Evening journal., 1915-02-03
New News Of Yesterday
The President Who Never
Lost His Dignity
BY Holland.

MllldIu tllliHOIe was one OF lut
stiangost compounds Of temperament
intellect. and mediocrity OF any man
Of prominence with whom | was ever
associated" said the late Charles G.
Clarke. al time when he was tell
ing me Of his interesting experiences
while serving as deputy treasurer oi
New York State. in the late 'A0s. Mr.
Clarke was really the executive man
agor of the treasurers office He
was in that way brought into contact
with all Of the great men of New
York State affairs at that time While
he was thus serving the State he at
tracted the attention of Commodore
Vanderbilt, who persuaded him to en-
ter the Vanderbilt service. That re-
lation was maintained for more than
fifty years. and considerable part OF
that service was given by Mr.. Clarke
as Yice-president Of the New York
Central system, having under his spe-
cial charge its financial department.
Fillmore ran for governor Of New
York in 1916, hut he was badly de-
fcated by Silas Wright" continued Mr.
Clarke. "A good many persons thought
that his day in public life had been
ended. He had been prominent in
Congress and drafted a tariff bill in
the administration of President Tyler
which was known by his name and
upon which he practically did all the
work. That was the order of his mind.
He could give profound attention to
small details and he bestowed all much
care upon tho really trifing details OF
his personal life as he did upon those
OF any public measure with which be
was associated
The next year, however, there was
q change of political sentiment IN
New York which enabled Fillmore to
gain election as comptroller Of the
State. II was while he was thus serv-
ing that I Was brought into daily con-
tact with him. I think he could make
more fuss over a little thing and be
more oblivious Of a big thing that was
of consequence than any man whom
! ever knew. He had a very wise wav
Of looking at any one with whom he
was in conversation He had gift
which impressed persons with sense
Of his superior dignity and with
certain solcmnity Of intellectual ac-
tion. But he was after all a very able
man.
Fillmore was pretty canny. how
ever, as. for instance. ] don't know
how many times our office was nofi-
fed that lie was going out Of the State
for a few days There was al that
time some special provision Of the
law which enabled State officer who
was out of the State to maintain GER
tain fees or pTerogatives. This is the
way Fillmore went out of the State.
He took a train for Pittsfield, where
he took another train for Bridgeport
and there took a steamboat to New
York. One time | remember that he
sent word that he was out of the
country So he was, but he was upon
an island in the st. Lawrence river
just off the coast of Canada Fillmore
was rgidly honest, both in his private
and public relations. He never dis
obeyed the law. but when he found
that the law provided means for his
especial advantage he did not hesi-
tate to avail himself of it.
I'm all my associations with Mil
lard Fillmore | never saw him laugh
or even smile. | think he was the
gravest man that ever took part in
American life, vet he became President
and ! always thought that his grav-
ity Of demeanor helped him greatly in
all Of his political campaigns"