The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-02-13
As Others See Us"

An ex-Vice President of the United
States, an ex-member of a Presidents
cabinet and a distinguished platform
lecturer were trading stories in the
smoking compartment. The anecdotes
IL time turned upon what each con
sidered a good joke upon himself, says
a writer in Lippincott's.
In my younger days" said the plat
form orator. about the time my
friends had persuaded me that l was
the legitimate successor to Wendell
Phillips and Beecher. I was speaking
in am opera house in a certain city
of Pennsylvania, when / gradually be-
came aware that the ladies in the par
quet in front of me were drawing
their wraps more closely about them
and manifesting other evidences of a
draft. Thinking to relieve the physi-
cal GOODNESS, as we'll as the psycholog-
zeal coldness which the audience thus
far had manifested, 1 stopped my dis
course at a period and remarked
There is evidently a strong draft
blowing upon the audience. Will the
janitOr have the kindness to close the
window from which it proceeds" At
the same time I stepped back to look
into the wings of the Suggesting to
discover if possible the offending win
dow. Scarcely had 1 walked to the
front of the stage again, and before
1 could resume my discourse, man
with a very solemn face and a goat s
tuft upon his chin arose in the audi
ence and gravely remarked: Perhaps
it proceeds from the speaker Never
before nor since have l made such an
unwilling hit with an audience"
That reminds me-" said the ex-
cabinet member, of the time soon aft
o. - q mr. yx~har a friend nf
my youth from my native town called
upon me in Washington. Now, you
know, the man who thinks he has
achieved some success would rather
hear praise from the folks at home
than from all the rest of the people
in the world. 1 presume he wants
a certain justification from those who
predicted that. he would never amount
to anything. Wishing to enjoy this
pleasure, 1 asked my caller, Well,
what do they say at home of my be-
ing in the cabinet?' Well he replied
slowly, they don't say anything. They
just laugh"
1t was now the turn of the sedate
former second head of the nation. 81
had a compliment once which you
might call palindrome," said he, 'in
that it read both ways. l was cam
paigning in Eastern Kentucky during
my term of Office, where the moon
taineers came into town in their OK
carts and on mule-back by the thous
ands. After the speaking on one oc-
casion 1 held kind OF impromptu re-
ception from the speakers platform.
One sallow, bony old woman, who
would have done for one of the Mac
beth witches without any makeup,
held up claw-like hand to me and
asked, BE you the Vice PRESIDENT
Yes, madam I replied, I have that
honor 'Lawsee,' she said in wonder,
I never would have thought it,
And" continued the veteran cam
paigner, ''it is always a good thing
to know when to stop in d speech or a
conversation. l was once journeying
to the southern part of Missouri to
speak at a political gathering. l tray
eled alone and in democratic SYM
plicity. Nearing the place where the
meeting was to be held, l changed
cars and found difficulty in getting a
seat in the crowd. An old lady kind
ly made room for me beside her
Neither she nor anyone in the car
knew that the speaker was on board.
Wishing to be neighborly, opened the
conversation by asking my companion
the cause Of the crowd, whether they
were going to circus or a county fair.
No said she. there's big Democrat
meetin' down here at o. All,
said I, who is to be the speaker
The Vice President of the United
States she replied withs some pride
in her tone. Here is where should
have stopped, but the desire to hear
for once unconscious praise tempted
me to inquire: Well, is he a good
MANI Stranger she replied slowly
that's a point upon which there's a
great difference of opinion. or