The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-12
a WHITE HOUSE INCIDENT.

4 Conversation That Charmed the
President asnd Interested senator
EIsins.
Washington Letter ST. Louis Globe-Demo-
crat (Rep).
Il have introduced a thousand men to
President Mckinley said Senator Elkins.
and never before got so much satisfac-
ton out of one Of these presentations as I
did when took in John T. Crisp OF Mis-
rouri.
Il want 10 say something to the Presi-
dent said Crisp. turning TO Elkins with
an inquirlng look. The senator nodded
and Crisp began. Il have never in all or
my experience heard such conversation. -
said Senator Elkins, in recalling the scene.
The President leaned back in his chair and
listened. The color came into his face.
His features lost the look of strain and
assumed that OF interest. The fire came
into the eyes. Once he raised his hand.
stayed the flow of Crisp's speech, ana turn
ing TO Senator Elkins, said: 4 want 20
thank you for bringing Col Crisp here.
This IS doing me more good than you
know" Then, turning back to Crisp, he
said: Go on, Colonel; excuse me for in
terruptng."
The visit lasted an hour, and when Crisp
retired it was with a hearty grip of the
Presidents hand such as no other visitor
received that day. OF what did the Mis-
sourian talk? OF what didn't he talk? He
told the President what the people at home
We're saying and thinking. He told him
that he must not think the men who came
to him. who surrounded him, who wanted
this and that, and who tried TO make it
appear that they were the medium of COM
munication between people and President
were really that He likened that would
be dispensers of the patronage to the tape
worm of politics, devouring substance and
doing the body no good. 4 want TO say
to you, Mr.. President, that the people be-
lieve in you. Outside of all political diff
ferences and considerations, they feel that
you are sincere man, an American and
a gentleman. They feel that you and they
are OF the same kind"
And then he told story of how, two
or three years ago, he came home from
a political meeting and found his son
Just back from another meeting. The
young man had been to hear Mckinley.
Was il great meeting?' the father
asked. There were so many people you
couldn't see across Them" the son re-
piled. What impressed you most?" asked
the father. Father" said the son,
when Mr. Mckinley was speaking /
felt here is a man who is one of the
same people that / am. If he is NOM
mated for President 1 believe he will be
elected. 1 never felt about any OF the
Presidents as l do about this man"
Mr.. President" said Col. Crisp, when he
had told the story, that is the impress
sion you made upon a young man born
and reared a Democrat.
Il want to say to you that 1 am
Democrat, but in the recognition of your
sincerity and of your character as an
honest and honorable American gentle
man. l am Republican; and all of the
people, mean the people who are at
home, who do not come here and talk
to you about the offices, whose hearts
are filled with love of their country.
whose patriotism is not tanned with sell
hshness-feel just that way, and they
want you to know il. You are to them
what no other President since Lincoln
has been. They are with you in whatever
may come, and they want you to know
It. They hope you may feel it, and may
not judge of their sentiment by what
tou may hear from some who claim 70
represent Them but whose motives are
unworthy" And so the talk went on.
pathos, sarcasm. philosophy, in quick
succession, quantity spoken. John T.
Crisp talked for one hour in the White
House library. A private citizen never
had such an audience-the President of
the United States and a United StateC
senator, silent and interested.