Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-06-13
DllM'T COMMIT HIMSELF
Result Of an Effort to Interview
Bill Morrison.
The Chairman Of the Interstate Com
merce Commission Skilled at
Getting Out OF u
Corner.

Kansas City, Mo-, June h.-Colone! w.
X. Morrison of ~Illionls. president OF the
interstate commission, reg
istered at the Midland hotel yesterday.
After telling about his interstate com
merce mission here. Colonel Nor
rison gave a beautiful and instructive
exhibition of a great politician
trying to avoid a political inter
view. A political interview with Colo
mel Morrison Is of interest at this time
because. as everybody knows, he is first
class democratic presidential timber and
1t is pretty well understood that ne could
run for that high Office on a gold plat
form or a silver platform or a wood
platform or a hay platform or any kind
or a platform and run well, too.
When politics was preached the ia
nous ex-chairman of the house ways
and means committee-known to the
wide world as Horizontal Bilv'-arose
to his excellent black CARRIED six feet
and smiled with sparkling white teeth
within his close cut. crisp white beard.
Colonel Morrison's little blue eyes didn't
smile, however. They were fierce and
menacing.
VIVA do you wish to know of me
about politics?" he demanded.
Then, without waiting for a reply he
went on: How can / be expected to
tell the newspapers anything about pol
tiles? The newspapers make politics.
They fix the position of public men on
great questions. If the position Of any
public man doesn't suit them they fix
it."
"What is the precedent with refer
ence to men who make ante-convention
threats to bolt the conventionr" In
CURED the reporter.
We'll don't you think men who par
ticipate in a convention should abide
by Its results ?" demanded Colonel Nor
rison in reply.
Good thought the reporter. Col
onel Morrison il ip ia OF keeping the
Tillman crowd out" But no., for the
colonel then added: Haven't men Sc
coded from conventions always? Is
there anything unusual about that?
Don't they secede from conventions in
Missouri"
The reporter admitted that they did.
In Kansas City, anyway, and the col
onel continued. t~riumphantly: There
will De the usual organization at Chi
cago. The convention will pass on It's
members, like il always does. The ma
jority will rule, sir. l am not a member
Of the national committee. How can |
talk for the national committee? You
see sir, ! can tell you nothing!
How the does the Illinois democracy
stand on the financial question:
Just like Missouri. Some think one
way and some another
How can these differences be recon.
ciled In Missouri and Illinois,
"Now, whats the use of having con.
ventions If everybody agrees" demand
ed Colonel Morrison. fiercely. II went
to my first convention forty years ago.
The fellows that get beaten viii have to
try and look pleasant"
They will nave to look pleasant, sir!'
Numbered Colonel Morrison with fierce
emphasis.
The reporter suggested that Colonel
Morrison looked remarkably young for
a veteran Of the Mexican war.
Il am 70 years old" he said. II have
kept myself young by feeling pleasant.
! an old enough to step out and give the
young fellows a chance, don't you
think? Well. now. what more can
THE position of Colonel Morrison IN
~~-eya-,acAal rMazshpe-sveats, sS4s GO.
loud and long, and the Illinois presiden-
tial possibility laughed. too.
While he laughed he stated his posi-
ton. Here Is what he said:
Now. If / was 10 tell you, sir, you
wouldn't understand 1t! You newspaper
fellows don't want to understand It.
You have made up your minds hat ev.
cry public man must be either sold OF
silver. You have proclaimed that IL
must be straight silver or straight gold,
or nothing. II 1t isn't either you fix II
and make 1t one or the other. o can't
understand how a man can be for both
silver and gold. You simply won't have
It. SO, what's the use Of a man trying t.
explain a position you don't understand
and you don't want to understand?
Colonel Morrison laughed, his secre-
tary laughed and the reporter laughed