Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-12-04

wifes mother and brother who lived
in distant state.
Watch the President elect hour after
hour. with caller after caller of high
or low degree. and you see him always
the same. | emphasize this point be
cause 1t serves 10 bring out one Of the
strong traits of his character, which is
tact. In the past eight years | have
seen two presidents in Washington
laboring under the handicap of lack
of tact. Not only did they suffer. but
their party and the country. Mr.. Har-
rison had brains to spare, remarkable
insight to human nature, great logical
powers. Ret ClarkSon once said of
Transformation he did not like very
well. either-that General Harrison
was the keenest analyst of men and
their motives he had ever known. But
he had no tact, and as another prom
inent Republican said Harrison viii
make a man feel meaner in giving him
what he asks for than Chef Arthur did
when he turned the man down. Arthur
was the latest OF our tactful presidents
and his success was due wholly to that
quality. because he had no great ahil
ity. Cleveland despseS tact. because
he knows he hasn't il. He bulls every
thing drought by main force, ana
makes a heap of trouble for himself
and everyone else doing it. The one
big personal triumph Of his second adj
ministration-repeai Of the Sherman
law-was won by the tact of Judge
Gresham after Cleveland's main force
tactics had failed. Again. if Grover
Cleveland had had the tact of an
Arthur or Il Mckinley the Democratic
party would not have gone oyer to free
silyeriSm in the campaign of 90.
When l saw Mckinley with his call
ers. his perfect self-control, his mem
Dry for faces. names and circum
stances. his winning courtesy. his quail
ity of making you feel he is deeply in
terested in you-and this. too. with
out gushing or acting-i could not help
thinking how well equipped he was in
temperament and manner for the work
ahead of him. His bearing is really
superb. He charms everyone who
meets him. He has just enough cour-
tsy. not too much. He makes every
caller feel his welcome without any
suspicion that art is being prarticed
upon him. His visitors leave him as
sured they have met and conversed
with a man strong in his human inter-
est. warm in heart. keen in his sense
of justice, modest. simple. frank, man
ly. This sounds like praise. but it is
not: it is only description. Major Nc
Kinley rarely talks of himself. Always
in possession of the happy faculty of
evincing sincere interest in others to
the exclusion of self. this has gained
force and breadth with advancing
fame. The result is that today. as
President-elect of the United States.
Major Mckinley is less self-conscious
or interpretive than he was as a mere
congressman. more gifted in the SPLEEN
did gift of winning friends and at
tracing confidence and admiration.
How well this quality will serve in
the making of a successful adminstra-
ton only those who have been behind
the scenes in the national capital can
correctly estimate. In temperament.
in patience. in balance, in alertness. in
maturity of character and method
without the shading off which comes
to all with advanced age. Surfeit of
success or WEAKNESS of soul long tried
in arduous station, Major Mckinley is
now in his very prime and ripeness. In
teHectuihy He mas Sio"u uuiiiS tiie
past five years. The presidency he has
all that time seen in the near vista,
and the vision has developed and ele
waited him. as the hope of great success
broadens and betters every man who
has anything in him to make a success
of. He has literally studied for the
presidency-the history of his country,
the writings of Washington, Adams,
Jefferson, Madison. international law.
the history of nations. The effect of
this preparation could be readily de-
tected in his marvellous campaign
speeches. which are soon To be pub