Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-02-15
NOTHING TO HIDE" "
PRESIDENT CLByBLAND'S REVIEW OF HIS
POUR YEARS TERM.
He Sees a Glorious Future FOR DsmOcracy-Tarif
Reform and Owl Ssryics-DsgradiDg Use Of
PatrOnage-LOyalty Ofths Members Of His
Oabinst-His Declarations.

BALTIMORE, February 14.-The Sun to-
morrow will publish the following special
dispatch from Washington, giving a review
of President Oleveland's administration,
based upon conversations with the Presi-
dent:
Lees than three weeks of President
Cleveland's four years occupancy of the
White House remain, and the record of his
administration is practically made up.
The keynote of Mr.. Cleveland's policy,
from the beginning, has been the deter
minatiOn to give the people a practical
business-like administration, irrespective
of personal considerations. No one, who
has talked with Mr.. Cleveland, who has
observed the perfect csndor and
openness of his Language on
this point, and has watched
the animated play of his features when dis
cussing it, as the writer has done, can fail
TO be convinced of the earnestness and SIM
cerity of his purpose, his high sense of
public duty, and his devotion to the
best interests Of the people. In conversa-
ton with the writer to-day he remarked
with feeling that his afternoon receptions,
or handshakes, as he calls them, were the
pleasantest incidents of his official life.
The close of Mr.. Cleveland's administra-
ton finds him as busy, and perhaps even
buster than when he was inducted into Of
flee. He works as hard as any department
clerk, because he is not content to take
things for granted, but insists
upon informing himself as to every
question he is called upon to de-
eide. The pressure OF official
and social duties throughout the day, is
so preat that he is seldom able to address
himself to the documentary work and cor
respondence, which is accumulating upon
his desk during almost every hour, until
9 o'clock, and he is seldom able to retire
before 2 or o'clock in the morning.
Much of the time is consumed unnecessa-
rily hy the want Of consideration by Con-
gressmen introducing persons who merely
call to pay their respects. Notwithstand-
ing his patience under these exactions, and
the fact that almost his entire time during
the day has been given up to the public,
the President has been criticised for bsing
exclusive.
"The1e has never been time" said the
President on this point, when l have not
been willing and anxious to talk with
members Of Congress and leading men IN
the party. 1t may be because | am swk-
ward at it," he said to-day, "that l have
to work so hard"
1t may be stated that the President is
thoroughly satisfied with the practical out
come of his administration and its effect on
the FORTUNES of the Democratic party. he
is very earnest in predicting great future
for Democracy, and in asserting his un-
qualified devotion to the party. 1T is
grand party" said he, land was never in
better shape than it is at present, and 1t
has a glorious future before it,"
The President is as firm now as he ever
was that tariff reform is the great living
issue for the Democracy. He does not toll
crate the idea that the Democrats were
beaten on the tariff issue last fall.
Had certain contributions been elm
mated from the campaign" he says, I'VE
would have won q decisive victory.
So far as he is individually concerned,
he has no regrets at laying down his trust.
He thinks the defeat Of the Democracy is
to be deplcred, because of the injury re-
snlting to the public interests, but per
sonally he experiences profound sense OF
relief at the prospect of a speedy release
ffom the ordeal to which he has been ex-
posed during the past four years.
Il is an open secre. that he accepted
the Democratic nomination last
summer with genuine reluctance, and
after earnest efforts to escape it, His sup
posed political aspirations for the future do
not exist. There is no rivalry on his part
between himself and anybody else. Il
am in no ones way" he says; II shall be
delighted to be relieved of the cares of the
Presidency, on the 18th of March next.
On purely personal grounds, there
will be no happier man in the
United States.
With reference to the civil service sys-
TEN be is as firm and decided as in his
views on the tariff question. He believes
that civil service reform has come to stay.
The President recognizes fully the feeling
of the great mass of Democratic Office seek
ers who expected place and recognition,
and the disappointment and irritation
which resulted from his inability to satisfy
them is a matter Of deep regret to him that
he could not do so. But he had higher
public duty to perform-the publication
and elevation of the public service and the
elimination from party policies, go far as
possible. of the degrading use Of patronage,
an evil which has grown to gigantic pro-
nortiops. and was steadily increasing
The President is especially gratiied at
the effect of his administration on the
prosperity and happiness of the Southern
people, both black and white. He believes
in making no distinction between any of
the sections, and he deprecates strongly
the revival of animosities, which were
supposed to be dead and buried.
He speaks in terms of grateful apprecis-
ton of the hearty and united support ac-
corded him by the members OF his Caoi-
net.
The administration, it must be con-
ceded. will 20 down in history as unique,
in the fsct that all its members have pull
ed together from beginning to end.
In view of the jobbery and scheming
that permeated every department OF the
nubIic service under former regimes, and
which seemed to have become permanent
feature of official life in Washington, no
more honorable epitsph could be applied
10 the administration now drawing to a
close than the emphatic declaration of the
President to the writer: 1--WE have moth
ing to hide"