The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-07-13
PRESIDENT MKINLEY.
An Estimate of the Man Made by a
Good Judge OF Men.

Good Judge of Men.
Julian Ralph. in New York Mail and TX
press.
Tn President is very deliberate in speech
and calm in manner. He is very quiet IN
the Infections of his voice and in hts ges-
lures. He is evidently a man who never
worries or frets. who sleeps well and who
works with the least friction. A nice bal
ance Of brain must be the possession OF
one who. under his burden. remains so
serene and calm. He has a sense OF humor.
but. Ike all men Of the pure Ohio school,.
he suppresses il as a weakness and a cor
rupter OF dignity. He does not succeed in
this as well as Garfield and Hayes did.
Tor when l asked him how he stood the
crucible heat Of his work he said he was
not aware that II had affected his nerves.
The worst strain. he said. came from see
ing one hundred or two hundred persons a
lay. And when / can't stand IL any long
er 1 go an6'take IL out OF Loefaer." he said.
with a whimsical curl of his lips and a
twinkle in his eyes.
Every man who comes in here and
passes through this room is intense said
he. Every one is In dead earnest ahort
something and ! experience the full force
AAL AlAC
| spoke of the long hours be gives m n
the people downstairs i'm public recepf,ons
and the hindrance this gives TO his work
But don't think they want 10 hinder
me, said he. The American peonle are
hoi an unreasonable people, They want to
heIp me ana would not add 10 my labor in
any way II they knew they were doing so
l like 10 meet them and shake hands with
them. ihey love their country and want
to see their executive. l come away better
Tor meeting them. l get more from them
than they get from me. The strain Is an
here In this room, where IL is one man
against hundreds OF intense men every
day"
In the course of the talk on state affairs
/ was most impressed with the length OF
foreknowledge the President has had in
every important tuncture. Ii struck me that
the enterprise OF the press grew smaller
and fainter the longer / listened. The con-
oitions which compelled war with Spain
were 10 be read months ahead In the State
department papers, The plan 10 catch
Aguinaldo was approved and adopted weeks
before the public heard anything of it, An
me way down the list / found that the
government was far ahead of the people
ana the editors in its knowledge of what
was doing and coming.
hlndl1ness ranks light in the list OF the
fresldents skim and it's first
cousins, sympathy and charity. One saw
THIS In the way he spoke of the horrors Of
war and the dread that early seized him
res there should be war during his ten
ancy or the chief place i'm the Republic. He
MADE MS kindness felt i'm the way he
spoke or the people. the good he got from
them and the naturalness of their curiosity
10 see him. even though it results in
doubling the weight of his burden. In the
course OF our talk he showed me two
cartes de Visite, photographs of two Young
men OF evidently Irish blood. singularly
aIlke. These two boys are serving as vol
unteers In China, and one was the ffth
person over the walls Of Picking. Their
dent and wrote that she fondlv honed one
OF ner boys might be made a second lien
lenant."b but L cannot suggest which il
ly dear TO me-"
he talked for -three-quarters OF an hour
on the most important affairs of his adj
hir,Lsuaton. and II would greatly strength
en- him with the people If | might renest
what he said. But / gave him my word
tnat would not do so. and therefore must
CONNIE tnis sketch 10 a mere note of the
Impressions he made without proving hv
ms words that he would have made the
same Impressions upon every one.
i nave said that his strongest note ia
kindiness-l mean the strongest among
those that strike a merely casual inter
viewer. Tor, OF course. under the surface
which work quietly and demand close
crutiny for their discovery. NAV he
wrong in ranking kindness first. Perhaps
ms most easily discoverable quality is au-
tnority. L never knew any man in power
10 SO strongly, insist upon his own undi-
Mckinley did in this interview. And vet I
never knew any man in the possession of
great power who discussed IL more quietly
and gently. In speaking of the deiay in
bringing the Cuban crisis TO a head with a
declaration of war, he told how the demand
Tor action permeated and controlled the
Congress. and with what difficulty this i'm
pulse was held In check until IL could be
given proper direction and shape.
In referring TO these critical days he never
made his statements boastfully or bump
tiously. He was not dramatic or even en-
phatic. He merely stated the facts in an
even voice, and left me 10 infer that i'm his
nD~n Mn hA $780, e.
preme position and assumed IL 10 be under
stood that this prerogative was I'm his office
rather than in his personal nature.
L have not referred TO his voice, which Is
one OF his strongest charms. It is very
rich and mellow, like the tone OF a gentle
nature and a warm heart. His voice has
probably contributed as much TO his repu-
tation for kindness as the words with
which he expressed himself.
Since leaving him l have talked with sew
eral Of the shrewdest men In public life
both friends and critics OF the President. I
do not find that they gainsay what / have
written here. though all agree that he is
positive man to-day than he was before
the last election. The majority vote stiff
fened him like a steel rod up his backbone.
Where he was apt 10 be misleading by
his desire TO send every claimant away
happy he is now apt 10 show his hand at
| once. A great measure OF his strength IS
TO see him. From every one. high and
humble, he draws more or less Of his
knowledge OF the needs and wishes OF the
| people. and these he takes as his commands
in so far as is possible.
I think he relies more on his own trans
lation OF what he hears with that celc-
brated lear to the ground than those
| people reckon who consider Senator Mark
Hanna the man behind the throne. And
however the rest OF the world may think.
the President believes himself controlled
by conscience and guided by the best In
terests OF the people. Conscience. highest
motives and best interests OF the country
are phrases very constantly in the mouths
of this administration. They have got infs
the air In Washington 10 such an extent
as TO make the place seem almost new
TO me. I never before heard one-tenth so
much OF these high influences as rang in
my ears on this visit.