The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-06-11
IS WE PREsIpENr rRAppKpl

A Serious Accusation on strong CircumStan.
tiAl Understanding That Ought to
be settled,
HtW York Sun.
The dispatches from Deer Park compli-
cate the pathological question which has
been in controversy for several months.
Who invented the celebrated phrase
''innocuous desuetude2"
Some authorities have attributed II to
Secretary Bayard, Others believe that
Col. Dan Lamont devised the expression.
Mr.. Blaine says that 1t maniiestly origin
ated with the Hon. Alvey A. Adee, Third
Assistant Secretary OF State. Accord.
ing to some Of the able Journalists who
are spending the honeymoon at Deer Park
Mr.. Cleveland claims the invention as his
own.
The claim, or admission, was made in
the frank, free intimacy OF conversation
with several Of the reporters whom he
had invited up 10 the cottage. Mrs.
Cleveland had been reading aloud To the
reporters some OF the congratulatory tele-
grams just received by the happy pair. In
one oil these the phrase "innoCuous deaue-
tude" was fscetiously employed by the
sender:
"There has been considerable discus
sion as to the origin Of that phrase" as
serted reporter,
"Oh, 1t originated with me-" responded
the President, knowingly. ~ remarked
when / wrote the words that they would
probably give rise TO considerable amuse-
ment throughout the country, but the va
riations that have been played upon 1t ex.
Ceeded my expectations, It's my idea. /
used those words and thought they would
please the Western Taxpayers who are
fond Of such things"
But Is Mr.. CleVeland's recollection &C.
curate? There Is such thing as uncon.
aclous assimilation and repetition. Every.
body knows how easy 1t is for q speaker or
writer, without the slightest intention to
plagiarize, to appropriate and offer as
original an idea or form Of expression
which has impressed itself upon the gray
matter Of some one Of his ganglia, unaC.
CompRnied by memorandum giving
credit to the real author.
In questions like this internal evidence
has oltener more weight than even 90 posi-
tive claim 10 the authorship OF innocu.
GUS desuetude as Mr.. Cleveland has ad-
vanCed. ANY competent critic who Ia &C.
CustOmed TO aubjeC the features OF literary
style 10 qualitative analysis, 10 trace In the
minutest details the habits OF expression,
the choice OF words, the tendency toward
Latin or Greek formation, and 80 forth,
will be truck at once with the inherent
probability that the author OF innoCuous
desuetude was also the author oil these
phrases and expressions:
Predestined 10 cublcal dellVOnnce.
The RbyIs Of theological pedAnlFy
Thesu6tlo equities Of this silent reciprocity,
The integral designation Of this Trinity,
perVelse pTOtouud Of Obllquliy.
The eternALirfespOnSibllIty,
1hs distracting impotence Of invalldism.
Verdant with perennial resurrection.
Luminous nuCleii faylng llllmitaby.
MomeniAry . eming arises TO eva escent Views
1he6Am Batutati0n Of Imagination.
An especial refined ex plOtGtIOn Of soul.
Fruitful contemplation, gFAndly generic, Of man.
CapaclOus curiosity.
YaWned with lrreCOncllablc divergence,
The thuuderous yocliealiOns
A bhuwer OF auspcl0us pOrteuN.
pOlh'h segregatl0ns Of the Cliques.
The vain folly OF selfish suDlectlyty.
The intrinsic, immutAble, indestructible element
Thai excessive elaboration which Is the ineylta.
BILE precursor Of corruption.
A sensual Sophistry emasculating ideal knight.
hood.
4 matter Of teauouS reciprocity.
With the single exception Of the phrase,
''innOCuous desuetude," there Is nothing
in President Cleveland's writings that
discovers the peculiar quality-the exact
angle, 80 to speak, In the capitalization
OF thought-that appears in the phrases
which are quoted above. The family re.
semblanCe is common TO them all and to
innocuous desuetule also. What critic
can doubt that tenuous reciprocity and
innoCuous desuetude came from the same
intellect
And all Of these specimen phrases are
taken, not from the speeches and public
writings OF Grover Cleveland, but frem
the ethical essays Of his sister, Miss Rose
Elizabeth Cleveland.