The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-09
STRANGE STORY ABOUT SHERMAN.
He Accepted a Cabinet Position Be-
fore 1t Was offered Him.


William E. Curtis in Chicago Record
The Presldent-elect sent his cousin, VIII
liam Mckinley Osborne, now consul gen
eral at London, to Washington to ascer-
tain whether Mr. Sherman might be In
duced to consider a proposition to trans
fer his sphere of usefulness from the sem
ate to department of state. He arrived al
5 o'clock one afternoon in January. lSSi
took a room at the Arlington Hotel got
his dinner. and then called at Mr.. Shef-
mans house. The latter had an unhappy
faculty of forgetting people. Some OF ais
Oldest friends were never surprised II ITO
did not recognize them. One day When
he found Justice McKenna, one of his eau
met colleagues, sitting in the PRESIDENTS
room he went up to him, shook hands cor
diially and asked him if he was not mem
Der of Congress. AS Mr.. McKenna nad
been sitting beside Mr.. Sherman at tne
cabinet table twice a week for several
months he was quite surprised at the ques-
ton.
Mr.. Sherman had met Mr.. Osborne many
times, but did not remember him. Wnen
his identity was fully established Mr. w
borne explained, as delicately as possiVls
that the President was considering als
cabinet and desired to know Whetner NJ
Sherman might be regarded as possiU.o
choice in case matters shaped themselves
so that his appointment was advisable NJ
explained explicitly that he was not az.
thorzed to tender him position, ..a,
the President had not yet reacheu
point where he could invite any one INV
his official family, but he would IKE ="
know if Mr.. Sherman, under any clcuD .
stances, would consider an invitation "
were rendered him. T..
Mr.. Sherman thanked Mr.. Osborne ~.
the honor of being mentioned in connecu0"
with so high an office and asked iol
little time to consider. The subject W.
discussed at length the entire evening az.
when Mr. Osborne left the house i We.
understood that he should have an anS"t :,
the next morning in time to take tnS 4ir
o'clock train for Canton. At $3.50 pronip.a
he appeared at the Sherman manson "a "a
to his utter aniazement he was cofnpei :.
to again introduce himself and explain
Mr.. Sherman who he was and wnat ne ~ ~,
come for. The venerable statesman d-u ~
remember anything about the conversaoTr,SSs s
held only twelve hours previous ln
whole subject was gone over again, nG ,.,.
ever, and Mr.. Sherman again asked un'
to consider. ~.
When Mr.. Osborne arrived in Canton lL S
President-elect was at luncheon s .t
greeted him with the inquiry: well "N1'
did Uncle John have to say?' o.
Look here, William" exclaimed -
borne, 1.-The next time you send me
a man about going into your caolles Ssr
hope you will select one who Will renleNi'
me over night" -.
us he so bad as that?" inquired '''
President-eiect. ,tsd
Yes " replied Osborne. and ne ie'''
his experience. .ha
IF that is the situation" remarKep ta5
President-elect, "if Uncle John IS as
as that we had better not crowd hu MN
81 should say not" responded Osp D,s IN
Although he had been distinctly o On.
the evening and then again In the hYI1sd
ing that Mr.. Osborne was not aulu0 Wr
TO tender him position In the cabinet, 81
Sherman assumed that he had oole mi
wrote Mr. Mckinley letter OF thahhs
acceptance and followed Il by pels,lrs
visit TO Canton. where he discussed s,ns
as intelligently as he might nav, prea.
twenty years before. Thus was the ..dl.
ident entirely deceived as to DIS WV
ton.