The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-31
MISS CLEVELAND.
Woman Whose Temperance Attitude ARGUS
es General Interest.

Woman Whose Temperance Attitude ARGUS
es General Interest.
Laura G. Holloway, in The Voice.
Miss Cleveland, as the LADY of the White
House." is of general interest to the people OF
this country; as q temperance woman she is OF
very special interest to the temperance party,
and particularly to the Womans Christian Tenn
perance wing of it. Her attitude toward the
subject was well understood before she went to
the White House, through her public utterances
and her school work She is credited with hav-
ing used her influence with Governor Cleveland to
have him sign the temperance textbook bill and
she is approved as the author of those ringing
words written in reply to DIR. Howard Crosby's
Calm View of DR.. Nelson and published in
the Evangelist She had been very widely
ported as being an enthusiastic admirer of Mrs.
Hayess temperance policy in the White House,
and there has been some disappointment express
ed over her failure to protest against the use of
wine since she has been the hostess there AS
to the utter falsity of some of these reports we
are positive Miss Cleveland never used the
slightest influence that she possessed to have
the temperance textbook bill signed nor has
she at any time said that she should follow any
predetermined plan in regard to any matter that
would come up for consideration from her as the
lady of the White House.
A true comprehension of her position is of the
first Importance for temperance people Be-
cause she went to the White House with the
record she had, her friends should realize the
embarrassments of her position; because she is
woman of strong principles of earnest con-
victions. and All ideal sense of duty her place is
all the more difficult, and it seems to me- she
should not be judged by the narrow and one
sided view of the partisan, but from the stand
point of the general public. She fills the Office
of the first lady of the land not solely by right of
her relationship to the President but by ais
wish and at his invitation. By courtesy, every
social right is hers that would be shown the wife
of the President. What wife would be so dis
loyal to her husband as to usurp the
social power of the Office to which he elected
not shea Surely no greater blow could be
given the temperance cause than the spectacleIof
family in the White House divided against it.
self in the name of temperance! Miss Cleveland
is the nearest and closest to the President of all
in the world, both in sentiment and in social po-
Siton, and it lies in her power to strengthen his
hands, or, by a mistaken course of conduct, to
seriously embarrass his administration socially
and officially. 1t speaks well for her that he,
knowing her radical views in regard not only to
temperance but to other reforms. trusts her in
the place she fills at his side. Shall her temper
ance friends do lessl Her brother trusts
her to be true to the President; shall we not
trust her to be true to herselfl
A letter written by one of her oldest and most
intimate friends contains these words II have
sometimes said to her that she was almost intern
perate in her temperance" Yet this extreme
temperance woman will disappoint the expecta-
tons of those who await any public expression
Of her sentiments at this time; they will not
hear them. She will live up to her principles,
but if we stop to consider her position before the
American people, we can readily see why she
cannot be temperance lecturer while in the
White House.
Let us give her a generous support, trusting
her in her silence, believing in her in all things
She is occupied in the performance of very
difficult and delicate task. Her womanly and
beautiful devotion to the President will add new
meaning to the relationship existing between
them. She is his sister in the fullest as in the
narrowest sense of the word. Her unselfsh
loyalty and fidelity to another's interest is the
proof of her true womanhood. and as indisputa-
BILE evidence of the possession of those three
virtues, self-reverence selfknowlede and self
control, which Pallas. the goddess of heavenly
wisdom, declares lead life to sovereign power"