Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-23
HOW THEY INTERVIEW
Manner in Which Legislators Yield
to Newspaper Men.
SOME PERSONAL PECULIARITIES
Senators and Representatives Who
Are True Friends to the Reporters.
SOME WILL NOT BE QUOTED

There is nothing more characteristic OF
our statesmen than the manner in which
they give Interviews. The delivery Of either
a Senator or q Representative in a speech
in the presence of his colleag les and
the galleries is necessarily more or less
studied and unnatural but when they
whisper into the ears Of newspaper men
those Views and expressions for which
they wish to be quoted in The press, their
natural disposition appears in their fnan-
ner. There are few better opportunities
for the study Of mans character tran
when he Is being interviewed. Modesty,
vanity, imperiousness, humility, caution,
rashness, care or carelessness-whatever
may be the dominant trait Of character
comes out when the statesman talks to
the public through the ear Of a reporter.
Some Conspicuous Peculiarities.
Some there are who blurt out whatever
Is uppermost in their minds and let it 60
at that. frequently making radical and
important statements in an off-hand and
Indifferent way. Others giving utterance
to the most insignificant opinions on the
most unimportant Of subjects measure
their words with the greatest elaboration
the commonest Of platitudes. and finally
require that the interview shall be SUBJ
mitted to them in writing before published.
Some of the ablest men in Congress are
free to talk on any subject they are TAMIL
lar with az any time, and almost to any
person, while with others an expression
OF opinion Is allowed to be drawn out cry
as they would relinQuish their most pre-
cious OF treasurers. Those who are most ap-
preciated-and most avoided-py interview
ers are they who will talk most interest
ingly for an hour and half or more, ana
at the close of the conversation announce
that 1t Is strictly private and must not
be used. Some there are whose views are
sought by all men; others seek ON all oc-
casions to get their names In print. When
message from the President or some
other public document Of general interest
is submitted to Congress there is Ger tain
concerning 1t. and there Is hardly news
paper man at the national capital who
could not write these interviews beforehand
with reasonable accuracy.
Samples.
If the state paper discussed Is one by
Mr.. Cleveland half dozen men. for whom
McCreary and Springer may stand as the
best examples. will say that it is a valuable
state paper, in a clear and admirable man
ner presenting the question, ami that 1t
win prove Of great value. McCreary may
vary from this and put the same idea in
more pompous language, but an interview
with him others of the same set published
six years ago may be used Today. as ep-
piled to some message Of Mr.. Cleveland 8.
and the author will never discover that II
Is not his most recent utterance. II Will
be the same no matter what the subject
or how treated. The most amusing speci-
men Is he who, with an assumption Of
great reserve, declines to talk on the sub
ject and afterward runs the legs Off half
the District messenger corps to fnt the
man who wanted the interview. and tfen,
for the next week, importunes him 10 know
thing, those views which are most valuable
are easily had, II the subject under dis
cussion Is one OF sufficient Importance or
has received attention from ADLER men.
A Quaint Statesman.
One of the most quaint men in Congress-
in respect to interviews. is Cannon Of ILL
nois He is not a man who talks indis-
criminately on all subjects. He usually has
a private opinion on most everything he
has heard of. but seldom speaks to the pub
lie unless he has something particular to
talk about His private utterances, though
apt and expressive. do not always require
the injunction OF secrecy to bar their pub
LEGATION. When being interviewed he per-
soniries the public in the interviewer and
talks in the most earnest and confidential
tones starting in a whisper and growing
more eloquent as he proceeds until he
reaches the climax in the tones of an ora
ton. 1t il much more easy to get an in
than when he is seated. 1t Is his custom
to hold the hand OF the interviewer in the
firm, cordial grasp which he received 1t at
first greeting throughout the interview,
and to put his face close to that of the
reporter and to say what he has to say
with increasing rapidity. as he advances
from the stage OF confidential whisper to
the grand. eloquent closing periods
A PreambulatinE Sage.
Holman Is another man who has an
original way Of giving out his interviews.
From his long experience and close obser-
walton, Holman has a fund of information
and basis for forming An opinion on most
any subject liable to come up in Congress.
He il usually free in the expression of his
opinions and fond Of lapsing into remi-
niscences. 1t is seldom that anything hap
pens that does not suggest to him some
thing that has happend long ago and he
| finds presidents and examples or prac-
| tees in contrary, somewhere in his long
| career, for most anything that can be
brought up. He Is rapid talker and not
very distinct in mis- enunciation and ex-
tremely restless. withai he never fails to
be interesting. There Is probably not a
newspaper man alive who ever sat down
| with him and had a quiet talk. He has
probably never been Interviewed at his
desk. No matter where he is, II his views
on some subject are requested he will be-
gin at once to tidget about. II he happens
| to be sitting at his desk he will get up at
once and before he has uttered three SEN
| fences he will begin walking up and down
ard Il he happens to be In some place
where there is not sufficient liberty of mo-
| ton he will take the arm of the interviewer
and lead him of to some place where he
| can have long range within which to
walk up and down. II In the committee room
| he will invite the reporter to a seat and will
walk all around the room while talking and
| the more interested he becomes in his sub
tect the faster he will walk.
FavOrfte Retreat.
His favorite place for giving an inter.
view is in the lobby back of the Speaker
desk. which Is a long corridor extending
from one side of the House to the othar