn't put up at the same
hotel" The story goes here that to-
geth they have got the Democratic
party in North Carolina by the throat
that they are indispensable to each
others supremacy, but at heart they
hate each other as his Satanic Males
ty hates holy water. They are friends
for reciprocity only. When my turn
came / shook hands with the Presi-
dent, told my name and State, that
| didn't want any Office, was one of
the common people, had saved my
best suit of taX-cursed clothes for
this visit and that as he seemed to be
busy, | would call at another time.
He held me by the hand several sec
onds-it seemed an hour-and said,
wards. Can you call tomorrow at
6a. m.?" did call, and for an hour
or more l imagined myself cabinet
officer. | will tell you all about it in
my next letter. Mr.. Cleveland is not
the great big, course man | expected
TO see, but he has a colossal memory
and a wonderful knowledge of peo-
pie, both big and small. No man
seems too insignificant-provided he
of OR hot no
know something about. The little
Office hunter would be amazed if he
knew how much Mr.. Cleveland knew
of his small peccadilloes and affected
virtues.
WHAT YOU SEE AND HEAR.
From the White House went back
to the Piepolitan Hotel. 1t was
formerly called the Metropolitan,
but the pie hunters have changed
the name of it, and you will please
observe this in forwarding my mail.
As general thing North Carolina
people stop here, and as | write
can easily imagine myself in Raj
eigh attending Democratic State
convention. l counted up to 80 and
stopped. And every fellow of them
was after and office. Some wanted
a big place, some wanted small
place and all of them would take
anything they could get and would
be mighty glad to get it. l was anx-
ious to meet Robbins and to hear
from his own lips the whole tale of
woe he had so plaintively formed in
to the Presidents ears. Ny dilli-
gence was finally awarded. l found
him, and after the unvarying inter-
state observation Originating, it is
claimed, between the North and
South Carolina Governors,) he told
me all about it. | was anxious to
hear it because it was on everybody's
lips that Robbins had "played the
devil" at the White House-he had
made stump.speech to the President
who intimated to him that he was an
ass, promising to send him out of the
country and into obscurity as soon
as possible. Robbins says that he