The age-herald., 1900-11-10
SKETCHES FROM
 EVERYDAY LIFE

When General Wheeler President Me- Kinley. General Shafter, members of the Cabinet and other notables were making a tour os the principal Southern cities just after the Spanish war, an incident occurred which was somewhat embarrassing to the President and more so to many spectators
 Fighting Joe Wheeler and made himself f1 national hero by saving the day at San tago. The party in their tour visited the city where General Wheeler was born Some ladies, in token of their admiration for the General and prepared an enormous but beautiful bouquet of roses to present to him. When the hour arrived that the party were to drive through the city these ladies stationed themselves at d corner by which the procession was to pass The bouquet was carried by d little boy who stood in front of the ladies, making a con spicuous figure in his white suit with his arms full of roses
 
 The procession consisted of a string of carriages filled with members of the Pres idential party and the reception committee, and was preceded by the Third United States Cavalry as an escort.
 The first carriage in the procession was the Presidents and the one in which Gen eral Wheeler rode was about the fifth or sixth. For some reason the cavalry had got separated from the procession, but just as the Presidents carriage reached the corner where the ladies stood, 1t came up at trot filing in from the cross street and stopping the procession until it could take position at the head of the line.
 The Presidents carriage stopped just op. posite the little boy and the big bouquet. In the carriage besides the President were Mrs. Mckinley and two officers. Instantly they all saw the bouquet and naturally supposed 1t was for the President The President and Mrs. Mckinley smiled and looked encouragingy at the little boy, who, however did not move. He knew the pleasant looking man in the carriage was not Joe Wheeler Just then an officer in the second carriage, taking in the scene and thinking the little boy too modest to take the bouquet to the President, got out of his carriage and hurried up to the child and offered to take the flowers for him. Then the boys mother, who stood behind
 him all the time with her hand on his shoulder, explained that the flowers were for General Wheeler. Let the President have them," whispered some one to her, but she turned a deaf ear and held on to the boy.
 The officer got back in his carriage, the President with his usual tact immedi- ately realized the situation, glanced in an- other dirceion, and appeared busy lifting his Hat and lowing to the hearty applause he received on all sides
 Finally, after what appeared an age the na lpX sod I,xy General Wheeler got his flowers and every one breathed a sigh of relief at the end Of an extremely embarrassing situation.
 
 On the same trip while visiting another southern city, one of the speakers in well coming the President, used the occasion by making a speech on states rights, the civil war and the right of secession This at a time when the north and south were shak- ing hands and making friends after a long and bitter arrangement, and al an occasion where distinguished man of northern feel ings was present by invitation as a guest of a southern city, was somewhat tactless to say the least. The President, however, did not permit himself to take offense, but remarked in his reply to the orator that perhaps if it had not been for the war he "Oh4b Aot AsbNe Hdu tliS plGelSuIe Ol DGllB a guest of the city. That the motive of the invitation was a spirit of reconciliation which would not have existed had there been no war and no arrangement.
 
 President Mckinley was a delegate to the Republican convention which nominated Harrison in 1888 for the Presidency. John Sherman was the choice of many of the delegates, but could not get enough votes to secure the nomination. In looking around for a candidate some one thought of Me- kinley, and nominated him. Mckinley made a speech, declining the nomination, saying that he came to the convention as a trus- tee and could not use his position of trust to advance himself. It was a great speech, and in walking to his hotel that night from the convention, one of his friends put his arm around his neck. Mac" he said, that speech will yet make you President"
 Whether the speech made him President or not, it is a good companion speech to George Washington's father, I cannot tell a lie," which many think made him Pres ident