Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-01

ness on MS desk and went over the report
OF the conversation. In a few places he
used his pencil, but he always prefaced a
correction or an alteration of any kind
WIN YOU won't mind my changing this
sentence VIII your? or some other form o.
apology. The corrections were few. When
they were completed Mr.. Crawford took
the precious manuscript to the telegram
ONCE, and went with 1T to the operating
room himself. There II was divided into
takes and put on several wires so that
the sending occupied rather short space
of time. But the manuscript was not
marked or injured in any way, and when
the message had been sent the original
was given back to Mr.. Crawford, and he
has preserved it among the relics of his
experience as Washington correspondent.
After that Mr.. Cleveland gave several
interviews to different people connected
with newspapers, but he was always at
his best in an interview when he was sur
prised into saying something. That in
fact, Is the only fresh and interesting
interview, as a rule. When j man pre-
pares himself to be interviewed, and
weighs his words in advance, he is apt
to be too cautious, and so the interview is
dry and embarrassing.
Grant and Hayes.
President Harrison was not an easy man
to interview, and about the only import
ant interview which he gave to corre-
spondent during his term was which
his private secretary afterward claimed
an experience as a New York politician
which had taught him the value of the
interview, and where he could use II to
his own advantage. Hayes was a man
who always tried to lie courteous to news
paper men, and who was much respected
by them, but he was TOO reserved to get
along with them we'll during his term in
the White House. However he was easy
to interview before and after his term in
the White House. Grant was an easy
talker when he wanted to say anything,
but he was not emotional as Mr.. Cleve-
land is, and he was not TO be surprised
into saying that he would rather have left
unsaid. one correspondent who inter-
viewed him was grieved when Grant, look
ing over the copy, said: You have been
putting milk and water in here, andr
changed the phrasing, which the corre-
spondent had modihed, Tor rear that IL
was palmer than the President intended IL
to be.
Lincoln was always accessible to news
paper men with whom ne had personal
acquaintance, and never hcsitated to let
them quote him where II was possible TO
do so without injuring public interests.
Though Mr.. Hayes was so hard TO IN
terview, he was once considerate enough
to give a correspondent a synopsis OF ms
message to Congress from memory because
the rival of this correspondent had obtalned
q copy of 1t. Few Of the Presidents would
have done that. When the manager OF
one of the press associations went TO Jonn
Sherman's house during his incumbency as
Secretary of the Treasury and told him
that a copy of his annual report was out
and would be published In the morning. Mr..
Sherman absolutely declined to help the
press association by permitting the use OF
the copy of the report which the associa-
ton mad had in its office for several days
awaiting the order to release II for publi-
cation. The report Of the Secretary or the
Treasury has often been considered as val
liable a document as the message OF the
President.
some Possible Leaks.
Just how the Hayes message got to the
newspapers in advance Of its delivery to
Congress is uncertain. There are many
ways in which messages or parts OF mes
sages have become public before their
time. One very important clause In the
message Of one Of the Presidents was given
to me by a member of the cabinet with
whom / had a very slight business 40
auaintance. l called 20 see him in regard
to another matter; he was full of what the
President had been reading to the cabinet
meeting from his message that afternoon.
and during our conversation he boiled over,
Much of the message leaks out In that
way almost every year, for the President
usually reads great deal of his message
to members of his cabinet for their crit
icism. There Is always the possibility OF
a leak in the process Of printing, for the
manuscript of the message goes 10 the
government printing Office and 10 put In
type some days before Congress meets.
GEORGE GRANTHAM Balm.