The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-11-24
HARRISON LEFT
REMARKABLE BOOK
Late Ex-President Wrote Detailed
History Of His Admins
tration.

Indianapolis, Ind, Nov. 24.There
papers left by the late President Harri-
son a most remarkable document, a de-
tailed history of his administration as
president, in which he discusses the men
portant affairs of his four years expert
ence at the White House, and in which
he relates many of, the interesting in
cidents and details of conditions which
confronted him oftentimes in his Off
cial work.
retirement from the presidency, when
all the details were fresh in his mind,
and when he had an abundance of leis-
ure to devote to the preparation Of the
document. It had evidently been pre-
pared with studied care, for it is writ
ten in "a calm, dispassionate style, such
as he would have used in the prepare
tion Of an important brief. The main
effort seems to have been to have the
historical facts all; SO clearly stated and
the relations of the important affairs
OF the Harrison administration so sue
emily detailed, that the historian might
credit for every act of the four. years.
No man connected with the administra-
ton is shielded, no man criticised. In
a cold, formal manner the facts are
stated, just as they were developed
from month to month. The ex-presi-
dent tells in the plainest language the
eountered, the '' things hin he tried to do do,
and the plans along which he worked.
In some cases he frankly admits the
plans were not such as he would have
personally preferred, and there follows
the exact reason for accepting the plans
of others. Blame and credit are placed
yl,n1, Z, Holo ~ \. =
views, and the document laid away for
the enlightment Of his biographer and
for the enrichment of American history
when it shall have been made public. +
- Private Correspondence.
It was to John L. Griffiths that Presi-
dent Harrison left all his personal and
.Griffiths who was commissioned to ex-
anime them and prepare the biography.
Everything that had been collected dur
ing the long public career of Benjamin
Harrison was left in the library, from
the private papers accumulated when he
the term as president. There was an
immense amount of private memoranda
and correspondence, of. great. value to
the biographer in the determination Of
facts, but impossible for publication.
Mr.. Griffiths has not yet been able
to complete the classification Of all the
papers, 50 great was the mass left, but
in all the. work he has found no other
document SO extraordinary in charac-
ter, SO full Of interest, so pregnant with
live facts and so calmly stated as the
personally written history Of the adj
ministration. The self-written history
Of an important four years Of national
life, with the side lights on the men
and influences that were active during
that WI ms q Of hn or
years to The history of administrations
when it, IS published. It is not deemed
wise to publish the document now, for
there are many people whose doings are
clearly told in the paper who are still
now would be disastrous. 1t will be
published later, but the exact time will
probably depend on the personal wishes
offsthe family of the ex-president and
may be delayed until death has claimed
some Of the men whose participation in
the affairs of the Harrison administra-
ton made them prominent in the self
written history.
In the history he tells how certain
acts of the administration were credit
{ ed to him, whereas they belonged to
Secretary Blaine, and vice versa. He
was blamed for the deeds and Judgment
Of others and was credited, with other
takes 2on the part Of the public and in
doing SO makes plain the part played
by all men connected with the admins,
tration in the formation of the policies
adopted and the<Work done. 3
Filled With Historical Facts.
He discusses the conditions 4under
(which he went tozthe White House, the
friends to whom he sWas personally and
officially indebted, and those whose
course had made recognition Of them
impossible. With that stubborn adher-
enee to facts that marked his entire
life, he states facts until every page of
the history is alive With bristling
statements, and yet thru it all there is
| nothing that savors of the slightest vic.
lation Of the confidential relations and
communications that; are a necessary
part Of the life Of every president. 1t
appears have been his sole aim to
enable his biographer to write an &C,
tually correct statement of the histori,
cal part of his administration, and to
place each man connected with it in
his proper place, according to the work
he had, performed, SO that the public