The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-12-09
CLEVELAND AND FRIENDS.
Absurdity of the Charges of Dissensions
I'm the Official Family.

Absurdfty of the Charges of Discussions
I'm the Official Family.
When certain critics of the Admins
tration are short of other ammunition
for their guns, they fall back upon tie
oft-repeated charges of unpleasantness
in the relations between the President
and the members of his Cabinet. How
absurd most of the stories of this char
acter are when confronted with the
facts And none is more absurd than
the one which is often repeated, that
the President is sort of petty despot
who has changed the official relation
of Cabinet officers from the old one of
advisers TO that of clerks in charge,
though not in control, of the several
departments.
The writers who are continually
putting ahoat assertions of this char
acter know very well that they can not
be denied er cathedrG. The President
and the several members of his Cab
met alone can with a knowledge of
the facts dispute such assertions, but
for the President, or any member of
his official family, to enter into de-
NAL of such allegations would be in
compatible with the dignity of the
offices they hold. Fortunately, how
ever, the common sense of the Amer
lean public can be reached, even though
direct denials from the interested per-
sons can not be had. The logic of
facts in this as in other matters is in
disputable.
What are ths facts as to Mr.. Cleve-
land and his Cabinet that are known
or may be learned by every one? Mr..
Cleveland came into Office as President
without practical experience of National
Administration. He selected as his Cab
| met officers three men oflong experience
in national affairs as Representatives
and Senators in Congress; three whose
services in the higher line of political
organization had made their names
household words in their party, and
the seventh a jurist of uCquestioned
ability and responsibility. This Cab
iret, thus selected, he has held intact
for nearly two years, longer than any
President since Van Buren,, except
Presidents Fillmore and Pierce, who
did not change their Cabinets at all.
and Buchanan. whose cabinet lasted
three years without a change in its per-
sonnet. Harrison changed the mem
bership of his Cabinet in the first year
of his administration. Polk in the filst
year reorganized his. Lincoln changed
his Secretaries of War in the first year
after his election. Grant changed his
Secretary of State and of the Interior
within month, and Hayes within two
years changed his Secretaries of War
and of the Interior, his Postmaster
General and his Acknowledgement.
In spite of assaults upon almost
every member of his Cabinet, which
have been characterized by malice,
mendacity and violence, Mr.. Cleve-
lands official family in the twenty-first
month of its establishment remains the
same as it was when he gathered it
about him on March 4, 1885.
In view of these facts alone, can any
thinking person credit the assertion
that there have been serious differences
in Mr.. Clevelands Cabinet or that he
has treated his Cabinet officers with
disrespect? Is it credible that Secre-
tary Bayard, with his seventeen years
| VI CN vi WOUlu SuU-
nit to be treated as a mere executive
clerk by man who was a novice in
National affairs when he had attained
to the degree of master? That Mr..
Lamar. representative statesman of
! the South, who was national
legislator ere Mr.. Cleveland had
cast his first vote, would permit
himself to be thus sighted?
That Mr.. Manning, Mr.. Clevelands
friend and counsellor before the Presi-
dency had dawned upon his widest
ambition; his guiding spirit in later
days and the manager of his cam
paign for election to the Office of
Chief Magistrate, would brook such
treatment now? Each of these three
has had excellent opportunities to
withdraw from the Cabinet, without
trouble, had they wished it, and yet
they remained beside their chief.
Surely, the common sense of the
American people will assume that
these men did remain because thev
desired to assist that chief in admins
tering the laws of the land. not as OK
ecutive clerks, but as advisers and
counsellors. And so with all the
others.
And in like manner with regard to
the stories of diScord and disagree
ment within the Cabinet. The stand
ing of the gentlemen who compose it,
and the fact that they show no DISPOSE
ton to retire from it, ought to be suf-
ficient proof that there is no founda-
ton for statements which discredit
their high character, and which go I'M
contradicted by them, for the sole rea-
son that the dignity of the office they
hold does not permit of their STOPPING
to resent such imputations.-M T.
Graphic.