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Show Evarts Was Just a Plain Man Secretary of State Could Not Conceal His Dislike for Conkling When Sir Richard Webster Praised the Senator. Two famous men of yesterday who were naturally repellant, and for no good reason that was apparent to their friends, were William M. Evarts and Roscoe Conkling, and the intense antipathy, an-tipathy, often bordering on downright hatred, that they bore for each other was productive of at least one incident inci-dent illustrative of how small some great men can be at times. When, in 1872, Mr. Evarts acted as chief counsel for the United States before the celebrated Geneva Court of Arbitration, be made the acquaintance acquaint-ance of Sir Richard E. Webster, who, in 1900, was raised to the peerage and the same year became Lord Chief Justice of England. The friendship then established was continued by correspondence cor-respondence after Mr. Evarts had returned re-turned home, and when the latter learned that Sir Richard was planning to make a trip to America he gave the British Jurist a cordial Invitation Invita-tion to visit him at his home in Washington. Wash-ington. Mr. Evarts was then secretary secre-tary of state. In due course the Englishman arrived ar-rived at the Evarts mansion and was taken by his host to meet President Hays. Now, it 60 happened that the next day Roscoe Conkling was to make an Important speech in the senate sen-ate chamber. The president knew this; he also knew of his secretary of state's dislike of ConkliDg, and, half In the spirit of mischief and half because be-cause he wanted the visitor from abroad to hear American oratory at its best, he volunteered the information informa-tion that Sir Richard ought surely to visit the senate chamber the next afternoon. The Eng'ishman replying that he would be pleased to do so, there rerqained nothing for his host to do but to exercise his prerogative as head of the state department and secure his guest a good seat in that section of the ga'lery reserved for the use of foreign diplomats. K The evening following the great afternoon aft-ernoon of speechmaking in the senate, the secretary of state gave a formal dinner at his home. Nearly all of the leading members of the administration were present. Of course, Sir Richard Webster was also present, and when one of his fellow diners asked him what his experience had been at the capltol a few hours before he at once began to voice his intense admiration for one of the speeches he had heard. Then, turning to Mr. Evarts, he continued: con-tinued: "The speech I have in mind was made by Senator Conkling. I believe he represents your own state, Mr. Evarts." The secretary of state nodded his head slightly, while the other members mem-bers of the administration struggled to suppress smiles; for the antipathy that existed between Evarts and Conkling Conk-ling was well known to one and all. "I have never heard an abler speech in our house of commons," purfued Sir Richard, Innocently. "Nor have I ever witnessed a more impressive delivery. de-livery. The man is magnificent. A.S an orator he is without a superior." Again Mr. Evarts nodded his head, this time ever so slightly. "And, I should say," persisted the Englishman, "he should be your foremost fore-most orator. I presume he is a very able advocate. He must have many clients in your courts. Is it not so, Mr. Secretary?" This time there was not even an almost al-most imperceptible nodding of the secretary of state's head. Instead, in words precisely spoken, and with a manner that was not lost upon Sir Richard, his host replied: "I do not know whether it is or not I never saw him in court, and I never heard of his bflng there." For a moment there was sll'fice, then Sir RIoliard, with commendable tact, chang:d the subject, and a few minutes later Mr. Evarts was once again the charming and entertain'rg host. But the other members of the administration still slyly smiling. (Copyright. mo, by E. J. Rilwards. Alt Rights Reserved.) I |