Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1901-05-02
ANECDOTES oFHARHsIo on.
His E1oquence, His Politics an HAHis
Plain Speech.

HIS ElOquence, HIS POLITICS an us1H1s
Plain Speech.
When in 1892 the people in IndYanap-
oils had turned out by thousands to
pay the last honors to Mrs. Harrison,
her husband before taking the return
train to Washington gave athis brief
card to the local press:
Ny Dear Old Friends and Neighbors-I cannot
leave you without saying that the tender and
gracious sympathy which you have today shown
for me and for my children and, much more, the
touching evidence you have given of your love
for the dear wife and mother have deeply moved
our hearts. We yearn to tarry with you and to
rest near the hallowed spot where your loving
hands have laid our dead, but the little grand
children watch in wondering silence for our re-
turn and need our care, and some public business
will not longer wait upon my sorrow.
May a gracious God keep and bless you all! Most
gratefully yours, BENJAMIN HARRISON.
How General Harrison came to join
the Republican party against his own
free will he once described to a visitor.
'It was right after Fremont was nomi-
mated" said he, "and while 1 was
practicing law with Mr.. Wallace. We
were in our Office in an UP stairs room,
where The News building now stands,
when Mr.. Roberts, who used tt keep a
drug store there, and another man
whose name [ forget came running in
and told US that Fremont was nomi-
mated and hat they were going to have
q ratification meeting right away Inc
that l must come down and address it.
/ said l couldn't think of such a thing,
that I had nothing to say and was not
prepared. They insisted hat 1 could
make a good enough speech without
any preparation and that l must come.
l said that [ wasn't sure about this
Fremont business, anyhow, and refus.
ed point blank to go. They simply
grabbed me, lifted me off my feet and
started away with me. They carried
me bodily down stairs, out into b
street and, without ever letting my feet
touch the ground, took me over to
where the meeting was to be held and
set me up on a packing box before a
crowd of 800 or 400 persons. OF course
I had to talk to them. That was my
initiation into the Republican party"
Harrison was so devout a church
member that many persons have re-
fused to believe that he had ever been
profane. Only one instance is recalled,
and hat is substantiated, like a CORE
spending incident in George Washing
toms career, by the testimony of ear
witnesses. It was in the Atlanta cam
paign in 1864, when as colonel of the
Seventeen Indiana volunteers he took
a conspicuous part in the battle of
Peach Tree Greek. The regiment was
lying under cover with strict orders to
hold its fire until the command was
rSrno nra Ionro 4oo o-aS4oI @.5 $780,
Gus to lie still, sprang up and fired.
Colonel Harrison seized his blanket,
which was done up in a roll fastened
with a strap and, jumping up, hurled
it at the excitable soldier, at the same
time shouting out a loud, hearty, ro-
tund Damn" The blanket struck the
soldier full in the face, and either that
or the uneXpectedness Of the profane
word from his exemplary colonel laie
him fiat on his back, ready to obey or
ders for the rest of the campaign.
Profanity seemed to be in the air that
day, for General Hooker, riding down
the lines after the fight, seized the
young %coloneFs hand and wrung it as
he shouted:
Harrison, by -, I'll make you a
brigadier general for this!"
And he vas as good as his word
Washington Cor. New York Evening
Post.