New-York tribune., 1896-05-03
GOSSIP AT THE CAPITAL.
THE YELLOW DOG" STORIES IN THE GAR
FIELD CAMPAIGN
SENATOR DoIpHs NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS." - IhH "
NEW ART COMMISSION AND IT'S VALUE

Washington May iSpeciaD. D.-"Thougn we ire
ru.rt,y hear ~ the yellow dog in politics" said
an experienced politician few days ago, 'he'7
IL not one IN a thousand persons VINO mas the
slightest idea how the yellow dog got INTO poi'-
tics or knows has heard anytning Oh .'e
origin Of the phrase. The yeliaw oos s'o''eS
originated In this city They seen. ed TO strike a
popular fancy. and they got wonderiui c're""-
tion. There were in all three yellow dog stories
and they were published In local paper. i"es
are all formed on incidents supposed 70 oe c'''-
nected with the life of General Garneio.
The first story was written coon before the
convention met which dominated General Gar
field for the Presidency. 1t was brief ana was 'o
the effect that General Garfield owned a very IN
telllgent yellow dog; that the dog knew most OIL
the politicians Of that -day. and expresseo MN
self favorably or unfavorably 10 them as h's
feelings and impressions dictated, ana that YEN
erai Garfield had satisfied himself In nuhoe'
OF cases that the dogs judgment was inVariaos
correct .he
"The second story to the effect that . me
evening General Garfield returned to this city
after the nomination for the Presidency ne iVue yi
up to his residence in streetcar. as "a .ho ,,e
usual custom and that when he got out or tne
car at the corner Of Thirteenth ana r SIS. the
yellow dog was there to meet him. tnat uenei"i
Garfield thought the welcome by the cog u
happy omen. and that he afterward took the
dog with him to q mass-meetng held that even
ing to ratify the nomination ms s.or' was
fold thousands Of times in that campaign
1.-THE last and best Of the series was printed
on the day General Garfield was inangurateu
as President 1t was to the effect that as Een-
eral Garfield got into the carriage at the Nhi'e
House with President Hayes preliminary 10 'iie
drive with the inaugural procession 70 me Cap,.
tol it noticed that the yellow DOG was uiue,
the carriage. and that after the lnausui atloi
ceremonies President Garfield was careful 70 see
that the dog was taken into the carriage, 50 as
to be sure that he would not come 10 all! "'''''
tl,ac
~ bannen to know" he added. that General
Garfield priced these yellow dog stories muci
higher than he cid the hundreds 2i mucn oea'er a,
canal-boy and towpath stories which were very
much in evidence during the same campaisn'
General Garfield regarded his towpath eNPeii-
erce-he was on the canal but two weeks-as Il
mere accident and he would not consent tnat
there should be any great amount of prominence
given to it, In accepting membership IN 'ne
hundreds of towpath clubs he never referred 10
the fact that he had had any towpath eXpe-
riences He had the yellow dog stories set up IN
type framed and hung in his library
Ex-senator Dolph. of oregon. when in the SEN
ate. was not regarded as an absent minded man.
He was not however. quick to "catch on as
the phrase goes When the popular secretary OF
the Senate General Ansoi G. McCook. sent out
wedding cards, his friends in the Senate agreed
that their acknowledgment Of the happy event
should be a handsome service Of silver lnd'-
vidual contributions of S. would make the re-
quired sum, and the head page OF the senate was
authorized to make the collection. At the same
time II was declared that General McCook should
know nothing Of it, and the young man was in
structed to go quietly to each Senator ana state
the object in as few words as possible. This he
did and got on beautifully until he came to Sena-
tor Dolph Approaching the Oregon Senator
somewhat cautiously. In his anxiety 10 carry Out
instructions of secrecy, the young man SPOKE III
low tones. in which close listener perhaps,
x,o,,1d hox-o do
"McCook"-"$5'- service.
They failed to arrest the Senat attention,
and he merely turned away his head and went
on reading the newspaper. The next day the
young man repeated his visit to the oregon Sena-
tor with the same result. So 1t went on Tor sew
eral days, until II was. apparently. trial OF en-
durance, a contest so to speak. between the young
mans quiet persistence and the Senator's quiet
obtuseness. Finally things got TO the pass that
Mr. Dolph's usually unreadabe face plainly
showed that he bored. then annoyed. The
climax was reached at last. when the oregon
Senator seeing the young man again heading
his way, got up and went over TO the other side
OF the Senate Chamber, where ne unDosomeo
himself to brother statesman. .o,,o.. .n~.
he exclaimed. rather than asked. In tones or dis
gust and an extremely puzzled expression Of
countenance. "Why. he has been coming to me
every day for week saying. My COOK wants
S5'"
1.-THE proposed Art Commission provided for by
the bill Of Senator Hansbrough. now pending in
the House, sdlu a leaUlnR GTtlst mere, ploiiiseE'
q great deai. In that 1t arranges that hereafter
no painting, sculpture or other work Of art shall
be purchased by TIE Government unless the wock
shall have been found to be real art The Com
mission Is TO consist Of persons who shall have
the ability to decide what Is art. and thus put
an end to filling up the Capitol and other public
buildings with stuff purchased as art but which
10 In reality everything except art. In addition
TO artistic value, the Commission will insist on
historical accuracy. Take The Deathbed Of Lin
coln,' for instance. That picture as originally
painted by Littlefeld. was correct artstically
and historically. but before 1t could be pur-
chased the artist had to paint out every figure
in 1t except the dying Lincoln and put in others
OF officials and distinguished men, but few OF
whom were even In the room In which Lincoln
died. The surgeon who attended LIZ ooin Dr.
Charles S. Taft, and the nurse. the famous col
ored James Wormley, OF hotel fame though un-
doubtedly present at the death Of Lincoln. were
painted out OF the picture to make room for
some prominent men OF the day who insisted on
appearing in the picture. Then take The Elect
oral Commission which now hangs In the Senate
galleries. AS a group of portraits 1t is of value
but 1t is historically wrong in every particular
In the frs: place the artist painted in ii more
people than could have had enough air to
breathe In the room. and painted herself as the
central figure when the fact was that no woman
ever admitted to the sessions OF the Com
mission except In the gallery. The room Is filled
with figures and portraits OF people. many Of
whom, though they had Influence were not in
Washington that eventful winter in which Mr.
Hayes was declared 20 be President. These are
but samples. but there many OF the same
kind II the additional authority was given the
Commission TO destroy many Of the pictures pur-
chased by the government 1t would be COM
plete.'
The innocence Of the average bridal couple that
reaches Washington in the course OF the we'd
ding journey Is sometimes truly amusing. In the
hearing OF the writer very wcll-dreseed and
intelligent young woman, leaning on the arm Of
q young man. whose relation to her no one with
half an eye TO such matters could mistake in
Quired OF the guide accompanying them. pointing
e. xha ~, fha vii of hp