The Washington times., 1901-09-18
WHEN GARFIELD WAS SHOT.

| WIEN OAhEl1UD w AS OaUl.
The prompt receipt of news OF the clos
ing OF foreign exchanges, and of messages
OF sympathy and coincidence from all over
the world in connection with the assas-
| sination of President Mckinley have i'm
| pressed no one here more strongly than
j. X. Upton, who was Assistant Secre-
tary of the Treasury at the time of Gar
fields assassination. He had been sent
abroad t. effect some exchanges of Unit
ed States bonds at lower rates of inter-
est, and to carry out Secretary Window
extension plan. Garfield was shot on
Saturday. and on that night Mr.. Upton's
ship arrived in the Mersey, but the pas
sengers were not allowed to land until
the next morning. One of the younger
members of the Drexel family OF bank
ers. who were interested in the bond
transactions as financial agents of our
Government abroad, met Mr.. Upton as
he landed. and responded to an enquiry
for news with the statement that there
was an ill-defned rumor in circulation
that the President of the United States
had been shot.
When did this occur?" enquired Mr..
Upton.
Some time yesterday" answered Mr.
Drexel, but further than that know.
nothing, and have no authority even for
the report"
AT the Liverpool hotel where they
breakfasted an effort was made to learn
some news, but to no effect. 1t being
Sunday, no newspapers were published in
Liverpool, and there was no evidence in
the streets that anyone had heard of the
occurrence of an unusual event The
party took a train for London, and at
Rugby Junction Mr.. Upton made another
effort to find out something, only to be
baffied again. At the telegraph office the
operator was questioned, but said that no
word concerning the reported murder had
passed over his wire. This put the whole
party in good Spirits and they had a great
deal of fun at Mr.. Drexel's expense as
promulgator of false and sensational
rumors.
Arrived at London, the party found
everything as quiet as usual, except for
one solitary newsboy at the station cry
ing the tidings. But for that, the party
might have given the subject no further
thought. Mr.. Upton visited the legation
at once for the purpose of paying his re-
spects and having g short talk with Min
lister Lowell. There he found a few off,
cial dispatches received by cable outlin-
Ing the story of the tragedy. 1t was not
till the next day that London semed to
wake up to what had happened, and even
then it did not fairly realize what the
assassination meant. The stock market
felt the shock most, prices of railroad Sc
curities falling off seriously and taking
some little time to recover; but the bulk
of the people appeared to take compare
lively little interest in the event. OF
course, Mr.. Lowell had communicated
such news as had reached him to the
British Government, a few members of
which called during Sunday to make en-
qufries, and here and there some person
of social prominence who had learne6the
news through this channel called also,
among them being Baroness Burdett-
Coutts.
The Right Hon. Sir Stafford Northcote
was one of the visitors, and his interest
Seemed centred less in the victim of the
assassination than in the personality Of
the man who would succeed to the Presi-
dency if Garfield died.
Where does. MI: Arthur stand on the
financial question: he asked with some
anxiety.
4 do not know positively" answered
MT Upton. "as / have never conversed
with him on that subject. although Of
ficially and socially have seen a good
deal of him From his general surrounds
ings and habit of thought should feel
pretty confident that he would favor the
single gold standard"
Sir Stafford seemed impressed by this
statement, and then asked about Mr.
Arthur's views on the tariff question.
AS Republican, he is of course a pro-
tectionist, said Mr.. Upton, '.but various
things he has said lead me to believe
that he is not a very radical high-tariff
man. He probably assents to protection
as general policy. but believes that it
Is possible to carry II too far
Again Sir Stafford seemed gratified
Then, as if his questions had been ar
ranged with reference to a climax, he put
the third:
Pray. where does he stand on the Irish
question? ~"
Il must plead ignorance on that" was
the answer. II doubt very much whether
Mr.. Arthur knows anything about the
Irish question or has ever given it a
moments thought"
The British statesman's face fe.l as sud-
denly as 1t had before frightened. He
stared at Mr. Upton with a look which
was half astonishment and half suspic-
ious incredulity. To his mind. the Irish
question was the greatest one before the
world at that moment. He could not con-
ceive of a mans becoming President of
the United States who had not studied 1t
and settled in his own mind the policy
TO be pursued. Mr.. Arthur did learn
something about the Irish question later
in his career as the State Department
correspondence for 1ss3-s4 Will attest.
What wonderful change has come
over the face of things in twenty years."
memories, lis shown by the general in
terest of the British people in the attack
on President Mckinley. 1t would have |
been impossible 10 enter Liverpool or Lon
don the day after the assault at Buffalo
and not have the story ringing in your
ears from every side. Is this change the
result of improved means of communica-
ton, or has the United States Govern
the eyes of her sister nations during the
interval?'