The Washington herald., 1915-02-03
HISTORY BUILDERS.
The President Who Never Lost His
Dignity.
written ENrressly for The Washington HcraldJ
By DIR. Z. J. EDWARDS.

| NNrtten tsNTTeSSly Tor The W NashlngtCn HCTald.l
BY DIR. f. }. EDWARDS.
'Millard Fillmore was one of the
strangest compounds OF temperament,
intellect. and mediocrity of any man
of prominence with whom l was ever
associated" said the late Charles c.
Clarke. at a time when he was telling
me of some of his interesting expert
ences while serving as deputy treas
urer of New York State. in the late
J '4Vs. Mr.. Clarke was really the executive
manager of the treasurer's 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 attracted the
attention of Commodore Vanderbilt,
who persuaded him to enter the Van
derbiIt service. That relation was
maintained for more than nifty years.
and a considerable part of that service
was given by MIR. Clarke as vice presi-
dent of the New York Central system.
having under his special charge its
financial department
Fillmore ran for governor of New
York in 1876. but he was badly defeat
ed by Slas Wright" continued Mr..
! Clarke. "A good many persons thought
that his day in public life had then
ended. He ha. been prominent in Con-
gress 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 as much
care upon the really trifiing details of
his personal life as he did upon those
of any public measure with which re
was associated.
The next year, however, there was
a change of political sentiment in New
York which enabled Fillmore to gain
| election as comptroller of the State.
I 1t was while he was thus serving that
l was brought into daily contact with
him. l think he could make more fuss
! over little thing and be more OBJ
livious of a big thing that was or
consequence than any man whom l
ever knew. He had a very wise way of
looking at any one with whom he was
in conversation. He had 4 gift which
impressed persons with a sense of his
superior dignity and with a certain
solemnity of intellectual action. 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 noti-
fed that he was going out or the state
for a few days There was at that
time some special provision of the
law which enabled a state officer who
was out of the State to maintain GER
tain fees or prerogatives. This is the
way Fillmore went out OF the State.
He took train for Pittsheld. 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 riCidly honest, both in his private
and public relations. He never dis
obeyed the law. but when he fOun
that the law provided a means for his
especial advantage he did not hesi-
tate to avail himself of il.
I'm all my associations with Millard
Fillmore | never saw him laugh or
even smile. I think he was the Eravest
man that ever took part in American
life, yet he became President and | al
ways thought that his gravity of de-
meanor helped him greatly in all of
his political campaigns"
Copyright 1915. by +. ]. Edwards. All rights re
scrTedl
Tomorrow Dr. Edwards will tell of
Q