The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-05-26
GOSSIP AT THE
NATIONAL CAPITAL
Stories Of Eminent Men That Show
Human Nature.
TIM "YELLOw DOG" COMPARISON
1t Originated in the Garfield Cam.
paign..SenatOr Dolph's Misunder-
standing..SOme InnOcent Bridal
COupies..Other Washington FlOt.
Snm.

Washington Letter. New York Tribune.
Though We frequently hear of the
yellow dog in politics." said an ex-
perienced politician a few days ago.
there Is not one in a thousand per-
sons who has the slightest idea how the
yellow dog got into politics. or knows
or has heard anything of the origin OF
the phrase. The yellow dog stories
originated i'm TINS city. They seemed
to stHke popular fancy, and they got
coas.sarful circulation. There were in
all three yellow dog stories, and they
were published in local paper. They
are all formed on incidents supposed
to be connected with the life of General
Garfield
THE first story was written soon
before the convention met which nomi
mated General Garfield for the presi
dency 1t was brief, and was to the
effect that General Garfield owned a
very intelligent yellow dog: that the
dog knew most of the politicians of
that day, and expressed himself ia
vorably or unfavorably to them as his
feelings and impressions dictated, and
that General Garfield had satisfied him
self In number Of cases that the dog
judgment was invariably correct.
The second story was to the effect
that the evening General Garfield re-
turned to this city after the nomina-
ton for the presidency, he rode up to
his residence in a street car. as was his
usual custom. and that when he got
out Of the car at the corner of Thir
teenth and + streets the yellow dog
was there to meet him; that General
Garfield thought the welcome by the
dog a happy omen, and that he after
ward took the dog with HIM to a mass
no hnI fbnt ty,tr tn rot a
nomination. This story was told thou
sands Of times in that campaign.
THE last and best of the series was
was inaugurated as president. 1t was
to the effect that as General Garfield
got into the carriage at the white house
with President Hayes, preliminary to
the drive with the inaugural process
sion to the capitol, 1t was noticed that
the yellow dog was under the carriage,
and that after the inauguration cere-
monies President Garfield was careful
to see that the dog was taken into the
carriage, so as to be sure that he would
not come to any harm through the
great crowds.
II happen to know" he added, that
General Garfield priced these yellow
dog stories much higher than he did
the hundreds of much better canal boy
and tOwpath stories which were very
much in evidence during the same cam
paign. General Garfield regarded his
towpath eXperience-he was on the ca
nal but two WeekS--as a mere acci-
dent, and he would not consent that
there should be any great amount of
prominence given to 1t. In accepting
membership in the hundreds of tow
path clubs he never referred to the
fact that he had had any towpath ex-
periences. He had the yellow dog
stories set up In type. framed and
hung in his library
Il
Ex-senator Dolph, of Oregon. when
In the senate, was not regarded as an
absent-minded man. He was not how
ever, quick to catch on" as the phrase
goes. When the popular secretary Of
the senate, General Anson G. McCoOk
sent out wedding cards. his friends in
the senate agreed that their acknowl-
edgment of the happy event should be
handsome service of silver. 1ndi-
vidual contributions of 81 would make
the required sum. and the head page
of the senate was authorized to make
the collection. At the same time it
was declared that General McCook
should know nothing Of 1t, and the
young man was instructed to go quietly
to each senator and state the object in
as few words as possible. This he did
and got on beautifully until he came to
Senator Dolph. Approaching the Ore