Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-11-18
The President Defended

small portion of your valuable space. lam
democrat of fifty years standing. have
not been actively engaged in politics for
several years. In the passionless shadow or
my library have watched with interest
the course of the President siuce the demo.
cratic party has elected him. l think some
of the criticisms passed upon him from the
leaders of the democratic party have been
altogether too severe. / must say at times
the World has shocked some OF nv cid FASH
Toned party notions by the freedom of lis
criticism, but believe you TO be fair and
that you will not be disncliued to permit
me to come in my feeble way to the defense
of the President from the hands of his for
mer friends.
At the outset am willing to confess that
the President has not been all that nv fancy
thought he would be, and that in me asure
l am somewhat disappointed. But ! pro-
pose to take him as find him and to clear
ly indicate how natural have been bis err
rors when one considers bis past history
and present surroundings.
In the first place no man who ever enter
| ed the Office of President came to the per-
| Torrance of its duties with such profound
ignorance of what was required of him. Mr..
Cleveland had never had any national Of.
| fee. He had never been in Washington
except for flying visit of few days. He
wss not O man who could have acquired q
general knowledge of national affairs by
reading.
He had no knowledge Of the world, no
general experience to make his mind fertile
and receptive TO new conditions.
Taking him az he really was, you find
him a provincial country lawyer, whose
only escape from the narrowness OF his Buff
falo existence was found in the smaller town
of Albany but in the larger Office of Gov
ernor. 1t is hard for any one who mas not
lived in Washington to understand how diff
| hcult it is for President to gain accurate
knowledge of current affairs. He is sur.
rounded by crowd OF subservient fatterers,
who tell him nothing but pleasant things.
The truth, if dissgreeable, rarely reaches
him. Unless n President has had rare ex-
perience, or is especially skilful in Judgment
| OF men, he is certain to be misguided and
mised no matter how honest he may be.
From whom could Mr.. Cleveland expect
| accurate information and loyal, friendly
! judgment? To whom in his Cabinet could
he have gone if he had so willed?
In the first place, MIR. Bsyard is absorbed
IN himself, and has very poor opinion O!
The President. He has frequently spoken
| of him in private intercourse with his friends
as This man." MIR. Bayard was bitterly
disappointed at his failure to be noni-
mated at Chicago and can look with indif-
| ference upon any mistake of the President
that will help illustrate the awful and al
most tragical blunder of the party's passing
over the gifted son of Delaware in selecting
chief.
Messrs. Manning and Whitney came into
10 rof to
ton ofpublic affairs as the President. They
may have been more apt in some ways as
students, but they have thus far had more
than enough to do to attend to their own
affairs. Neither have I ever heard that
they were very passionately devoted to the
Presidents interests. do not think err now
in saying that Mr.. Manning is considered
to-day as candidate for the nomination in
1888 by many democratic politicians, who
believe that he will use what credit the
administration has gained as his just due,
While the plumbers are all to be put upon
the broad shoulders Of Mr.. Cleveland.
MIR. Whitney is the most serene aaG cyni
caily Indifferent ofall the Cabinet members.
1t would be hard to imagine him interested
in any ones political fortunes save his own,
aud it may naturally occur to him that the
plumbers of his chief and his political wear
and tear may be the very thing to give the
young rich protege in the Navy Department
his opportunity il 1888.
1t is useless to refer to Eudicott or Gar.
land. Both of them are as negative as The
dead, who speak not Lamar is n dreamer,
O. statesman, if you please, of the first grade,
but not unsel6sh, afraid Of losing his place
and harnessed TO the desk where dull bust
ness plodding is requisite, his usefulness is
as much impaired as would be thorough
bred horse tackled to subsoil plough.
Villas is another political ty-o who owes
his transplanting from obscurity to the fact
OF his having rich, rotund voice ard i'm
pressive air. He captured The fancy OF
Cleveland.
Here, then, you have two trained states
men In the Cabinet; one jealous egotist,
who has made more blunders than any lyIo
could have done in public affairs, search
where you will, and the other statesman
made useless by being misplaced. Two
others who, in confiding sense, are iudif.
ferent, and three negatives who are held up
by their positions only.
| Cleveland is honest and well.meanino.
He found cut his Cabinet long ago. IL is
no more TO him than any group OF depart.
| ment clerks, 80 far rs it affects his personal
action but be has not the political knowl-
edge or sagacity which would enable him to
| form new one.
The President was further fettered by his
relations with the mugwunps. He regards
them as necessary to his future. Ho must
please them ; for the democrats, he holds
will have to support him in any event.
de is now doing more for his own party people.
and the acclaim he hears over that from more
| party spoilsmen has deludcd him with the idea
that this support is real
The President is now approaching the close of
his second year, the very zenith of the power of
President. The party leaders simply regard him
as goose which is to be plucked
If the President had real political veteran at
his elbow he would bid him beware Of the trio.
some acclaim of Senators and Members of Con.
gress and party leaders who are nero spoils hunt
ers and who would sing pnaus oflofty praise with
rapturous swing to the very devil himself, If it
would put little postofRce in their grasp.
write these things in defence of the President
whom, believe, to be one of the most honest of
the men who have ever occupied the White House.
think 1T is time he begins to see tho real situa.
ton as it is seen by every one residing outside
the atmosphere of administrative fog
A DEMOCRATIC CONGgESsNAS