, never skipped a line or
missed a word, or made a false start. He was the first, and so
far as I know the only President who did not read his inaugural
address. His speeches, his messages, and his public utterances
generally all showed that he was a man of extraordinary ability.
He made a wonderful impression upon the country. As Chief Executive,
he was strong-minded and forceful, and adhered to his views on
public questions with a remarkable degree of tenacity, utterly
regardless of his party.

He appointed a very fair cabinet. There was really no great man
in it, but they were all men of some ability. The Secretary of
State, Thos. F. Bayard, of Delaware, was one of the prominent
Democrats of the Senate when I entered it, and had represented his
State in that body for many years. I believe he conducted the
affairs of the State Department satisfactorily, and he was later
made Minister to the Court of St. James.

Daniel Manning, of New York, was Secretary of the Treasury. And,
referring to Manning, I am reminded of a little story.

Soon after he came into the office I had occasion to go to the
Treasury Department on some business. I saw the office secretary,
who had been there under the previous Administration, and whom I
knew well. He informed me that the Secretary of the Treasury was
not in, but that he would be in a few minutes. I expressed a desire
to see him and said that I would like very much to be introduced
to him. Mr. Manning came in presently, and I was introduced, after
which I disposed of my business without delay. Looking around, I
saw Senator Beck and a number of other Senators, accompanied by a
horde of Democratic office-seekers from the South, sitting against
the wall waiting for me to get through with my business. Beck came
forward, and in a half serious sort of way said to me: "You do
not seem to know that the Administration has changed. You march
in here and take possession, and we Democrats are sitting here
against the wall cooling our heels and waiting for an opportunity
to see the Secretary. You have seen him already, and are ready to
go." It did plague me a little, as I was not quite sure whether
Beck was in earnest or not. He soon returned to the Senate from
the Treasury, and coming into the Senate Chamber a little later I
found that he had been telling my colleagues how he had "plagued
Cullom" and how Cullom was much embarrassed about it. He considered
it quite a joke on