The times., 1899-06-25
JoHNsoN's SPEAKING TOUR.
How Grant Forced n Crowd to Listen
TO the President.
(From the Chicago Inter occan.) J

From the Chicago Inter occan.)
There is nothing in history that cor
responds to that wonderful swing OF Presi-
dent Johnson from Washington to Chicago
by way of Robin Hoods barn. Mr.. John
son planned the trip with infinite Gun
ming. He prided himself on being a COM
! moner. and he believed that he understood
the people, and that If he-could meet them
face to face he could convince them that
| the President was right and Congress
wrong. To get the love OF the people he
carried with him General Grant Admiral
taTragut, Secretaries Seward. Welles, and
Randall. General Custer and other men
well known to the people. He reasoned
/ that. accompanied by the popular idols of
the day. he would be sure OF enthusiastic
reception everywhere. That was all he
| asked. Give him big crowd. and he was
confident that he could win them over
The President started from Washington
with chip on his shoulder. The very
| first crowd he met knocked it of without
ceremony. 1t soon became clear that the
people were in a resentful mood and af-
| ter two or three clashes some of Mr. john
sons best friends recommended a change
of programme Many believed that the
President. seeing the mood of the people,
would yield, but they didn't know the
| man. had seen him face all sorts OF
crowds while he was Military Governor
OF Tennessee; / had heard him scold the
leading citizens of Nashville as he would
lot OF school children had seen him.
when a mob threatened his life. stride
out into the street and march the full
length of the city at the head of a pro-
cession. carrying the Stars and Stripes,
and | knew that he would relish keenly
scrap with those who dsfed him.
At one point crowd of Fifty thousand
people had gathered, mainly to see Grant,
Farragut and Seward. There was tremen-
! dous enthusiasm over the party. ard the
President was eiated. But when he rose 20
speak the crowd hooted and hissed. and
set up a great shout for Grant. The peo-
pie had seen through the Presidents 5
scheme, and were turning the tables en-
him by using Grant and Farragut to hu-
initiate and punish him. The President
saw the strategy of the move, and he was
as furious as he was helpless In every
interval of quiet he would attempt to
speak, but every word he uttered woIld be
lost in the thunder OF the shouts for
Grant. 1t was painful spectacle, and
everybody was embarrassed. The crowd
would not listen to the chairman or any
! other local celebrity.
General Custer, then at the height of
his popularity. stepped forward in his
dramatic. imperious way. believing that
he could quiet the tumult. The crowd was
friendly, but it howled him down, and the
dashing cayalryman took his seat. with the
remark that he would like TO clear the
grounds with a brigade of cavalry. john
son, looking down on the tumult. saw
smiling. contemptuou5 faces, but no hatred
He turned to Grant. who had retired to the
rear of the platform. and said. petnlantIy:
General, you will have to speak to them. +"
General Grant said, decisively: Il will
| not" Then the President said. more sra-
ciously: Won't you show yourself, Gener-
alp Grant stepped forward. and, after a
round of cheers. the people were as quiet
as church in prayer time. Waiting an in
slant, Grant raised his hand, made a ges-
! ture toward Johnson. and said, clearly:
The President OF the United States"
The incident was a simple one, but it
spoke volumes. Grants face was full OF
indignation and reproach. and the crowd.
accepting his rebuke. listened to the Pres
ident for an hour. And the President did
not spare the people. He scoldcd them to
| their hearts content. replied to all their
taunts. talked back to every man that
opened his mouth, and seemed to enjoy
| the performance as war horse would
battle The people took the seolding in
good part and realized that they had come
! in contact with a new sort OF President.
They heard him in respectful silence. but
| they disapproved of him, as the President
| knew when the votes were counted at the
election that fall.
Stewards face at such meetings was a
| study. The wound in his neck was only
fairly healed. and the people took defer
entail attitude toward him. But still
| everybody wanted to see him and shake
| hands with him Farragut. in crossing
| the rotunda of the Capitol, came upon a
group OF ladies, one of whom turned to-
ward him and eagerly enquired: Are you
Mr. Ssward?" Farragut answered with
out a moments hesitation: mo, ! am a
handsomer man that Seward. My name is
Farragut"