The Washington critic., 1886-06-03
THE DAY AFTER.


ding. "All the world loves q lover"
the poet says, and the wedding is the
perfect consummation of the lovers
dreams. II Is an event of flowers, Of
good wishes, of merry bells, of happy
smiles, of cheering sunshine and of all
that makes the season genial spring.
On this occasion these elements com
bine, and sixty millions of people send
congratulations to the President and
his bride. Whatever of political diff
ference, of partisan illsfccling, of Of
fetal dislike may exist II is set aside
for the time being and every voice
joins in the chorus of the wedding song.
And what does 1t betoken beyond the
day we celebrateY
Mr.. Gleveland as a bachelor was one
kind of man; as husband he may be
quite another.
Socially lie has not been the pro-
nounced success he might have been,
but the presence of gentle and ac-
complished woman in his house will
give him other views of life. Mrs.
Cleveland will, of course, command a
portion Of his time, which, as her right,
he must concede. This time she will
utilize for his social improvement, and
he will thus have about him new
sense of obligation, greater Difference
TO others, more freedom from selfish
ness, development of those nobler
and more generous qualities that no
confirmed bachelor can ever hope to
reach. In other words, his marriage
will make man of him."
Religiously 1t will have its influence
for good in no less degree. Mr.. Cleve-
land is not bad man, but the best man
is not so good as woman, and in the
deeper, stronger hold of religion upon
the heart the woman is always the
guide, the counsellor and friend.
Morally the wife's character and
counsel and example lead the man if
he be at all worthy to higher pane
of thought and action. His pledge at
the altar Is the most sacred oath he
Suu w SulICu pl w WS Ills
truth and faithfulness in this regard
are strong, so will he be faithful to the
trusts reposed In him by the people. A
mans honesty and his honor cannot be
measured in part. 1t must be all or
none. A wife and children are hostages
10 duty whose welfare no man can af-
ford to jeopardize.
Last, but not least, Is the political
significance of the Presidents marri-
age. What Mr.. Cleveland may have
said, or may now think as an official,
must be subject to correction under the
new order Of affairs. He may not par
ticularly desire to appear as candi-
date for reelection, but his wife may
want him to do so. On the other hand
he may be anxious to run again and
his wife may be strongly opposed to
such action. Whichever way her in
clination tends, it will have a powerful
influence upon the man. History, po.
itical history we mean, modern and
ancient, is full of instances of wife.
made men, and Mr.. Cleveland, though
not as pliable as he might be If he were
twenty years younger, is not yet so
set in his ways as to be beyond a
woman's influence. What she says in
the matter will have great deal to do
with his ambitions, whether it has any
thing TO do toward his success therein
or not, and hereafter instead of being
the man Of luck as he has been, he
will be the man of design. lie will
have passed his half century before
his first term expires and she will have
not passed the first quarter. With his
past success, his experience in office
and years, and with her youth and
energy and popularity, there will be a
combination formed which would en-.
courage almost any man to enter the
lists in the highest competitive rank.
II on the contrary she shrinlss from
public life, fears the risks of contest
learns of the dissensions and differences
in her husbands party and knows the
possibilities Of defeat, she will talk
hihi INV SSSih5 WIN iivl cl tSt uu'l pcI'
suade him to retire to a domestic do.
main where none will dispute his Au-
thority, except herself and she only
in way to make him think he Is per.
petual President. There Is much foo
for thought and speculation in thC
new regime which began at 7 O'Clock
last evening, and whole nation vii
await the developments.
COLONEL KENADAY of the Vedett,
makes strong plea in behalf of {
service pension to the Mexican veter
ans, and one that Senators cannot con
sistently or fairly ignore. The point
is made in answer to General Logan,
assertion that the soldier in Mexico ha
had more given 10 him than the Unior
soldier has had, when in fact th,
bounty land warrant was all th,
former ever got and this he was Otter
compelled to. sell at $40 to $40 to NEE
his immediate necessities. 1t Is in tht
contrast he draws between the condi
tion Of things In 1e46 and fifteen t
twenty years later that Colonel Kena
days argument is particularly strong
During the Mexican war, Genera
Logan, who was then lieutenant, re-
ceived only $33 month pay proper
in the late war lieutenant's pay was