The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-04-09
M'KINLEY A LISTENER.
He Permits His Hearers to Do Most of
 the Talking


 the Talking.
 President Mckinley has the listening faculty to a remarkable degree. The people who go to see him do most of the talking and in consequence they nearly always go away with the i'm pression that he is very intelligent man. Scores of people a day and thou- sands a week go to him with the avowed intention of making him see something as they see it. When they leave they always say they have had very satisfactory interview. Many be- lieve the President has come to think as they do. Sometimes they never find out otherMise.
 It is simply that the President lets the other side do the talking. Of course, he does not remain absolutely mum; but he never says anything conl- initial. He asks questions; says ives, yes l see," in an intelligent and inter- ested manner, and at the close, inva- riably announces in a most earnest and judicial manner that he will take the matter under advisement. He is al ways glad the individual called; he has enjoyed the opportunity of having the matter presented to him in this partic- ular light. A shake of the hand, and the business is done.
 No offense is given. The President may or may not agree with what has been said to him. If he does, the caller has succeeded in his mission and if he does not, there is no need to anticipate his hostility by telling him so. AS chief executive of the United States, and dictator of the Philippines and Puerto Rico he has no time to engage in fruitless controversies. As it is, he works nearly IS hours a day. and all the time at high pressure. If he stopped to tell every caller why he does not agree with him, he would never catch up with his work,
 A tremendous political advantage ac- crues to the President from his listen ing faculty Probably no man in the White House has so few personal ene- mics as Mr. Mckinley. His personal strength is in lack of enemies rather than in an abundance of friends. Me Kinley has none of the political magne- tism Of men like Blaine or Bryan or Reed. But, while he lacks the attrac- tive qualities of these men, he is with out the repellent ones. He does not say things which sting or wound. He does not defend a personal belief at the cost of friend-even casual one. He does not defend personal belief at the cost of a friend-even a casual one. He is never controversial. He is never sar castic He is rather destitute of the faculty of humor His smile is of the benevolent sort. He takes himself and the world seriously. Not pessimisti- cally or soemnly, but seriously He never could be anything but dignified. To be fiippant or frivolous, even for a short time, would be impossible. His mental makeup is well advertised by his face. It is statuesque and rather heavy.
 President Mckinley Is an appropriate figure for pedestal. He is well adapt ed for the role of hero. He would nev- CT disappoint his worshippers by step- ping down from his pedestal and re- vealing himself as human.
 Whether President Mckinley has any of the qualifications of leaeer, re- mains to be demonstrated. As an eff cient executive and creditable head figure of the republic, even his political will admit he has been success. But up to the present time he has been a follower rather than a leader of the people. He has bowed to, rather than formulated public senti- ment. He has been carried on the crest of great and important events.-Wash- ingtOn Correspondence of Indianapolis News.