Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-12-22
new news OF YESTERDAY
Sole Request Made by Ex-PresI-
dent of a President.
Grant Wanted Chauncey l. Fi|ley
Made First Assistant Postmaster
General, but Garfield Had
Promised Place to Another.
Ey {. ]. EDWARDS.

$50 far as I know General Grant
made only one personal application 70
President Garfield for the appointment
OF friend to political office" said
surviving member OF Garfield's cani-
net to me. "and the entire incident is
one which well illustrates certain
! phases Of General Grants character.
''One morning, q few days after Cen
eral Garfield's inauguration as .presi-
dent. an official messenger Of the post
office department carried to the post
master general, Thomas L. James,
card which caused that official to jump
| from his seat 1t was General Grants
! card and a moment or two later the
postmaster general having hurried
into the outer room. was showing the
ex-president into the postmaster gen.
erals private Office There followed
little conversation Of general nature.
and then the general told his mission
in practically these words:
a. don't want to embarrass you IN
any way, Mr.. Postmaster General. ]
don't want to make any requests which
are going to interfere with any of your
plans, SO far as appointments under
you are concerned. But ! have come
simply to say to you that if you can
see your way clear to accepting Chaun-
cey I. Filley as first assistant post
master general it would be very graft
flying to me. Filley IS perfectly COM
petent for the post. You know, | APP
pointed him postmaster of st. Louis,
and he was one Of the best postmas-
tiers the government has ever had. He
is good politician and a strong Re-
publican, and perfectly honest man.
IN this modest way the man who
for eight years possessed the great
patronage of president. and who was
all that time the foremost American,
asked for the appointment Of friend
as first assistant postmaster general.
And when he had finished he was as.
sured most sincerely by the postmas-
ter general that. SO far as he was con-
cerned. it would give him great pleas
ure were Mr.. Filley made his first
assistant But It was a matter for the
president to decide, and the postmaster
general said that he would call his
carriage and go Immediately to the
White House and lay the matter be-
fore the president. Then he accom-
panied General Grant to the door Of
the department. saying. as they part
ed, that he would send the general i'm
mediate word to his hotel OF the out
come of the call on the president.
Half and hour later when the mat
visibly greatly embarrassed and
panied.
why he said, you know. Mr..
Postmaster General. that would do
anything for General Grant that pos
sibly could do. You know. with the
other members Of my cabinet that |
feel especially grateful TO General
Grant for the services he rendered me
in the presidential campaign; you
know that | have all along regarded
his speech at Warren, O.. as on The
whole one Of the most effective in
fluences favorable to the Republican
party in that entire campaign. ] wish
from the ,ttom of my heart that l
cot Id act /. worably upon the recon-
me. ,dation shat General Grant has
made; and wish that all the more so
because it has been made with such
simple, modest dignity. But it cannot
be done have already promised that
office TO another man. and the prom
Use cannot be broken. Will you say
this much for me to General Grant?
And, furthermore. ask him in my name
If there is any other appointment that
he would like to have me make
when the postmaster general saw
General Grant an hour later and told
him what the president had said, the
general replied-and there was moi
the slightest trace of disappointment
in his voice or his face:
"'Dismiss the matter at once. II the
president has promised to appoint
some one else to that Office he is
bound to keep his promise
IF you have any other appoint
ment that YOU would like to have the
president make suggested the post
master general.
NO said the ex-president, thought
fully, no, can think Of none.
0Convricht 1911, By F. J. Edwards All
Rights ReservedD