The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-17
THE PATHETIC PRESIDENT.

Mr.. Lawrence Barrett, the tragedian, claims
to have had an interview with the President
in which he expressed himself as very much
hurt at the attitude of his party in Congress
toward him. ri have made Mistakes" he
said; 'many Of them, and see them, and
could kick myself when think of them; but
am only human, and am as liable to err as
other men. But get no generous sympathy
and honest patriotic counsel. All | hear is
pickering and strife and fault-fnding among
scheming politicians who have no aim but to
get themselves and their friends into Office
But for the occasional wave Of popular in
dorsement that breaks its way over the reef OF
Office seekers and politicians that hedge me
about and comes to me like season of re-
freshing and cry Of God-speed fresh from
the people, / should break down, heartsick
and discouraged" The New York Sun is of
opinion that 'no one can read this without
being touched with the pathos of the Presi-
dents words" The President and the Sun
about it all2 The Presidents chief friend, the
man who more than any and all others engi-
neers the occasional wave of popular indorse-
ment' that does so much to cheer and reassure
the unhappy President, was of the opinion
that the Presidents party was very hungry
and very thirsty aggregation, and nothing less
than opportunities could be expected from
them. The President in his agony has de-
scribed them accurately They are given to
pickering, and strife, and fault-fnding It is
their nature to indulge in these unpleasant
things. AS for the wave of popular indorse-
ment, it must be that the President does not
read the papers. If there is any such wave,
no one else has been able to detect it. There
are probably fifty mugwumps in the land
who still profess to believe in the Presidents
sincerity. The remaining $50 are pretty much
discouraged. These fifty keep the alleged
popular wave Of Endorsement in motion, and
on this the existence Of the truly good Presi-
dent is said to depend. The apathy Of the
Democratic members Of Congress on the oc-
casion of the speech by Senator Harrison, inn
peaching the Presidents sincerity was one of
the most remarkable examples of abandon
ment that President ever suffered in this
country. Not one Of them cared to reply in
any way, and the President evidently was
without one warm friend and admirer among
them all. The lack Of interest in the fair
fame of the President was so marked that not
even their duty to their party was enough to
stir them from their seats. It is not to be
wondered at, therefore, that the President
should feel that he is isolated. He has in
deed made mistakes, and many of them, but
it were too severe to say that he is worse than
his party, which he says is given to pickering
and strife, and fault-fnding Professedly he
is fanatic on the subject of civil-service re-
form; practically he has not the ability nor
stability to put it into practice. There is no
wonder that he does not succeed in pleasing
any considerable number of the people. He
mistakes the views Of some half dozen theorists
for the voice of the people, and processes to be
comforted by the "wave" Of their approval.
Unless some marked change takes place,
President Cleveland will quit his high Office
without one to mourn his departure.