The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-06-14
PULSE OF THE PUBLIC.
How President Mckinley Tries
to Feel 1t.
AND WHAT HE HAS FOUND OUT.
Business Men Want Prosperity Before
Cuba - How Secretary Porter Rectihed
His Mistake-Uncle Sans Penuriousness.
Matt Qusy's Claims to Greatness.


Matt Quay's Claims to Greatness.
WASHINGTON. June l4.-[Special i
President Mckinley has way of ex-
tracing a good deal of information from
his visitors ut the White House. He is al
ways eager 20 learn what the people are
thinking and talking about, and when he
meets a man who has had a chance To sound
popular sentiment the president rarely
fails 10 ask him a number Of questions.
| A few days ago one of the presidents old
/ friends was caller at the White House
and was invited TO lunch After the re-
past the president, as is his won't asked
whether times were getting better among
the people and what the popular opinion
was as to the Cuban question.
Good Times First.
81 will tell you how the people feel
about Cuba" said this gentleman. "The
! business men and manufacturers are lit
| tie afraid of it, They are so eager to get
| good times again that they do not like to
! take any chances of war, which might
hurt business. III they could be assured
that our interference in Cuba would not
retard the coming of prosperity, almost all
of them would favor 1t. But the great
masses of the people are for action in
| Cuba. They are not afraid of war and
think little brush with Spain might
make better times. They say the Cubans
are struggling for liberty, just as we were
more than 100 years ago. France helped
us then, and they say we should help Cuba
now. That Is the way the people feel
Mr.. President"
The employees of the White House have
had good rest during the presidents abb
1 l. ALI S.Nf
these journeys of the chief magistrate is
hailed with delight by the attaches of the
executive mansion. 1t is not surprising.
The White House employees go to work
every morning at o'clock. They are at
it pretty steadily until or 6 in the after
noon. At s or 80 in the evening they re-
turn to their desks and are nearly always
there until midnight. This is pretty tire
some work when continued day after day,
and few days rest is always welcome.
When the president Is away, there Is but
little to do at the executive mansion.
The corresponding clerks keep up with the
mail, which is pretty heavy, but replies to
letters, except those which can be an
swered by printed form, are held till the
return of the president and Secretary Por
ter.
Trouble Averted.
Secretary Porter has made the discovery
that the newspaper correspondents of the
national capital are more difficult lot to
deal with than all the senators in town.
The correspondents know their rights and
they propose 10 have them. Mr.. Porter is
newspaper man himself, and knows
what is right, but he came near making
the mistake of understanding the dig
nifty of the Washington correspondent AT
first Mr.. Porter had his Office door closed
TO correspondents, but made it rule to
step out in the lobby once in an hour or so
TO see such newspaper men as wished to
speak to him This was not satisfactory,
because il compelled the correspondents to
wait quite "A time out among the office
seekers, and the Washington correspond
ent is too busy man to cool his heels
very long in any ones anteroom.
Then Mr.. Porter hit upon the idea of is
suing cards to the leading correspondents,
emitting them TO admittance to his office
at any time during business hours. This
would have been all right il cards had
been issued to all the newspaper men, but
only ID or 20 were thus favored. All the
others learned of it, of course, and they
were indignant. Now it is understood
that Secretary Porter will give such card
to every correspondent in town, and the
white wings of the dove of peace will again
float in the precincts of the executive
mansion. Secretary Porter is doing his
best to please every one, but 1t Is great
task. OF newspaper correspondents alone
there are more than so in Washington.
Uncle Sam is notoriously penurious in
many small, mean ways. A former diplo-
matist tells me he was ut Madrid the year
of the Worlds fair. The Spanish govern
ment had a lot of celebrations and fetes.
All the representatives of other govern
ments were invited. They were carried
from place to place, wined and dined, at
great expense. When the series of festivi
ties came to an end, the diplomatic corps
thought it would be no more than right
for them to reciprocate in some small de-
| gree for the honors paid them and their
| nations. So they gave n dinner-an Off
cial dinncr-to the Spanish grandees.. The
share of the cost which fell to the United
States was $l60, and when the bill was
sent to the state department 1t was disal-
| lowed. The minister had to pay il him
self. All the other governments paid their
share without "a murmur.
Where His Salary Went.
Another diplomatist. while serving In
Italy, received an order from the state de-
partment for q collection of grasses and
other agricultural products for the use of
the agricultural department in this city.
| Surprising of course, Uncle Sam was
ready to pay for what he ordered, the con-
sui sailed forth, bought all the necessary
; articles and packed and shipped them off.
, The bill was nearly $50, and the state de-
partment reported "no appropriation for
such expenses" The consul had to pay it
out Of his meager salary.
"The greatest politician in the world"
said a senator to me, sis Matt Quay. Sem
ator Quay is now supreme in the state of
Pennsylvania. No one disputes his lead.
ership He has whipped all his enemies
to a standstill. He makes and unmakes
men as he pleases. The secret of his sue
cessP ! have asked that question of good
many men from Pennsylvania, and, Of
course. have received great variety of re-
plies. But this Is the substance of the