SHORT REVIEW 
 
 -OF THE- 
 
 Public and Private Life 
 
 ■OF- 
 
 Gent Benj. Harrison 
 
 What the Working Men Say of Him. 
 
 HIS RECORD AS A SOLDIER, AND HOW HE APPEARS AT HOME 
 
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LIFE 
 
 OF 
 
 Gen’l Benj. Harrison. 
 
 In American politics appeals to prejudice have become the common methods 
 of warfare. With men of sound judgment such appeals always fail as they ought 
 to, and in the reaction help rather than injure the one aimed at. The selection of 
 the governing power of this great Nation should he determined by the calmest and 
 most enlightened judgment of the people, and not by prejudice or passion. In pre¬ 
 senting their candidate the Republican party confidently appeals to the sound and 
 deliberate judgment of the people. His private and public character is without a 
 blemish. Honesty and integrity have characterized his life. His opponents have 
 attempted to array one great branch of American citizens against him, by false¬ 
 hoods and appeals, not to their judgment, but to their prejudices. Such attempts 
 are deliberate and wanton insults to the intelligence of those they try to influence. 
 So much depends on the labor element in this country that wage-workers are 
 naturally very tenacious of their rights and sensitive on every point which affects 
 them. This is known to the Democrats, and to arouse them in opposition to Gen. 
 Harrison they have undertaken the task of misrepresenting and lying about his 
 record on certain questions, expecting that the workingmen of this country would 
 accept their lies and not investigate for themselves. In this they will find they 
 have committed a serious blunder, for there is no class of the American people who 
 study more or investigate more patiently the record of public men. In this effort 
 to deceive, the Democratic leaders have been and will be aided by a few men who 
 have been active in labor agitations, and who are now engaged in this misrepre¬ 
 sentation from interested motives. 
 
 HIS CHINESE RECORD. 
 
 Among the falsehoods put out, and most persistently repeated, is that when a 
 member of the United States Senate Gen. Harrison opposed all efforts to restrict 
 Chinese immigration. That movement was set on foot by American workingmen 
 and was vehemently urged by them. It is not a crime for men to differ in this 
 world on matters of public policy, and if Gen. Harrison was conscientiously op¬ 
 posed to restriction, every honorable workingman would honor him for it. Had 
 he been so opposed and yet favored the restriction asked for, he would have been a 
 demagogue, selling out his honest convictions for political popularity. But no 
 vote or speech of Gen. Harrison can be cited in proof of any such opposition, the 
 fact being that every vote and speech proves the contrary to be true. A man may 
 be opposed to a bill and yet not opposed to the relief sought to be obtained by the 
 
3 
 
 bill. Let us illustrate: The employes of a certain large establishment, to obtain a 
 redress of grievances, go out upon a strike. Some one of their number proposes 
 and insists on a resort to violence, and advocates the use of the torch. Others op¬ 
 pose such measures. Could it be claimed that those thus opposed were against 
 securing a redress of grievances ? In reality, would not such opposition prove them 
 to be the true friend of the cause of labor and of the strike itself ? Now let us ap¬ 
 ply that to the case in question and try Gen. Harrison by that standard. Let him 
 be judged from the record, from what he has said and done, and not by the mere 
 assertions of Democratic newspapers or by interested agitators. 
 
 Gen. Harrison did oppose the passage of the first bill on the subject, not be¬ 
 cause he was in favor of Chinese immigration, but fo,r the reason, as stated by him 
 in his speeches in the Senate while it was under|discussion, that it was in contra¬ 
 vention of existing treaties. He urged that the true way was to seek a modifica¬ 
 tion of the treaty. Another bill was proposed and for the same reasons he voted 
 against it. He was a member of the Committee on Foreign Relations which con¬ 
 sidered and reported the present law on the subject. He joined in reporting that 
 bill and voted for it. Senator Mitchell, of Oregon, who was deeply interested im 
 procuring the passage of the restrictive^ act, declared on the floor of the Senate 
 that it was the best bill that had been proposed on the subject, and would be 
 satisfactory to the people of the coast. As to his record on this question let us see 
 what the papers of the country have said, and take the testimony of those the most 
 deeply interested. 
 
 The Cincinnati Commercial-Gazette thus pertinently and tersely puts the whole 
 question: 
 
 Much has been said of General Harrison’s record on the Chinese question, and 
 there has been some fussy objection to it. All there is of it is that Harrison in the 
 Senate objected to the violation of the treaty obligations with China, though op¬ 
 posed to Chinese immigration. This is the record : 
 
 “ Mr. Harrison entered the Senate at the beginning of the Forty-seventh Con¬ 
 gress, in 1881, and sat till March 4, 1887. On April 27, 1882, a discussion was had 
 in the Senate on House Bill 5804: ‘A bill to execute certain treaty stipulations 
 with the Chinese.’ Mr. Harrison made two brief speeches on that bill, occupying 
 ... only a few lines of the Record, and printed at pages 3359 and 3360 of the Con- 
 _<? gressional Record, Forty-seventh Congress, first session. Mr. Harrison contended 
 —that as the treaty used the word ‘laborer,’ it was not in the power of Congress to 
 enlarge the meaning of that word by legislation ; that whatever the word ‘ labor- 
 Z ers ’ implied in the treaty that same word would be held to have the same mean- 
 £ ing in any law that Congress might pass. He asked Senator Grover, of Oregon, 
 ^ the pertinent question, whether, if he found the proposed law and the existing 
 Q treaty in conflict, he would still persist in passing the law and thus trampling 
 upon our treaty obligations? To this inquiry Mr. Grover made no reply. Mr. 
 
 ) - Harrison’s logic was invincible, and it was sustained by the Senate. It may be 
 added that this position has since been maintained by every President and Secre¬ 
 tary of State down even to Grover Cleveland and Secretary Bayard.” 
 
 The California delegation looked this matter up, and finding there was noth¬ 
 ing in it cast the vote that announced the nomination of Harrison. 
 
 The people of California are very deeply interested in this matter, and their 
 views of General Harrison’s record should be accepted as authority. On this sub¬ 
 ject Hon. William W. Morrow, member of Congress from the San Francisco dis¬ 
 trict, says: 
 
4 
 
 “ The Page bill was considered in the Senate in the early part of 1882, and Sen¬ 
 ator Harrison voted against it The bill, however, failed as a law to keep out 
 Chinese immigration, and was amended in 1884. There is no record as to Senator 
 Harrison’s position on the amended bill, but it is known that he favored the addi¬ 
 tional legislation ; but even the law as amended proved ineffectual, and in the 
 XLIXth Congress I introduced a bill which became known as the Morrow bill. It 
 was drawn with considerable care, as I was familiar with the subject, having been 
 Assistant United States Attorney at San Francisco and familiar with the Federal 
 jurisdiction. The bill was approved by the Collector of the Port, the United 
 States Judges and the United States Attorney, and it was supposed that it would 
 accomplish everything that legislation could do under the treaty. The bill was 
 introduced in the Senate by Senator Fair, the Democratic Senator from Nevada, 
 and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations, of which Senator Harrison 
 was then a member. I had occasion to meet with members of that committee sev¬ 
 eral times while the bill was pending before the committee, and among others with 
 Senator Harrison, and I know that he was in favor of excluding Chinese immi¬ 
 gration, either by suitable legislation under the treaty, or a new treaty that 
 could make exclusion absolute. I remember that he and I were members of a 
 small party that went to Philadelphia in the early part of 1886 to attend a dinner 
 given by the Clover Club. During the trip I had quite a talk with Senator Harri¬ 
 son on the subject of Chinese immigration, and I was gratified to find that he was 
 not only in favor of further legislation in restraint of such immigration, but he 
 was in favor of a new treaty that would provide for absolute exclusion. 
 
 “The bill introduced by Senator Fair was considered by the Committee on 
 Foreign Relations of the Senate, and passed the committee unanimously. It was 
 reported to the Senate by Senator Sherman, who said : ‘ The bill has been carefully 
 examined in the Committee on Foreign Relations, and as far as I know every pro¬ 
 vision was assented to with entire unanimity.’ This statement will be found on page 
 4,958 of the Congressional Record of the first session of the XLIXth Congress. It 
 is well known that Senator Mitchell, of Oregon, is extremely radical against Chi¬ 
 nese immigration. In discussing this bill (which Harrison voted for in the com¬ 
 mittee, as I have just stated,) Senator Mitchell said : ‘ This bill is a great improve¬ 
 ment, permit me to say, in my judgment, upon any bill that has ever heretofore at 
 any time been reported by any committee of either branch of Congress upon this 
 question.’ The Senator’s speech will be found on page 5,109 of the Congressional 
 Record of the first session of the XLIXth Congress. The bill passed the Senate 
 unanimously, but was smothered in the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, of 
 which Mr. Perry Belmont was chairman, and the only action the Democratic 
 House took in furtherance of the action of the Senate on the Chinese question was 
 to pass the Chinese indemnity bill, providing for the payment of $147,000 to the 
 Chinese for the Rock Springs outrage. 
 
 “ But it is said that Senator Harrison, in 1882, opposed legislation against 
 Chinese immigration, and that he voted against an amendment to the bill then 
 pending, offered by Senator Farley, providing that hereafter no State Court or 
 Court of the United States shall admit Chinese to citizenship; and repealing all 
 laws in conflict with the act. Senator Edmunds opposed this form of amendment, . 
 saying that the naturalization laws did not authorize naturalization of Chinese. 
 The Senator was correct. Four years before, in 1878, Judge Sawyer, the U. S. 
 Circuit Judge for California, Oregon and Nevada, had decided on the application 
 of Ah Yup that a native of China of the Mongolian race was not entitled to be¬ 
 come a citizen of the United States. On the authority of this decision, Senator 
 
5 
 
 Edmunds proposed an amendment in these words: 1 Nothing in the act shall be 
 
 construed to change the existing naturalization laws so as to admit Chinese per¬ 
 sons to citizenship.’ Senator Harrison voted for this amendment in preference to 
 the one proposed by Senator Farley. This is all there is in this vote. 
 
 “ Senator Harrison was undoubtedly opposed to the abrogation of a treaty by 
 indirect legislation. He was in favor of a clear-cut proposition for abrogating 
 the existing treaty, with its annoying limitations, and excluding the Chinamen 
 absolutely, and it is an interesting fact that this is precisely the position occupied 
 by the Senators and Representatives from the Pacific Coast. We have favored an 
 abrogation of the present treaty, because of its limitations on the $>ower of Con¬ 
 gress to legislate in defense of the country. Senator Harrison has occupied pre¬ 
 cisely this position, and his votes on the amendments to the Page bill prove this 
 fact beyond a doubt. Furthermore, Senator Harrison’s position has been justified 
 by the fact that a new treaty has been negotiated, with the approval of both par¬ 
 ties, under which Chinese immigration will be stopped. The bill introduced by 
 Senator Fair in the Senate is the bill which Senator Harrison voted for in com¬ 
 mittee, and it is worthy of note that this bill is the framework of the new treaty 
 just negotiated with China. 
 
 The press of the coast says: 
 
 [Portland Oregonian.] 
 
 “ The nomination of Harrison is a happy outcome of the contentions of the 
 convention. Harrison will receive the united Republican support. His career 
 has been active, honorable, patriotic, and thoroughly American. On the Chinese 
 question his course has been honorable and right. He properly maintained that 
 we have no just right in violation of a treaty to pass an act to deprive the subjects 
 of China of the privileges guaranteed them by treaty, and insisted that good faith 
 and international amity required that China be asked to modify the treaty before 
 we should enact any extreme legislation. It can not be denied that this position 
 was right. Subsequently, when the objections were removed, Harrison joined in 
 reporting and voting for the restriction bill prepared by Senator Fair (Dem.), of 
 Nevada. But the immigration of the Chinese is no longer a question of practical 
 importance, since restriction keeps them out, and their number in the United 
 States is gradually decreasing. It is complained that some do evade the law and 
 enter the United States, but if this is so it is due to official laxity on the part of 
 our present administration.” 
 
 [Sacramento Record-Union.] 
 
 “ The Democracy has already resorted to the mean device of reporting Chinese 
 as celebrating the nomination of General Harrison. It goes without saying that 
 these stories are made out of whole cloth. The record of General Harrison has 
 been thus early misrepresented because the Democracy fears his nomination more 
 than it would have done that of Blaine, Sherman or Gresham. General Harrison 
 has never been a man of concealments concerning his ideas upon public questions. 
 His views have never been -matters of doubt on the Chinese question or any other. 
 As a lawyer he opposed useless legislation, and when it came to defense of treaty 
 compacts he stood by the honor and integrity of the government, while opposed to 
 any system that degrades the American workmen, and for this he is now assailed. 
 He reported and voted for anti-Chinese legislation as soon as treaty compacts ad¬ 
 mitted it, and he stands pledged upon a platform clear and satisfactory upon the 
 question discussed. He is disclosed in strong favorable contrast with his opponent, 
 who but a few short weeks ago was anxiously inquiring of Californians if it was 
 
6 
 
 not possible to Christianize Chinese and bring them into harmony with our system 
 of civilization—thus displaying a surprising degree of ignorance upon the subject. 
 If there are those who would otherwise support General Harrison, but who are 
 fearful that he, in common with some millions, years ago did not understand the 
 Chinese as we do, and therefore can not vote for him, in the name of conscience let 
 them go over to the Democracy, with all its glaring offenses and its open assaults 
 upon the vital industries of the country and the cause of the American laboring 
 citizen. But it is preposterous to suppose that any man who looks at the matter 
 calmly, and is in harmony with the positive protection platform upon which 
 General Harrison stands, with its pronounced championship of home industries 
 and American labor, and its antagonism to Chinese immigration, and who is 
 aware, as the fact is, that General Harrison is the sincere friend of these causes, 
 will be led to desert to the Democracy.” 
 
 I San Jose (Cal.) Mercury.] 
 
 “ If the Democrats can derive any comfort from quoting this old and abandoned 
 [Chinese] record of General Harrison they are welcome to it. The only reason 
 the Republicans can not produce a similar record of Cleveland is that in 1882 he 
 was too obscure to have made a record worth presentation upon any national issue.” 
 
 [Nevada Territorial Enterprise.] 
 
 “ It was understood from the beginning that the convention at Chicago would 
 choose wisely and well. It was only in debate as to whom the choice would fall. 
 We now know the men and everybody is pleased. Harrison and Morton will hold 
 the entire strength of the Republican party, and will gain largely from Democrats 
 who are dissatisfied with the course of Mr. Cleveland.” 
 
 [Santa Cruz Sentinel.] 
 
 “ Good statesmanship consists in devising measures to secure the success of prin¬ 
 ciples. Good politics consists in devising means to secure the success of parties. 
 Judged by these standards, the work of the Chicago convention shows good states¬ 
 manship and good politics. The advancement of the - Republican principles and 
 the restoration to power of the Republican party are, we believe, fully assured by 
 the nomination of Harrison and Morton.” 
 
 [Nevada Territorial Enterprise.] 
 
 “ His word is good in letter and spirit, and he has accepted a position involving 
 a distinct agreement to keep every promise and defend every principle in the Re¬ 
 publican national platform. This alone is sufficient answer to the Chinese hum¬ 
 bug. To go further: The Chinese question is entirely of the past and is not, nor 
 has it ever been, a party question. It has been settled for twenty years to come— 
 a longer time than General Harrison will hold the office of President—but should 
 treaty complications arise during his term the platform will be the guide of the 
 President in the course to pursue.” 
 
 Senators Mitchell and Dolph have also declared that the General’s record was 
 satisfactory to their constituents. If so, what becomes of the silly attempt of the 
 Democrats to create a prejudice against him on this ground in the Eastern States? 
 
7 
 
 THE GREAT STRIKE OF 1887. 
 
 Another lie started from Indianapolis is to the effect that during the great 
 railroad strike of 1877 he swayed himself in bitter hostility to the strikers, and 
 urged the employment of foroe to end the strike. Again the record is against the 
 traducers. Not only is the record against them, but his whole life. The facts are, 
 in brief: 
 
 During the strike the citizens of Indianapolis organized what was known as 
 the Committee of Safety. Gen. Harrison, together with other prominent-Republi- 
 cans and Democrats, was a member of the committee. The testimony of all the 
 members, Democrats as well as Republicans, is that at all times and under all cir¬ 
 cumstances he counseled moderation, holding that the strikers had great cause for 
 complaint, and that they would not violate the laws if the matter was properly set 
 before them. He was on the Committee of Mediation, and maintained the side of 
 the strikers. This is borne out by the testimony of the strikers themselves. A 
 number of the strikers were arrested, some of them for interfering with the run¬ 
 ning of trains on the O. & M. R. R., Gen. Harrison being the attorney for the re¬ 
 ceiver of the road. The men were sentenced to ninety-nine days in the jail. After 
 serving a few days Gen. Harrison went to Judge Drummond, who had tried the 
 cases, and prevailed upon him to release them. It is charged that he commanded 
 the troops called out on that occasion. He was solicited so to do by Gov. Wil¬ 
 liams, a Democrat, but he declined. He did command a company that was called 
 out to defend the arsenal. Let us look at the testimony. Hon. Joseph E. McDon¬ 
 ald, a leading Democrat, says: 
 
 “ The organization of that committee was for the purpose of providing protec¬ 
 tion for the city and property, if an emergency should arise to make such action 
 necessary. It was not anticipated that any riot would be precipitated by the 
 strikers, but beyond them, for which they were in no wise responsible, was a dan¬ 
 ger that had to be guarded against. It was on that account, and that alone, that 
 the committee was organized. From its members a sub-committee of five, consist¬ 
 ing of General Harrison, Albert G. Porter, Franklin Landers, ex-Governor Baker 
 and myself was chosen to consult with the strikers in order to bring about a peace¬ 
 able solution of the difficulty. All of us on that sub-committee were in accord, 
 and our relations with the strikers were pleasant. Every member of the com¬ 
 mittee was in favor of peace, and there was no divergence of opinion.” 
 
 Gen. Fred. Kneffler says : 
 
 “ Harrison’s company was detailed to protect the United States armory. He 
 put this important point in a stage of defense. It is certain that Harrison acted 
 in a thoroughly humane and proper spirit all through. He repelled any sugges¬ 
 tion of attacking the strikers unless it should become necessary, and when the 
 strike ended he exerted himself to have the arrested strikers treated leniently. 
 About 200 had been sentenced to 90 days’ imprisonment for contempt of court- 
 General Harrison went to Judge Drummond, suggesting that the law had been 
 sufficiently vindicated by the pronouncing of this sentence, and asked that the 
 men be released. Those who had already begun their terms were released, and 
 others were discharged, and nothing more was heard of the prosecutions. The In¬ 
 dianapolis Sentinel acts not only very unworthily in attacking General Harrison, 
 but in a party sense very foolishly, since the most prominent Democrats in the 
 State were as much engaged in the preservation of order as Harrison. It was 
 simply a citizens’s duty.” 
 
 X. * 
 
8 
 
 TESTIMONY OF STRIKERS. 
 
 Frank Alley, who is in charge of the reducing station of the Indianapolis Gas 
 Company, was an influential member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers 
 at the time of the big strike. Speaking of that strike, he says : “ I read the Sen¬ 
 
 tinel’s article, and I saw nothing in it concerning General Harrison which was not 
 to his credit rather than to his discredit. He did what any good citizen ought to 
 have done under the circumstances. It was that sort of action which saved the city 
 thousands of dollars which it would otherwise had to have paid, as was done in 
 Pittsburgh. Why, nobody can be blamed for trying to save property and perhaps 
 human life. If you can blame men like General Harrison, why don’t you blame 
 Governor Williams, who called out the militia?” 
 
 “ Do you think there was at any time any danger from the strikers them¬ 
 selves ? ” 
 
 “None; the apprehension was on account of the rabble who sought to take the 
 opportunity to plunder or pillage. Why, I took up a gun and helped them defend 
 property in Louisville, where I was at the time.” 
 
 Dairus E. Crawford, of 125 Garden Street, who for a long time has been an 
 employe of the Yandalia Railroad Company, says: “I am one of the men who 
 was in the strike of ’77. I can tell you all you want to know, and moreover I am 
 glad to do it. It was in July, on a given Monday, that the first outbreak occurred. 
 I was then in the Vandalia Yards, and had been for some time. I don’t deny the 
 fact that I was in the strike. I don’t deny that I helped to stop the trains on the 
 I., B. & W. and the I., C. & L., as it was then, now the Big Four. There were a 
 number of us yardmen connected with it. A Deputy United States Marshall placed 
 me under arrest, along with Chas. Githens, P. Dean, and others, and entered us on 
 the charge of interfering with trains. On the Wednesday following our trial be¬ 
 gan, closing on the next Friday. Judge Drummond presided, and C. W. Fairbanks 
 and Major Gordon were prominent figures in the prosecution. All during that 
 trial everybody who was there knows that Albert G. Porter and Benjamin Harri¬ 
 son were the two men who stood out in prominence for their lenient and sympathetic 
 actions. Harrison did all he could and on all sides he could. Why, I was in a 
 restaurant that day by the postoffice, and while I was eating in walked a Deputy 
 Sheriff with five men in handcuffs. They had been brought up from Vincennes,, 
 and were in custody on the same charge I was, only they were employes of the O. 
 & M. Railroad Company. General Harrison said he would see these men acquitted 
 if it was in his power, and they were, through his influence, cleared. Well, our 
 tHal came off. We were all sentenced to ninety-nine days in the Bartholomew 
 County jail. But at the end of twenty-nine days we were pardoned out through 
 some then unknown influence. But I am confident, as were the others, that it was 
 General Harrison who interceded in our behalf. Why, you ask me? Simply be¬ 
 cause I know the man—I know that our pardon could not have come through the 
 other side. Yes, I can truly testify to the General’s leniency and generosity to all 
 of us men all during those times, and I am here to say that if I am alive I will 
 vote for him for our next President.” 
 
 Alexander McAlpine, Superintendent of the Western Car Company, but who 
 was at the time of the strike Master Mechanic of the Yandalia, said that during 
 the trouble it was learned that sixty-four tramps were near the city, and that they 
 threatened to come in and bring about a reign of terror. “ The strikers,” he con¬ 
 tinued, “went to the officers of the Vandalia, I., B. & W., and all other roads in¬ 
 volved, and said they would not be responsible for anything of that kind. They 
 
9 
 
 asked for police powers so they could help preserve the peace. General Harrison 
 was one of the Committee on Mediation, and he used his influence toward a set¬ 
 tlement of the difficulties in favor of the strikers. It is due to him that the wages of 
 the men were raised. A few hot-headed fellows went to the General and asked: 
 ‘ Why don’t you fire upon these men?’ The General replied, ‘ I do not propose to 
 arm myself and go out on the streets and shoot down my neighbors.’ ” 
 
 It has been charged that General Harrison has said one dollar a day was 
 enough for a laboring man. If he had so said, it is a little singular he should in¬ 
 terest himself to procure an increase of wages for the men. The silly lie needs no 
 other refutation. 
 
 INDORSED BY CHIEF ARTHUR. 
 
 P. M. Arthur, the head of the Locomotive Brotherhood, says in regard to the 
 support of Gen. Harrison by the labor organizations: 
 
 “ I have no doubt but that they will give him a strong support. They recog¬ 
 nize him as a safe man, and he stands on a sound platform. General Harrison 
 has nothing in his record that should prevent any Republican workingman from 
 voting for him. I regard his nomination as a strong one, and know his friendly 
 attitude toward organized labor. Sometime ago I went to Indianapolis to 
 straighten out a difficulty between our men and one of the local roads, and it was 
 principally through the good offices of General Harrison that a strike was pre¬ 
 vented and matters were adjusted. Mr. Harrison has proven himself a friend of 
 labor—at least he has shown a kindly feeling toward the Brotherhood. A com¬ 
 mittee, of which I was one, waited upon him once, and he received us most cordi¬ 
 ally and did all he could do for us. He secured an audience with the President 
 for us, going with the committee to the executive mansion and waiting until our 
 interview ended. He made a lasting impression on the delegates, and I do not 
 think one of us will ever forget him for the kind reception he gave the Brother¬ 
 hood through the committee. By his action he showed himself the friend of the 
 working class.” 
 
 FURTHER INDORSEMENT BY LABOR MEN. 
 
 John Jarrett, the labor leader, who, two years ago,knocked out “Horizontal” 
 Bill Morrison, expressed himself as well satisfied with the Republican ticket. 
 
 The selection of Harrison and Morton was a good one,” he said, “ and the plat¬ 
 form is excellent, every issue being clearly drawn. I called at the headquarters of 
 several labor organizations to-day, and find the sentiment of all our labor leaders 
 is that a better platform could not have been framed. As to the candidates, they 
 were satisfied with them. McKinley, you know, was our choice, but Harrison is a 
 good man, and will get the support of all true protectionists. 
 
 “ We can not condemn Mr. Harrison for voting against the Chinese immigra¬ 
 tion bill. The provisions of the bill were at variance with our treaty with China. 
 He claimed that the matter should be adjusted without a violation of the treaty. 
 He voted conscientiously and deserves credit for so doing. I do not think his 
 action on the question will have any weight with the working people. We know 
 he has been for years in sympathy with the laboring classes, and should get their 
 support. I have heard labor leaders who are Democrats express their intention of 
 voting for him. President William Wiehe and Stephen Madden, assistant secre¬ 
 tary of the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel-workers, are both enthu¬ 
 siastic protectionists, and, of course, will support the ticket. Those of the laboring 
 
 41 
 
r 
 
 10 
 
 class who will vote the Democrat ticket are dyed in the wool and would vote no 
 other, no matter what the issue might be. They are largely among the Irish 
 element, and are unconsciously working in the interests of Great Britain.” 
 
 GENERAL HARRISON AND KNIGHTS OF LABOR. 
 
 [San Francisco Chronicle.] 
 
 “ The Knights of Labor are a keen and intelligent set of men ; they sometimes, 
 in moments of excitement, fail to perceive that rashness or unnecessary antagonism 
 of capital must in the long run prove detrimental to them, but they may be de¬ 
 pended upon to single out with perfect accuracy the party whose aims most coin¬ 
 cide with theirs. That party is the Republican party, which, through its repre¬ 
 sentatives, has always consistently advocated internal improvements and protection 
 to American sailors and opposition to free ships; it is the* party which elevates 
 above all things industry, and declares that the protection of American labor 
 against the encroachments of foreign competition should be the first duty of Amer¬ 
 ican statesmen. Benjamin Harrison stands on this platform, and as the exponent 
 of the idea that well-paid labor makes a good workingman and a good citizen, he 
 will receive the suffrage of every Knight of Labor who detests the doctrine preached 
 by Cleveland, Mills and other free-traders, that the chief aim of statesmanship is 
 to make things cheap, and to accomplish which they are willing to sacrifice the 
 decently paid labor of the United 'States. 
 
 HIS ACTS SPEAK FOR HIM. 
 
 Illustrative of his kindness and broad charity, a well-known railroad man, 
 who has worked his way up from the humble walks of labor, tells this incident: 
 “ I was living in two rooms on the same street, within a door or two of where Gen. 
 Ben. Harrison lived, eighteen years ago, in this city. I did not know the General 
 or his wife then, as I had been married but a short time and had but lately moved 
 into my rooms. My wife was taken sick, and strangers as we were, the General 
 frequently called at the door of our humble home to inquire of her condition, and 
 many a time Mrs. Harrison brought in to my wife dainties to eat, and was always 
 cheery in her kindly words. Poor, and stranger as I was, it made an impression 
 that will be green in my mind as long as I live. Talk about laboring men not 
 voting for General Harrison! No truer or more sympathetic heart ever beat in a 
 man’s bosom than his, and that of his wife, for poor men, and for one I’ll be in at 
 his election to rejoice with the others.” 
 
 Mr. Anderson, a mechanic of Indianapolis, relates the following: “When 
 General Harrison was building his present residence, I was one of the mechanics 
 employed by the contractor. The General paid the contractor in full, who then 
 absconded, leaving the workmen unpaid. The General was not legally bound to 
 us for a dollar. He owed no man anything on the building. When he was in¬ 
 formed that we were unpaid, he sent for us and told us to make out our claims. 
 We did so, and he paid the whole seventeen in full. I shall vote for him and do 
 all I can to elect him.” 
 
 On the question of wages, the General said himself, in a public speech: “ The 
 simple fact is, many things are made and sold now too cheap, for I hold it to be 
 true that whenever the market price is so low that the man or the woman who 
 makes it can not get a fair living out of the making of it, it is too low.” 
 
 Other citations of a similar character might be made, but this is sufficient. 
 
/ 
 
 11 
 
 HIS RECORD AS A SOLDIER—FIGHTING JOE HOOKER’S TESTIMONY TO HIS PROFES¬ 
 SIONAL WORTH. 
 
 Fighting Jde Hooker thus made known his opinion of General, then Colonel 
 Benjamin Harrison: 
 
 Headquarters Northern Department, 1 
 Cinicnnati, O., October 31, 1864. j 
 
 To Hon. E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War: 
 
 I desire to call the attention of the department to the claims of Colonel 
 Benjamin Harrison, of the Seventieth Indiana Volunteers, for promotion to the 
 rank of Brigadier General of Volunteers. 
 
 Colonel Harrison first joined me in command of a brigade of Ward’s division 
 in Lookout Valley, preparatory to entering upon what is called the Campaign of 
 Atlanta. My attention was first attracted to this young officer by the superior 
 excellence of his brigade in discipline and instruction, the result of his labor, skill 
 and devotion. With more foresight than I have witnessed in any officer of his ex¬ 
 perience, he seemed to act upon the principle that success depended upon the 
 thorough preparation in disciple and esprit of his command for conflict more than 
 any other influence that could be exerted in the field itself, and when the collision 
 came his command vindicated his wisdom as much as his valor. 
 
 In all the achievements of the 20th corps in that campaign Colonel Harrison 
 bore a conspicuous part. At Resaca and Peach Tree Creek the conduot of himself 
 and command were especially distinguished. Colonel Harrison is an officer of su¬ 
 perior abilities, and of great professional and personal worth. It gives me great 
 pleasure to commend him favorably to the honorable Secretary with the assurance 
 that his preferment will be a just recognition of his services and martial accom¬ 
 plishments. Respectfully your obedient servant, 
 
 Joseph Hooker, Major General Commanding. 
 
 NO BETTER SOLDIER THAN HE. 
 
 Ex-County Clerk M. G. McLain, a one-armed soldier, who followed General 
 Harrison’s lead in a good many hard places during the war, is a great admirer of 
 his old commander’s soldierly qualities. No man, he says, was dearer to the boys 
 in the line than General Harrison, and it rose from one single element in the man’s 
 character—his determination to take the leading part in whatever he asked his 
 men to do. He, too, recalls the bloody charge at Resaca, where his own right arm 
 was shot away, and the sight of General Harrison waving his sword aloft and 
 shouting in that shrill voice for which he was noted: “ Come on, boys.” Con¬ 
 
 tinuing, he said: “One scene has always lived in my memory. Our old chaplain, 
 Allen, a man who was beloved by all the boys and for whom almost every man in 
 the regiment would have given his life, conducted service on Sunday with Colonel 
 Harrison, as it was then, and Lieut.-Col. Sam Merrill assisting. I have often 
 heard General Harrison offer up the prayer for the boys’ welfare and protection 
 down there on those Southern fields, so far away from home, and many times have 
 heard him address the boys in place of the chaplain. Never to my knowledge, in 
 all the trying times of war, did I ever see one thing from him unbecoming a Chris¬ 
 tian. I think the battlefield and the camp bring out what there is in a man about 
 as well as anything can, and I have seen General Harrison tested in every way. 
 As a soldier courageous, sympathetic and enduring, the army had no better.” 
 
 “ How was he as a disciplinarian ? ” 
 
12 
 
 “ Going out as he did, a civilian and without any military training whatever,, 
 he became one of the closest students of the science and art of war there was in 
 the army. As he does in everything else, he threw his whole heart into the work 
 of making himself a proficient officer and his regiment a well disciplined body of 
 men. And he succeeded in an eminent degree in both instances. General Harri- 
 rison was a very sympathetic man. Whenever a soldier was hurt in the discharge 
 of his duty none was readier to offer sympathy than he. And as a result of this 
 trait of his character he always looked after the welfare of his regiment with 
 scrupulous care. He never went to bed at night without knowing that the boya 
 were going to have as good a breakfast as could be secured in the morning. You 
 can rest assured these were favors that were appreciated by his men. Scattered 
 over the country as the regiment is, I dare say the news of the old commander’s 
 nomination will recall a thousand tender memories of the days of 1863, ’64 
 and ’65.” 
 
 KIND AND COURAGEOUS. 
 
 Richard M. Smock, who was a member of General Harrison’s regiment, in re¬ 
 lating some incidents of army life, relates the following incident: “In the winter 
 of 1863-4 we were encamped near Nashville. As all who were there at the time 
 will remember, it was one of the coldest winters on record. Hundreds of soldiers 
 perished while on picket duty. I remember that during one of the coldest nights 
 I was on picket and suffered greatly with the cold, when I saw a man approaching 
 from the direction of the officers’ headquarters. I halted him and when he gave 
 the countersign and advanced I saw it was General Harrison. He had a large 
 can filled with hot coffee, and when I asked him what he was doing he said he was 
 afraid some of the pickets would freeze to death, and he knew some hot coffee 
 would help the men to keep alive. He was the most welcome visitor I ever met,, 
 for I really believe I would have frozen before morning had not the coffee been 
 brought. After leaving me the General passed on to all the other pickets and 
 cheered them up with the beverage. His act was one of kindness. The men on 
 duty were nearly all from his regiment, and his personal friendship for them in¬ 
 duced him to get up out of his comfortable quarters in the dead of night, prepare 
 that coffee and bring it to us. General Harrison was always in the thickest of the 
 battle. I remember that on the 14th of May, the day before the battle of Resaca, 
 our regiment was ordered to advance through a strip of woodland which ended at 
 the foot of a hill. On the brow of an opposite hill were the rebels, and the posi¬ 
 tion which we were ordered to take put us in direct range of their guns. We were 
 subjected to a terrific fire, and as we could see no reason why we should be com¬ 
 pelled to occupy such an exposed position, many of us wanted to fall back. Gen¬ 
 eral Harrison was with us, on foot, at the head of the column, and he said we 
 would obey orders and stay there if we died. Our ranks were thinned by the bul¬ 
 lets of the enemy, but we held our position, and General Harrison never left his 
 advanced position.” 
 
 HIS CARE FOR THE SOLDIERS. 
 
 [Col. Samuel Merrill.] 
 
 “ In the army he was indefatigable in his care for the health of his men, and 
 took pains to see that they were clothed, and that they were not imposed upon. 
 His men all honored him greatly. Although they did not like his discipline, they 
 liked him as a brigade commander in a fight. In regard to his discipline, he 
 would be spoken of as a strict disciplinarian. He exercised great care to see that 
 
13 
 
 his men were supplied with clothing and food, and that sanitary laws were ob¬ 
 served. While other States had influence at Washington, and were pushing their 
 officers ahead for high positions, the State of Indiana, having fewer general officers 
 in proportion to the number of privates than any other State in the Union, did 
 not push her officers into prominence, and the result was that, although General 
 Harrison was as capable of commanding a corps as any of the corps commanders, 
 his modesty and unwillingness to ask for anything for himself kept him from 
 taking the high position to which he was entitled and for which he was fitted. 
 General Harrison is a member of George H. Thomas Pbst, of the Grand Army of 
 the Republic. He is very popular among the soldiers of his own State, and he has 
 never pushed himself forward in the Grand Army any more than he did in the 
 field, but has left to others the seeking of official position. 
 
 “In the march he was merciful, protesting against unnecessary haste. Frequently 
 he would take the guns and accoutrements of some poor worn-out fellows and carry 
 them before him on the saddle. Often I have seen him dismount and walk while 
 a sick soldier occupied his place on the horse. Those who were ill in the field 
 hospital testify that they were not forgotten by their kind commander, but that he 
 was deeply interested in their recovery, constantly making inquiries as to their 
 welfare and suggestions for their comfort. 
 
 “ He protected the private soldier from imposition by those in authority, as a 
 father would his own children. Once when we had been cut off frdm our supplies 
 for a long time the men became so ragged that it was pitiful to see them. At last a 
 partial stock was received by the quartermaster. Some of the officers appropriated 
 the pantaloons to their own use. As soon as this was known General Harrison com¬ 
 pelled these lordly fellows to strip, and turn this clothing over to the rightful 
 owners. If at any time he felt that he had wronged one, his sense of justice gave 
 him no rest until he had repaired the injury. 
 
 “ He did not have a code of morals to be observed at home and neglected abroad, 
 but there was the same purity of conduct and conversation while a soldier in the 
 field, as when a citizen going through his daily round of duties, with all the sweet 
 restraints of family and friends.” 
 
 RECOLLECTIONS OF A COMRADE. 
 
 [Capt. H. A. Ford.] 
 
 “General Harrison was a brigade commander in our division of the Twentieth 
 Army Corps, and I came to know him well. Indeed, I was indebted to his kind 
 offices for the most interesting military association I had as adjutant and chief of 
 staff to the celebrated Irish refugee, Gen. Thomas Francis Meagher. Harrison was 
 a thoroughly kind and good man, very popular with his command, and a large 
 army acquaintance. He was an able and courageous officer, and I have no doubt 
 that his prompt, well-directed action saved the day at Peach Tree Creek at a criti¬ 
 cal moment of the Atlanta campaign. But for him I think our army on that field 
 would have been cut in two, and at least one wing of it rolled up and badly shat¬ 
 tered. 
 
 “ When Wood delivered his savage attack the colonel happened to be away from 
 his brigade at an advanced position a little to the right held by Eastern troops. 
 General Ward had been returned to the head of the division, and with his staff, 
 upon which I was then serving, was resting, unexpectant, upon a knoll in the rear. 
 The first onset fell where Harrison was, and he, divining at once the character of 
 
14 
 
 Hie attack, and the need of immediate resistance, came dashing down the hill on 
 his splendid charger, riding down bodily a partly barred gate as he flew, and with¬ 
 out an instant’s hesitancy for orders, moved his brigade to the top of a short but 
 sharp slope, at whose foot it had been halted, and forward until the enemy was met, 
 as he was almost at once. Other troops connected speedily on the right and left, 
 and here the impetuous rebel advance was stayed once for all. But I have always 
 felt that if it had had the advantage of a charge down the slope upon our unpre¬ 
 pared lines they would have been driven in hopeless disorder into and across the 
 deep stream in our rear^and the battle would, in all probability, have been lost. 
 
 “ Harrison was the hero of Peach Tree Creek, which made him a brigadier. He 
 was the senior field officer in the brigade at the previous battle of Besaca, bore him¬ 
 self gallantly in one of the most desperate and deadly charges of history, that 
 which captured the redoubt and four guns, and took command of the force after 
 General Ward had been wounded and retired from the field. His service through¬ 
 out was honorable and efficient, and would have advanced him to a more promi¬ 
 nent position had he been an older man. I am sure that no one met him in those 
 days who did not feel his mental and moral power, and expect of him great things 
 in the coming days. His brief speeches at spontaneous assemblies of the troops, as 
 in front of Raleigh, when news of the death of Lincoln was received, were remark¬ 
 ably well put and often rose to eloquence. I have heard him since in political 
 speeches to throngs of Hoosiers, whose popular idol he is, and thus have personal 
 evidence that he has nobly answered the promise of his earlier manhood. He is a 
 thoroughly good and true man of old Presbyterian stock, to whose traditions he 
 has been faithful. He was the only general officer I knew or heard of at whose 
 headquarters family prayers were regularly held.” 
 
 GENERAL HARRISON AT RESACA. 
 
 [Sketch in Boston Advertiser.] 
 
 “ It was at Resaca that Colonel Harrison’s courage as a soldier was tested to its 
 fullest extent. His brigade lay under cover of the woods. Orders were received 
 during the afternoon of one day to break that cover, and charge through a stretch 
 of open field to the crest of a hill a quarter of a mile away, to take a battery which 
 was being used with terrible effect upon the national forces. Colonel Harrison’s 
 regiment was in advance, and he, as the ranking Colonel, was at the head. His 
 orders were peremptory to charge at once. The officers were to dismount and go on 
 foot with the men. Colonel Harrison only asked one question of the aid-de-camp 
 who brought him the order. He said to him : “ You are familiar with the field 
 
 outside. I am not. Will you go ahead with me alone, and show me the direc¬ 
 tion of this battery, for if I were to charge out now I would be as apt to charge 
 flank on to it as any other way ? ” Colonel Harrison walked out of the woods 
 then with this officer. When they had barely left the cover a puff of smoke from 
 a neighboring hill and a screaming projectile emphasized the indication swiftly 
 made by the guide. Harrison instantly waved his sword to his men behind him, 
 shouted,“ Come on, boys ! ” and with the four regiments yelling at his heels he ran 
 toward the hill, which now concentrated upon his column a most murderous fire. 
 Between the woods and the crest of the hill the brigade lost one-third of its men 
 in killed and wounded. After a spurt of very savage fighting the Union forces 
 succeeded in capturing the outside line of the breastworks, but between them and 
 
15 
 
 the battery itself was a line of ^insurmountable stakes and brushwood. Night fell 
 before the battery itself was taken ; but during the night Harrison’s men tunneled 
 ip through to the guns and captured them, lowering them into the tunnel. At 
 break of day they expected the contest for the crest of the hill to be renewed, but 
 the rebels had withdrawn in the night, greatly to the disappointment of General 
 Sherman, though not a single member of Harrison’s brigade was disappointed at 
 the result.” 
 
 ONE OF HIS OLD REGIMENT. 
 
 “ Dan. M. Ransdell, ex-county clerk, one of General Harrison’s old regiment,, 
 and a steadfast friend and admirer of his old commander, says in regard to him: 
 “As an officer General Harrison was noted as a disciplinarian. Many of his men, 
 who had been unused to restraint, thought him at first tyrannical and exacting, 
 but when the regiment got into active service they all saw the immense benefit re¬ 
 sulting from his strict discipline, and whatever they thought of it at first, forgave 
 him for it afterward. Remarkably cool under fire, no one ever saw him manifest 
 the slightest indication of fear. He shrank from no duty, however dangerous it 
 might be, nor did he ever shirk the slightest responsibility. Conscientious and 
 faithful to the last degree, he threw his whole heart and soul into the service. No 
 officer was more beloved by his men than General Harrison. The privates of his 
 regiment would have died for him to a man. His call to them was always, ‘ Come- 
 on, boys,’ and never ‘ Go on, boys.’ His motto was, I know, at least his conduct 
 showed it: ‘I will never ask my men to do anything that I would not do myself,” 
 and of course the boys had a deep respect and affection for such an officer. We 
 Avent into the fight at Resaca with 600 men, and lost 257 killed and wounded- 
 General Harrison was in the thickest of the fight and never flinched once. I re¬ 
 member a charge on a battery in one of the battles where we had to cross a ravine 
 and charge up a hill on the rebels. A whole corps was supporting that battery. 
 We ran up the hill, fell down on our breasts, loaded, and 'sprang up again, and 
 so on until we got within a few paces of the enemy. I remember seeing General 
 Harrison standing up there right in front of the rebels, waving his sword in one hand 
 and brandishing a revolver in the other. I tell you there was no discount on him 
 as a soldier. He was as good as the best, as every man that saw him in the war 
 will tell you. We were on garrison duty for sometime after we went out, and I 
 know it was a great dissatisfaction to General Harrison to be kept at that kind of 
 warfare. He chafed under it, and wanted to get to the front, and when he got 
 there he rendered valued service. Another thing, he was peculiarly kind to his 
 men. I have seen him give up his horse on a long march to a weary soldier, and 
 shoulder the private’s gun and march along with the regiment. I remember once 
 he did me that kindness. I have always loved him and admired him, and I might 
 say I have always insisted that he would one day be President of these United 
 States.” 
 
 a soldier’s story. 
 
 [Philapelphia Press Special.] 
 
 “ General Harrison is, of course, a member of the Grand Army of the Republic 
 and of the Loyal Legion. There are hundreds of old soldiers in Indianapolis and 
 •scattered through the State, who fought in his brigade, and who remember well hi& 
 
bravery, his care for the men and his unselfish patriotism. If one meets a one- 
 armed veteran in the street here the simplest questions will call out a eulogy of 
 Harrison. The old soldiers remember him vividly for his tenacious care for their 
 rights. When he was a Colonel he saw to it that his regiment rece ; ved all the al¬ 
 lowances of every kind to which it was entitled, and when he led a brigade every 
 individual soldier felt that he had a friend in his commander, strict disciplinarian 
 though he was. 
 
 “ An old soldier whom I met quite by accident in a hotel here, told me this 
 anecdote: ‘ In the battle of Peach Tree Creek, one of the fights before Atlanta, 
 
 the surgeon of Harrison’s brigade was lost. No one knew where he was, but he 
 had disappeared. My recollection is that in the rapidly changing movements the 
 surgeon and his assistants had become tangled with another brigade, and were so 
 overwhelmed with duty there that they couldn’t get back to their own command. 
 However that may be, when the fight was over our field hospital was full of wounded, 
 and there was no one to attend them. The General just threw off his coat, tore 
 his own tent into strips, and went about bandaging wounds. He even tore his 
 shirt off his back and used it up in bandaging the boys’ wounds. When surgical 
 help arrived I remember what a sight the General was. Both his arms were bare, 
 and they were covered with blood from shoulders to finger-tips.’ ” 
 
 “ ‘ The men most fond of the General are the men who know him best.’ That 
 is the pithy sentence in which one of his oldest friends here sums up his opinion 
 of General Harrison’s personal character.” 
 
 HOW HE BECAME A SOLDIER. 
 
 Mrs. Harrison thus relates the circumstance of General Harrison’s enlistment: 
 u My husband enlisted in the army in July, 1862. Knowing Governor Morton in¬ 
 timately he went one morning in that month to consult him on some matter, and 
 while there in consultation the Governor said to him sadly that the call for 300,000 
 men by the President had been answered so slowly and with such reluctance, that 
 he did not know what would become of the country. There seemed to be no de¬ 
 sire to go to the front, and little patriotism to urge men forward. General Harri¬ 
 son immediately assured the Governor that there was one person in the State who 
 stood ready to go at any time, and that he would be found at the front as soon as 
 ordered there. Governor Morton thereupon asked him to recruit a regiment, and 
 without ever consulting his family he undertook the work and enlisted in the ser¬ 
 vice of his country. I knew nothing of it until he came home and told me about 
 it. I told him to go and do what he could to save the imperiled flag. I thought 
 it was his patriotic duty.” 
 
 A CONTRAST. 
 
 § 
 
 [Omaha Republican.] 
 
 'This anniversary of independence is a very appropriate day on which to re¬ 
 produce two pictures the Des Moines Register presents in parallel columns. That 
 in the first column is from a sketch of Mrs. Ben Harrison, written by a Washing¬ 
 ton correspondent: 
 
17 
 
 here was a certain solemn and aw¬ 
 ful day in her history in 1862, when 
 President Lincoln had called for “ 300,- 
 000 more,” and her loving husband, who 
 had just returned from a three months’ 
 service at the front, was called into the 
 office of the great war Governor, Oliver 
 P. Morton, who saw him passing by, and 
 said to him: “ Ben, these are discour¬ 
 
 aging days. I don’t know what we are 
 going to do with so many treasonable 
 elements to contend with in our State.” 
 Slowly and tentatively he continued: 
 
 Could you raise a company and go out 
 at its head to stimulate others by your 
 example?” The young man did not 
 hastily promise, but walked thought¬ 
 fully homeward into the presence of his 
 wife, hugged his little boy and girl with 
 more than usual tenderness, and said: 
 ■“ Carrie, the Governor wants me to go 
 back to the front. Can you and the 
 babies get along without me for a little 
 while again?” Mrs. Harrison, like the 
 patriotic woman she was, said, with a 
 blanched face and choking voice: “ Yes, 
 Ben, we will try to get along somehow, 
 if the country needs you.” 
 
 Scene, Buffalo. Time, 1862. 
 
 Grover Cleveland, a strong, lusty 
 young man of twenty-five, unmarried, 
 with no family depending upon him for 
 support, also hears the appeal of Lin¬ 
 coln, but gives no response, not even a 
 word of sympathy. The draft follows. 
 He locks his office door, walks down the 
 docks and hires a poor sailor, who goes 
 as his substitue, and afterwards is al¬ 
 lowed to die in the poor-house. 
 
 HIS HOME LIFE—GENERAL AND MRS. HARRISON RECEIVING. 
 
 [Indianapolis Cor. Philadelphia Press.] 
 
 The way is open for any visitor, of high or low degree, to enter this home. 
 The voice of the people has pronounced the signal which has opened its doors, and 
 the people themselves are flocking to look within. Yet there is no undignified, 
 discourteous rush. The visitors are many, but their manner is that of the self- 
 restrained, self-respecting American. I happened to walk up to the door to-day in 
 company with the Vermont delegation and a few Virginians, who had come from 
 Chicago on the same train. Ex-Governor Proctor headed the party, among whom 
 was Governor Oglesby. As they approached the steps the wire-screen doors opened, 
 showing a half dozen ladies in the hall. They were Mrs. Harrison herself, and a 
 half dozen ladies of Indianapolis, most of them old associates of hers in the First 
 Presbyterian Church, who were helping her to receive 
 
 As the visitors were introduced to her by Mr. William Henry Harrison Miller, 
 General Harrison’s law partner, she extended her hand with simple affability and 
 a smiling welcome to each. Some of them she had met before, and for each of 
 them she had an appropriate word. The sudden prominence which has befallen 
 the Harrison household has apparently had no untoward effect upon this matron. 
 Her smile is as cheery, her eye as clear, her cheeks as round and rosy, and her 
 whole bearing as natural and unaffected as when she was a young girl thirty-five 
 
 2 
 
18 
 
 years ago, the daughter of a college professor of mathematics. I doubt whether 
 any of the college boys, who doubtless admired her then, when young Ben. Harri¬ 
 son carried her away from Miami University as his greatest prize, would not ad¬ 
 mire her quite as much now, could they see the self-poise and womanly tact with 
 which she meets every demand of her trying position. Her hair is slightly gray 
 and her figure more full than in ihose days of her girlhood, but she has all the 
 beauty that clings about the honored mistress of an ideal household. In a mo¬ 
 ment General Harrison, who had been detained briefly by other callers, steps out 
 of the parlor into the hall. The visitors press forward with hands outstretched 
 and words of congratulation on their lips. 
 
 “ Thank you all,” he says. “ Walk in,” and he leads the way into the parlor, 
 where tongues wag fast until the call is ended and way is made for others. 
 
 General Harrison stands the test of his sudden good fortune with serene com¬ 
 posure. As he himself said, he felt more troubled when the bulletins of the bal¬ 
 lots showed that his nomination was assured than when failure seemed almost cer¬ 
 tain, because he knew something of what the strain and responsibility would be 
 that were coming, but now that his shoulders are under the load they bear it firmly 
 with the ease of conscioius strength. 
 
 General Harrison receives all the visitors with a warm clasp of the hand, a 
 cheery smile and a word of thanks for their congratulations. All public men differ 
 in their way of shaking hand, and General Harrison has his own method. 
 His hand is not large, but it is broad and well knit. He takes the visitors hand 
 well in his own, gives a quick, but not nervous pressure with all the fingers, and 
 instantly drops it. He does not linger over it; his smile is not solely of the lips. 
 It is of the eyes also. His eyes look straight into yours as you address him, and 
 there is light behind them that attracts a liking at once. 
 
 GOSSIP ABOUT THE WIFE OF THE REPUBLICAN NOMINEE FOR PRESIDENT. 
 
 [New York Press.] 
 
 No woman has figured in Washington society better able to fill the position of 
 mistress of the White House than Mrs. Benjamin Harrison. Well-born, well-bred 
 and well-educated, she has the easy charm of a woman of the world, yet without 
 one tinge of cynicism or hardness. Given the dangerous gift of wit, she has never 
 used it to sting or wound—one great reason for her personal success. There is no 
 one society respects more than a clever woman who can hold her tongue under 
 temptation. 
 
 For her bon mots and her claret punch, made after the “ Tippecanoe ” receipt, 
 the wife of the Republican nominee is famous, and be it said, she serves both with 
 discretion. Mrs. Harrison is a little woman, plump, fresh and wonderfully young 
 for one that assumed the responsibilities of life in her teens. As a girl she must 
 have been exceedingly pretty. The regular features, bright dark eyes and abund¬ 
 ant dark hair of the matron tell that. 
 
 The lady from Indiana has one of the greatest charms of her sex, a beautiful 
 little hand, every finger of which is straight and shapely, tapering at the ends with 
 a rosy nail. It is also very white and cared .for as a lady’s hand should be, not by 
 a manicure, but its owner. No such hand has been shaken in the White House 
 for at least this generation. In talking Mrs. Harrison uses her hands to empha¬ 
 sise her meaning, and does it gracefully. Her eyes, too, are very expressive, and 
 have in their depths a certain rogueishness that is captivating. 
 
19 
 
 “ During the last few administrations the Capital, and through it society at 
 large, has felt the need of a typical American woman at the head of the Executive 
 Mansion. A woman whose antecedents, whose life and whose personality would 
 give wholesome tone to society. One who had the capacity and the courage to 
 lead and would be accepted as a leader. This place the daughter of the learned 
 Professor Scott, of Oxford, and the wife of General Harrison, can fill. She has 
 the experience, the good feeling, the good breeding and the character which it de¬ 
 mands. 
 
 “ Mrs. Harrison is not a woman of fashion, but she dresses well and her gowns 
 “ fit.” As to her hair, it is arranged most becomingly in waves close to her face, 
 and drawn back into a knot fastened low on the neck. Mrs. Harrison carries her¬ 
 self with dignity, never degenerating into stiffness. She has been and always will 
 be a woman who knows what is due to her position—no fear that any one will be 
 called upon to make ‘explanations’ or ‘apologize’ for her.” 
 
 THE HARRISON FAMILY AT WASHINGTON. 
 
 • [Washington Special to Philadelphia Press.] 
 
 “The family of General Harrison are pleasantly remembered in Washington 
 from their six winter’s residence here during his recent senatorial term. They 
 were kindly, cordial people, not able to housekeep here in the style of wealthier 
 Senators, as General Harrison lived mainly on his salary and contributed to the 
 support of a widowed sister besides. But, though plain in purse, they had always 
 the prestige of distinguished family on both sides, and took their senatorial posi¬ 
 tion naturally and easily, too well balanced to strain for display beyond their reach, 
 but receiving their friends and the calling world in general with well-bred hospi¬ 
 tality in their hotel or boarding-house parlors. 
 
 “ The first winter they boarded at the Riggs House, and there their only son, 
 Russell, in visiting his parents and sister, met his future life-partner in the person 
 of Miss Mamie Saunders, a young blonde beauty, the only child of the then senior 
 Senator from Nebraska, who was just home from boarding-school. Some three 
 years later they were married, and are now residing in Helena, M. T. They have 
 a baby daughter a few months old. Miss Mary Harrison, the General’s only 
 daughter, married Mr. James Robert McKee, a young merchant of Indianapolis, 
 shortly after the marriage of her brother, and a little son, born to them last year, 
 bears the name of Benjamin Harrison McKee. Miss Harrison was one of the 
 most popular girls in Washington society, and belonged to the set of which Dora 
 Miller, the California Senator Miller’s brilliant daughter; Miss Me Elroy, niece of 
 President Arthur; Miss Jennie Sherrill, Miss Kate Bayard and Miss Virginia 
 Cameron were a few others of noteworthy interest. Mrs. McKee is a devotedly 
 happy wife and daughter. Her fair young face will grace the White House not 
 less effectively than its present bonnie mistress, while her mother, Mrs. Harrison, 
 the comely wife of the General, will be near and precious to every patriotic 
 American heart, as a representative soldier’s wife.” 
 
 harrison’s personal characteristics. 
 
 [Indianapolis Correspondence in Philadelphia Press.] 
 
 “ Though commonly known among the people here as ‘ Ben ’ Harrison, the ex- 
 Senator is not given to rude familiarity. He is intensely popular, yet he has about 
 him a manly dignity that inspires respect, while it does not repel liking. I do not 
 believe it possible to find a man in Indianapolis who does not know him, at least 
 
20 
 
 by sight, and vet the General was never known to enter a saloon in the city. His; 
 public prominence has no back passages leading to it that start in*the slums and 
 wind through the devious ways of ward politics. 
 
 “As his personal character has been of singularly even growth, the result of an 
 upright nature full of generous traits, governed by an even temperament and sub¬ 
 jected to an iron will, so his popularity and his influence over men are the natural 
 result of a clear, simple, commanding mental and spiritual stature. 
 
 “ His manner is frank and cordial; his greeting warm ; his whole bearing at¬ 
 tractive. He has a singular faculty of making friends. He has all the courtesy 
 of good will to others. Not only are his friends legion, but they have the warm¬ 
 est attachment to him as he has to them. He is a somewhat reticent man as to his 
 own affairs, and does not impart inmost confidences to a stranger. His long legal 
 training has made him deliberate and cautious in that respect, and he is not ef* 
 fusive. But he is a friendly, sociable, unassuming American gentleman. 
 
 “The visitor to General Harrison’s house will scarcely have crossed the threshold 
 before he discovers another trait of his character. As the ostensible master of the 
 house walks through the hall the real king of the establishment appears—Benja¬ 
 min McKee, the General’s grandson, whose experience of this life spans only fifteen 
 months. The baby crows when he sees his grandfather, and every trace of the 
 busy lawyer and dignified statesman disappear in an instant as the child is lifted 
 in his welcoming arms. Then there is a romp with the baby for half an hour. 
 The General’s fondness for children is not limited to his own descendant. Every 
 boy and girl in the neighborhood knows him and loves him, as he knows and loves 
 them all. There is something in the sweet innocence and unconscious trust of 
 childhood that has a peculiar charm for this husband and father. There is some¬ 
 thing in his kindly way and protecting manner that must have a peculiar charm 
 for childhood. Mrs. McKee, the young mother of this petted grandson, is a tall, 
 slender, graceful lady, with dark hair and eyes, and a social charm that would be 
 difficult to describe.” 
 
 A GOOD PEN PICTURE. 
 
 [Boston Advertiser.] 
 
 “ General Harrison is a man slightly under medium height. His figure, how¬ 
 ever, is ve^y broad and compact. His large head is set well down between his 
 broad, high shoulders, as his neck is very short. His face is of an almost deadly 
 pallor, although the Senator enjoys excellent health. It is the complexion of a 
 recluse. His eyes are a grayish blue, deeply set under a very prominent bulging 
 f©rehead. His nose is straight, slightly curving outward, and square at the end. 
 His thin-lipped mouth is shaded by a very light, long, curling moustache, while 
 the lower part of his face is hidden in a long, sandy, gray beard. The hair upon 
 his head is of the same color, and is combed very smoothly tight to his head 
 so as to show plainly the outline of the skull. He always dresses plainly in black, 
 and has a great fashion of walking up and down the Senate chamber with his 
 hands in his pockets.” 
 
 LIKES HIS HOME. 
 
 [Special in Pittsburg Dispatch .J 
 
 “ The General has a strong prejudice in favor of Indianapolis as to other 
 things besides base ball. It was shown by a remark he let fall to the correspondent 
 to-day: ‘ It has often been suggested to me that I should go to New York,’ he 
 
 said, ‘ but I don’t think I could do it. I’m a fellow that roots deeply. I think it 
 
21 
 
 would almost break my heart to have to leave this home and start a new one 
 somewhere else. I suppose I could make more money in New York, but I don’t 
 think it would repay me for my home.’ ” 
 
 HIS DEMOCRATIC WAYS. 
 
 [Indianapolis Special in Pittsburg Dispatch.] 
 
 “ A story was told by one of his friends to-day illustrating General Harrison’s 
 simplicity of life. A week ago, it is said, a Catholic Church fair was about to be 
 opened here, and the managers asked a number of leading men, including ex- 
 Governor Porter, Governor Gray and General Harrison to make speeches upon 
 the occasion. General Harrison also would be most happy. The committee hinted 
 that if he would name a convenient hour a carriage would be in waiting. ‘ Oh, 
 never mind that,’ said the General, ‘ this is for a benevolent object, and there is no 
 need of spending any of ihe money for a carriagerfor me. I had just as lief go in 
 a street car.’ ” 
 
 IMPRESSIONS OF A MASSACHUSETTS DELEGATE WHO CALLED AT INDIANAPOLIS EN 
 
 ROUTE HOME. 
 
 [Boston Special to New York Tribune.] 
 
 “ J. Henry Gould, one of the Massachusetts delegates to the national convention 
 at Chicago, did not return to Boston until Friday. After the convention ad¬ 
 journed he went to Indianapolis, where he congratulated General Harrison, for 
 whom he had voted from first to last, and took part in a great ratification meeting. 
 He was the only member of the Massachusetts delegation to visit Indianapolis at 
 that time. When asked, upon his return to Boston, what he thought of the action 
 of the convention, he said : 
 
 “‘The nomination of General Harrison was the best possible solution of the 
 question before the national convention, and prevented heart-burnings in the party. 
 I took the position that the doubtful States should be consulted on the selection of 
 candidates, as those States would really be the battle-ground for the campaign. I 
 adhered to this view from the time of leaving home until the nominations were 
 made. I had the confidence of General Harrison’s managers and attended all 
 their conferences, and am glad to say that his candidacy was conducted in the 
 most honorable manner. They antagonized no other candidate, consequently a 
 friendly feeling prevailed in all the delegations for Harrison. The New York 
 delegation was sincere and earnest on its vote for General Harrison as the most 
 available candidate before the convention, as he was a brave soldier and a man of 
 excellent record in the United States Senate, was said to be the father of the pen¬ 
 sion bill which was afterward adopted by the Grand Army of the Republic, and is 
 the strongest and most popular man in his own State, a man of high character and 
 a man of brains.’ 
 
 “ ‘ What state of affairs did you find in Indianapolis?’ 
 
 “‘Upon my arrival there on Tuesday afternoon the population seemed to have 
 turned out en mass in honor of the presidential nominee, and men, women and 
 children were rivaling one another in expressions of joy. Thousands of trumpets 
 were sounding, bands were playing, American flags were flying from many build¬ 
 ings. Arches spanned some streets. Bunting was everywhere, and in fact the city 
 seemed wild with joy at the choice which the convention had made. General Har¬ 
 rison, when called upon at his home, did not seem elated with success; but, while 
 
22 
 
 appreciating the high honor which had been conferred upon him, was perfectly 
 self-possessed, and greeted us all in a friendly manner. He seemed to lose sight of 
 himself in his earnestness for the party success, and impressed us as being the man 
 for the hour and a true representative of the Republican party. Mrs. Harrison 
 won the hearts of all by the charming manner in which she received her guests, 
 and everything in the house bespoke domestic happiness. The people of Indiana 
 assured us that they would attend to Indiana themselves, and would not require 
 outside assistance, and they predicted a majority of 15,000 for Harrison. The mass 
 meeting of the evening was attended by 8,000 people, it is estimated, among them 
 the survivors of the old Tippecanoe Club, with a small log cabin, which they had 
 carried in procession in 1840, and also the banner which the club carried in that 
 year. It was a remarkably enthusiastic meeting, and mention of General Har¬ 
 rison’s name was received with deafening applause.’ ” 
 
 A letter from Indianapolis to the New York Sun gives this picture of General 
 Harrison: 
 
 “ General Harrison to-night showed little sign of what must have been the 
 fatigue of the past thirty-six hours. He wore the same black sack coat, with a 
 vest swelling out comfortably at the rotundity of the waist. He has almost enough 
 roundness to qualify him for an Alderman. The golden badge of the California 
 delegation to Chicago rested upon a bit of white watered ribbon on his right breast, 
 and the little G. A. R. button was in his left lapel. A plain gold watch-chain was 
 all his jewelry. A snowy turned-down collar and a black and white four-in-hand 
 tie showed at his throat. His complexion, of an even cream whiteness, was fresh 
 and clear, and there was no rumple or other sign of nervousness in the fine, silky, 
 short hair and beard, dark at the roots and turning white at the ends, with odd 
 variations of grayness between. His gray eyes were open and clear as usual. The 
 day had been an easy one compared with yesterday, though there was a constant 
 stream of callers, and telegrams and letters by the hundred.” 
 
 ANECDOTES OF HIS LIFE, 
 
 HE WORKED FOR BUT ONE OFFICE. 
 
 [Philadelphia Press Special.] 
 
 “ With the possibility of a Presidential nomination so imminent as it was last 
 Wednesday, one might expect that some signs of perturbation could be detected in 
 the daily movements and current speech of this captain of Indiana Republicanism. 
 But I found General Harrison unruffled and serene. He fulfills the everyday du¬ 
 ties of home, office and society as tranquilly as though there were no chance of 
 their interruption. I remarked to him to-day that, however equable his tempera¬ 
 ment, it was hardly possible that he could think of his nomination for the Pres¬ 
 idency by the Republicans of the United States with entire calmness. He replied 
 at once: 
 
 “ ‘ I have not allowed it to disturb me in the least. I have seen too much of 
 the uncertainties of political life, in the first place; and in the next place, I have 
 seen not a little of the cares, anxieties, responsibilities and worries that surround 
 
23 
 
 the Presidency.” The General went on to speak of how he had observed and ap¬ 
 preciated the wearing care that clouded Garfield’s brow, and added : “ I have 
 
 never spoken or written, directly or indirectly, to any living man a word about this 
 matter. As I have often told my friends, there was never but one political office 
 that I wanted, and I wanted that because I needed it. That was when I was a 
 poor young lawyer, just before the war, with a family. I really wanted then the 
 position of Reporter of the Supreme Court. Since then I can truthfully say that I 
 have never sought for myself public place.” 
 
 harrison’s first fee. 
 
 [Special in Philadelphia Press.] 
 
 “ General Harrison himself told me an interesting anecdote during an afternoon 
 drive last week that serves to illustrate the sharp poverty of his earliest days of 
 professional struggle. 
 
 “ Mr. Miller proposed that the carriage pass by the house where the General 
 lived with his young bride when he first came to Indianapolis from Ohio. The 
 carriage presently drew up before this early home. It stands to-day just as it stood 
 then, only in those days it was in the outskirts of Indianapolis, while now houses 
 stretch many blocks beyond it. The house is a little, ofie-story frame structure, 
 containing but three rooms, but the lawyer and his bride, when they settled there 
 in 1854, were as happy as youthful-hope and love could make them-. 
 
 “As we sat in the carriage looking at this humble abode, General Harrison 
 was moved to tell a story, which I shall repeat as nearly as may be in his own 
 words: 
 
 “ ‘Right in front of that door/’ he said, “I received my first lawyer’s fee. It 
 was the first Sunday in our new home, and I had walked out on the sidewalk in 
 the afternoon, and was standing there looking with some pride at the front of the 
 house, when a man clattered up on horseback. He quickly made known his er¬ 
 rand. A man had been arrested at Clermont, about eight miles from here, on the 
 charge of obtaining money under false pretenses. The rider wished me to appear 
 before the Justice of the Peace there for the prosecution. I agreed to do so, and he 
 handed me a five dollar gold piece. It was not an enormous fee, but I was glad to 
 have it. The sum was hardly large enough to warrant a buggy, so the next morn¬ 
 ing I rode to Clermont on the back of a pony that I hired at a stable. I came 
 back home that night pretty well chafed, but I had succeeded in what I went for.’ ” 
 
 PADDEED HIS OWN CANOE. 
 
 L. B. Lewis, of Indianapolis, gives the following account of the first time he 
 ever met Gen. Ben Harrison. Mr. Lewis was, for twenty years or more, in part¬ 
 nership with a Pennsylvania German by the name of Eichelberger, in the milling 
 business at Lawrenceburg. The mill, like all mills of that period, did custom work 
 chiefly, and farmers living on the river above and below Lawrenceburg brought 
 their grists in skiffs to the landing near the mill. The miller would go for it with 
 a dray, do the grinding immediately, and return the flour and bran to the skiff, and 
 the farmers would row it home, sometimes many miles. Mr. Eichelberger was a 
 very intelligent man, and especially fond of boys, with whom he always engaged 
 in conversation while they were waiting for their grinding. One afternoon, nearly 
 forty-five years ago, Mr. Lewis, going to the mill, noticed two country boys in the 
 farmer costume of the period, but neat and clean, one about twelve and the other 
 a year or two older. “ Whose boys are these?” asked Mr. Lewis. 
 
24 
 
 “ Scott Harrrison’s,” replied Mr. Eichelberger, with enthusiasm and a spirit of 
 prophesy. “ They brought a grist to mill and are waiting for it. But that little 
 fellow—Ben they call him—why, he is sharp as tacks There is nothing that he 
 does not seem to be posted on. He seems equally at home on farming or politics. 
 I tell you, if he lives he will be President of the United States before he is as old 
 as his grandfather was.” 
 
 In a little while the grist was done and taken to the skiff, and that “ little fel¬ 
 low, Ben,” they called him, took his seat at the oar by the side of his bigger brother, 
 and they pulled away and were soon out of sight, rowing up stream at that. “ I 
 have known Harrison ever since,” Mr. Lewis said, “ and he has always been pad¬ 
 dling his own canoe.” 
 
 OUTSIDERS’ GOSSIP—GENERAL HARRISON’S LACK OF WEALTH AND SOME OF THE 
 
 CAUSES THEREOF. 
 
 Llndianapolis Letter in New York World.] 
 
 The General’s law partner, Mr. Miller, is a Presbyterian, like the General, and 
 goes to the same church. He is a thin, brainy-looking man, whose health can not 
 be good. Short gray whiskers hide his chin, and his big, intellectual forehead is 
 all the more prominent by reason of incipient baldness. He is lively, enthusiastic 
 and good-natured, but does not seem to go crazy like the rest of his townsmen. 
 Mr. Miller corroborates the statement made by, another that* General Harrison’s 
 wealth, all told, would not amount to more than $40,000, or at the outside, $50,000. 
 
 “I’ll tell you,” he said, “it is an actual fact that General Harrison’s entire in¬ 
 come, outside of that received from his law practice, doe* not amount to over $1,500. 
 He is not interested in any local corporations, and so far as I can now remember, 
 never has been.” 
 
 “Is it not strange that, having lived so long in the city, General Harrison has 
 held no offices or directorships of banks or organizations of such sort?” 
 
 “ No. It is explained by the fact that he didn’t have money. The truth is 
 that he has given away more money in charity every year than a good many good 
 lawyers make. He has stuck to his business, but has not demanded fees at all pro¬ 
 portionate to the work he did or nearly as large as his reputation would justify his 
 demanding. Many men with whom he has been associated have done far better in 
 a pecuniary sense than he.” 
 
 COMMENTS OF THE PRESS. 
 
 A RELIGIOUS ORGAN WHICH SUPPORTED ST. JOHN RALLIES TO THE HARRISON 
 
 STANDARD. 
 
 [New York Independent.] 
 
 “ Wisdom wins in Chicago, and the Republican party is to be congratulated. It 
 has escaped a great peril, and achieved a great result. It has a nominee who will 
 make it a united and harmonious party, and lead it to victory. It will put aside 
 all differences, it will cease to be Blaine and anti-Blaine, and it will only remem¬ 
 ber that it has a battle to fight and a strong and alert enemy to overcome. 
 
 “There is great political wisdom in the nomination of Benjamin Harrison, of 
 Indiana. Chosen from a list of most excellent candidates, he is unquestionably 
 
25 
 
 the best man the convention could have chosen. His record is without spot or 
 stain. We mention that fact first because a clean candidate is the first requisite. 
 No other would be acceptable to the Christian people of the country. Mr. Hardi¬ 
 son is a clean man. He is also an able man. He was a soldier in the late war, 
 and earned by hard service his military title. In every Presidential battle in In¬ 
 diana since the Republican party was organized he has taken part, save in the 
 struggle of 1864, when he was in the army. As United States Senator he distin¬ 
 guished himself as a sound, wise and useful legislator, and he is dear to the Re¬ 
 publican heart of Indiana. No man is more beloved in that State than General 
 Harrison, and it must be remembered that Indiana is a doubtful State, and it is 
 extremely desirable that it should be carried for the Republican party. The nom¬ 
 ination of Harrison will not only make this possible, but certain. The convention 
 at St. Louis passed by Indiana, which had a prominent candidate for Vice Presi¬ 
 dent in Governor Gray, and took up Thurman, of Ohio. That was a political 
 blunder by which the Republican party will profit. Harrison will rescue Indiana. 
 
 “ General Harrison is a grandson of President William Henry Harrison, the 
 hero of Tippecanoe. He comes, therefore, of excellent stock, though he began life 
 without money and without family aid. A man of sturdy character and strong 
 convictions, a communicant of the Presbyterian Church, dignified but not distant 
 in his personal bearing, an eloquent speaker, he has great power over men, and 
 his standard in the coming campaign will evoke a whirlwind of enthusiasm. 
 
 “ The name to be associated with General Harrison’s on the ticket is that of 
 Mr. Levi P. Morton, ex-Minister to France. Mr. Morton stands high in the confi¬ 
 dence of financial and business circles in New York City, and will give the ticket 
 great strength in the Empire State. Indiana and New York are pivotal States, 
 and no ticket that could have been nominated would have made them safer for the 
 Republican column than that of Harrison and Morton. It is a ticket that means 
 victory. 
 
 “ The Republican party is again on solid ground. It has returned to its old 
 traditions. It has given us a ticket which Christian men and men of conviction 
 can heartily support. Those who left the party in 1884 can now return and vote 
 for men as well as principles. There is no excuse for continued alienation. Let 
 us close up our ranks and have an old-fashioned Republican victory in November.” 
 
 AN IRISH-A MERIC AN OPINION. 
 
 [American Celt, St. Louis.] 
 
 “ The recent exciting and protracted contest as to the nomination of the Repub¬ 
 lican standard-bearers was insignificant in more than one respect. It was a con¬ 
 vention of the representatives of a party out of power, showing a large amount of 
 derangement, and yet a decided tendency to recuperation. The convention was a 
 truly representative one, and it was impossible to stampede in the interest of any 
 man. Gen. Harrison, of Indiana, and Mr. Levi P. Morton, of New York, were 
 the leaders of the hosts between which the real battle was fought. Gen. Harrison 
 is a man of the people, who has filled positions of official trust, while Mr. Morton 
 is a successful banker, who has risen by his own efforts from an humble occupation 
 to a high social and political position, and as popular as any man in New York 
 State. In these champions the East and the West are united, and for the first time 
 since 1880. They pome together to defeat the aims and purposes of Grover Cleve¬ 
 land and the free-trade wing of the Democratic party. 
 
26 
 
 “ Bat what is the main issue of the campaign? What is the real question be¬ 
 tween the Republican and Democratic parties? Let us answer in the outset that 
 ifcis not a question as to the merits of party in itself, or rather in relation to the 
 offices. The real question turns upon the struggle of protection to American in¬ 
 dustry, as against the principle of free trade, as advocated by the disciples of the 
 Cobden Club, of England. It has fallen to the lot of America to adopt a tariff for 
 the protection of American manufactures against ruinous competition of foreign 
 labor, and the working of the experiment is the best argument in favor of the con¬ 
 tinuance. Since the war America has witnessed almost unexampled prosperity. 
 There could be no better illustration of the advantages of a tariff system than a 
 comparison of the wages paid in Europe and America. As a nation, we have had 
 a broad and ample experience of the influences of a tariff system on our industrial 
 prosperity, and we are now summoned by Grover Cleveland to listen to the siren 
 voice of the manufacturers of Great Britain. With the exception of a certain 
 class of humanitarians, who conceive it their duty to wage war in favor of work¬ 
 ingmen across the Atlantic, we know of no class of men, except Grover Cleveland 
 and his Cabinet, who wish to see America adopt a free trade policy. 
 
 “We have dwelt upon the convention and its candidates so long that we have 
 left ourselves little space for urging upon our Irish American friends their duty 
 in the coming campaign. We will say to them as Americans, as freemen, that the 
 time has arrived when all divisions and animosities should cease, in order to res¬ 
 cue this glorious land from a hateful Anglo-manian domination. We hope that 
 Irish-Americans will discard all past alliances, put aside all present fears, and 
 dread no future coalitions, in the single hope of carrying to speedy victory a ban¬ 
 ner inscribed with these devices: ‘Harrison and Morton/ ‘Protection to American 
 Labor and Industry/ ‘Protection of the American Citizen at Home and Abroad.’”, 
 
 AVAILABLE FOR HIMSELF. 
 
 * 
 
 [New York World (Dem.)] 
 
 “ It will be said of Mr. Harrison that he is nominated for his name; that if 
 his grandfather had not been President of the United States and his great-grand¬ 
 father a signer of the Declaration of Independence, he would not have been the 
 candidate. But this is idle talk. Mr. Harrison is available without reference to 
 the honorable positions occupied by his ancestors. In the first place he is a promi¬ 
 nent citizen of a doubtful State, and he had the support of its delegates all but 
 unanimously. He has a good soldier record, having gone into the war a second 
 lieutenant of volunteers and having come out of it a brevet brigadier-general. He 
 is a thoroughly equipped lawyer and has experience as a statesman, having served 
 creditably for six years in the United States Senate. He has always acted as a 
 straight party man, and his honesty has never been questioned. Moreover, he has 
 always been a practical civil service reformer and an extreme protectionist, and 
 when in Congress he favored tax reduction by the abolition of internal revenue 
 duties.” 
 
 A REPRESENTATIVE REPUBLICAN. 
 
 [New York Press.l 
 
 “ That General Harrison represents the principles of the Republican party is 
 not susceptible of a doubt. His speeches and votes in the Senate speak for them¬ 
 selves. He is a firm believer in the American policy of protection. He believes 
 in an honest vote and a fair count. He has always been a friend to the soldiers, 
 
27 
 
 and no one fought more loyally than Senator Harrison for the admission of Da¬ 
 kota. Altogether, the more you think about General Harrison and the more you 
 know about him the better you like him. His has been a citizenship that ought to 
 appeal to every young American. The honor that has come to him has been well 
 earned by a life of industry, patriotism and integrity. With such an excellent 
 candidate, with the stars and stripes as our symbol, and the memories of old Tip¬ 
 pecanoe in our songs, we ought to everlastingly whip the free-traders this fall, and 
 if we try we will do it without a doubt.” 
 
 A STATESMAN FOE, PEESIDENT. 
 
 [Philadelphia Inquirer.] 
 
 “ Benjamin Harrison’s record in the Senate is pretty good evidence of his 
 statesmanship. The conspicuous events of his six years’ term were his report favor¬ 
 ing the admission of Dakota as a State, his speech on the application of civil-service 
 reform to the State of Indiana, his position on the silver question—on which he 
 declared himself a bimetallist, but with a conviction that the ratio of silver and 
 gold coin needed changing—his work on the foreign relations committee, which 
 prepared the Chinese restriction bill, which was accepted on the Pacific coast as the 
 best bill that could have been drawn within the provisions of the treaty, and his 
 course on the question of contract labor. In a speech in the Senate on this subject 
 he held that, while the largest possible freedom should be extended to foreigners 
 immigrating to become citizens, the importation of contract labor should be for¬ 
 bidden.” 
 
 EQUAL TO ANY SINCE LINCOLN. 
 
 [A. H. McClure, in Philadelphia Times.] 
 
 “The nomination of Gen. Benjamin Harrison as the Bepublican candidate for 
 President is admittedly highly creditable to the party. He is not one of the great 
 leaders of Republicanism, but he is the equal in intellectual power, public experi¬ 
 ence and creditable record in statesmanship of any of the Republican Presidents 
 since Lincoln. * * * He is the grandson of a soldier-statesman and President; 
 he is a soldier-statesman himself, and he is a man against whose character, either 
 as a citizen, soldier, or statesman, the tongue of scandal can not wag. It is only 
 just to say that General Harrison is a clean, creditable presidential candidate, and 
 his nomination invites the country to turn from the fiendish jackals of the low- 
 grade politics to soberly consider and decide the grave national issues which are 
 to be decided by the American people in November next.” 
 
 THE IEISH FOE GENEEAL HAEEISON. 
 
 [American Celt, St. Louis.] 
 
 “As we go to press, word reaches us that Benjamin Harrison, of Indiana, is 
 nominated by the Chicago convention as the candidate of the Republican party 
 for President. No estimate of the result of Mr. Harrison’s nomination has any 
 value, that does not start with the fact that the people, through their chosen rep¬ 
 resentatives, and the people alone nominated him. 
 
 “ Since the days of Abraham Lincoln, no other candidate of either party has 
 been so clearly the choice of a convention representing the masses of the Repub¬ 
 lican party. Mr. Harrison had no patronage to help him. Most of the delegates 
 
28 
 
 represented doubtful States. His votes did not come from States where the Re¬ 
 publican party is weak and helpless. We believe a nomination so obtained means 
 victory for Harrison and protection to American industry. We believe there is 
 an excellent prospect of the revival of the foreign policy of the lamented Garfield. 
 The nomination of Gen. Benjamin Harrison is a strong, brilliant and pacific one.” 
 
 SOUND ON THE TARIFF. 
 
 [Peoria Transcript.] 
 
 “ On the tariff question General Harrison is pre-eminently sound. No other 
 candidate whose name was presented to the convention, James G. Blaine included, 
 has a more consistent record as an advocate of the policy of protection to Ameri¬ 
 can industry, and he came honestly enough by his protective tariff principles. 
 He comes of an old Whig ancestry, and was an advocate of protective tariff even 
 before he became a voter. In his later career he has defined his position on the 
 question too often and too eloquently to leave any doubt or conjecture about the 
 fact that in the entire length and breadth of the land there is no more pronounced 
 and consistent advocate of the American idea on the tariff question than Gen¬ 
 eral Harrison.” 
 
 AN INDEPENDENT DEMOCRATIC TRIBUTE. 
 
 [Lafayette Times.] 
 
 “ In this political campaign, the Sunday Times will not be found for or against 
 the Republican candidate for the presidency. The Times is an independent paper 
 —with opinions, and it will have no other than kind words for General Benjamin 
 Harrison. 
 
 “ He is the chosen candidate of his party for the highest office in the gift of the 
 people. So far as the Times is concerned, he shall have fair treatment all along 
 the line. The man of the party who underrates General Harrison makes a mis¬ 
 take. He may not arouse as much enthusiasm as the “ magnetic man from Maine,” 
 but he is a man of unblemished private and public life, against whom nothing that 
 is derogatory can be truthfully said, except that he is a Republican in the strictest 
 sense, which is a good indorsement with his party friends. It is probably true that 
 General Harrison is no stronger than his party in Indiana, but he is no weaker 
 than his party. The warfare must be waged on the principles which divide the 
 people. Let us be thankful for all this.” 
 
 A CONTRAST AND COMPARISON. 
 
 [Noblesville Ledger.] 
 
 “ General Harrison offered the first dependent pension bill in the Senate. Grover 
 Cleveland was the first President to veto a dependent pension bill. We ask a can¬ 
 did comparison of the loyalty of these two candidates.” 
 
 ACCOMMODATING. 
 
 [Philadelphia Press.] 
 
 “We trust Harrison and Morton will be satisfied with a majority of 25,000 in 
 the city of Philadelphia. If not, let them say so and we will make it 30,000. In 
 this latitude the motto is: ‘ We study to please.’ ” 
 
1 
 
 29 
 
 A HARVEST FOR THE BUTTON MAN. 
 
 [Boston Journal.] 
 
 “The dealer who gets first into the market with Harrison badges and Harrison 
 ^buttons has a harvest before him. Republicans are so delighted with the ticket 
 that they are in a hurry to have some external expression of their feelings.” 
 
 WHY IRISH-AMERICANS SUPPORT HARRISON. 
 
 [American Celt.] 
 
 “ A great many independent Irish-Americans support General Harrison because 
 'they know that he will oppose British arrogance and protect American citizenship 
 abroad.” 
 
 THE IRISH DO NOT WANT FREE TRADE. 
 
 [New York Special.] 
 
 At a well-attended meeting held under the auspices of the Irish-American 
 Republican Association in Military Hall of the Bowery, the following lively reso¬ 
 lutions were adopted : 
 
 11 Resolved, That no Cleveland-Bayard traitorous ‘ Joe ’ Chamberlain, fishery, 
 free trade, pro-British combination will do for us. 
 
 “ Resolved , That we will make manifest our desire to serve the country of our 
 adoption by a true loyalty to the Republican party, since it is the only one that 
 preserves the interests of the toiling masses of this Republic. 
 
 “ Resolved , That we can not be stampeded by a bigot’s speech, a rain-storm or 
 other untoward incidents, but stand true to the cause of the party which best pro¬ 
 tects the interests of American industry, namely, the Republican party, and that 
 we will endeavor to make it another Fontenoy for Britain and her treacherous 
 allies in this country.” 
 
 Michael P. Murphy presided and delivered an address on protection and 
 .higher wages. 
 
 Ex-Judge Badgely, of the Supreme Court of California, also spoke. 
 
 THE TARIFF IN INDIANA. 
 
 New Albany Special to Commercial-Gazette. 
 
 ^A gentleman who owns one of the largest furniture factories in th« city, and 
 who all hia life has been a Democrat, declares he will support Harrison. This 
 gentleman has five sons who are voters, all of whom follow him into the ranks of 
 protection. 
 
 “ A Democrat, who has been a State Senator from this district, and who is a 
 large stockholder in one of the rolling mills of this city, and who has always been 
 a decided Democrat, comes out from the British free-trade party, and arrays him¬ 
 self on the side of Harrison and American interests. Two other members of the 
 same firm, both Democrats, and who have held responsible county offices, to which 
 they were elected as Democratic nominees, also declare for Harrison and protec¬ 
 tion. 
 
 “ A banker and manufacturer, having varied interests in the industrial estab¬ 
 lishments of the city and elsewhere, attended the Republican ratification meeting 
 -Saturday night, and is enthusiastic. 
 
30 
 
 “ All these are men of prominence and influence, and this list could be largely 
 extended. But these are enough to show the trend of the public opinion in this 
 heretofore benighted Democratic section. 
 
 “ A young man said to your correspondent to-day: ‘ I belong to a political 
 club composed of young men who will cast their first vote in November next. In 
 this club as members are twenty-two young men who belong to Democratic fami¬ 
 lies, and have been brought up in the strictest principles of Democracy, every one 
 of whom are red-hot for Harrison, Morton and protection to American industries, 
 American labor and American homes.’ He named the young men, but thinks it 
 not good policy to make their names public. 
 
 “Talk about Harrison not carrying Indiana! His majority will run very 
 considerably above ten thousand.” 
 
 Note. —The best evidence of Gen. Harrison’s popularity with the working¬ 
 men rests in the fact that at his own home, there are eight large clubs composed 
 exclusively of mechanics, who are supporting him. The membership of these 
 clubs already numbers over 3,000. One club is composed entirely of railroad em¬ 
 ployes, with a membership of nearly 1,000. 
 
I 
 
 1 
 
HIS OPINIONS IN 1878. 
 
 In 1878 Gen. Harrison was a candidate for no office, he was 
 seeking no votes, but in a speech delivered at Richmond, in 
 this State, on the 9th of August of that year, he thus spoke of 
 the wages of workingmen, and what he thought ought to be done 
 for them: 
 
 “ Another direction in which practical relief may be given 
 to large classes of laboring men is in the laws securing and en¬ 
 forcing prompt payment of wages. In the case of labor debts 
 owing by railroad corporations, the courts have, in the exer¬ 
 cise of their equity powers, without legislation, given a prefer¬ 
 ence over mortgage bonds to labor claims accrued within six 
 months of the appointment of a receiver. The equity of a 
 laborer whose wages have been unjustly withheld for seven 
 months is certainly not weakened by his added month of wait¬ 
 ing. There seems to be no good reason why there should not 
 be given by proper legislation to the employes of ^11 corpora¬ 
 tions and manufacturing companies a first lien for wages due. 
 Such a law might not be operative in the full against existing 
 mortgages, but it would be as to all future liens. Holders of 
 mortgage securities would then have an interest to see that 
 wages were paid, while they could protect themselves against 
 the mismanagement of those who controlled the enterprise by 
 making the non-payment of these labor liens a cause of forfeit¬ 
 ure of the mortgage entitling the mortgagee to foreclose. If 
 any railroad or other business enterprise can not earn enough 
 to pay the labor that operates it and the interest on the bonds, 
 no right-minded man can hesitate to say which ought to be 
 paid first. The men who have invested money in' the enter¬ 
 prise, or loaned money on its securities, ought to have the right 
 to stop the business when net earnings fail, but they can not 
 honestly appropriate the earnings of the engineer, or brake- 
 
 man, or laborer. 
 
 “ When a court, on motion of the bondholders, seizes a rail¬ 
 road and operates it by a receiver, the chancellor will yield 
 ^tiling for interest on the bonds tili he has paid the men who 
 ite the road. Why should there be any other rule for a 
 President? But not only should payment be made 
 promptness should be enforced. Great wrong is 
 delay, though ultimate payment may be certain, 
 forced to buy on credit at enhanced prices or sell 
 iavy discount. This, I believe, could be reme- 
 prohibiting, under proper penalties, the di- 
 to other purposes until the labor roll is