The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1889-02-20

President CleyeIancl,s Review
of His Four Years Term

He Sees u Glorious Future for
Denl0cracy-Tar Reform
Civil Servfee-Degrad Use
Of Patr0nage-IOy Of His
Cabinei-Hfs DecIslrsltfOI.
BAITInoRE, February 18th The
Sun tomorrow will publish the fol
lowing special dispatch from Wash
ington, giving a review of Presi-
dent Cieyeland's administration, ba-
sed upon conversations with the
President:
Less than three weeks of Presi-
ident cleveIand's four years occu-
pancy of the White House remain,
and the record of his administration
is practically made up.
The keynote of Mr.. Cleveland 8
policy, from the beginning, has been
the determination to give the peo-
pie practical business-liISe admin
istration, irrespective of personal
considerations. No one, who has
talked with Mr.. Cleveland, who has
observed the perfect candor and
openness of his language on this
point, and has watched the antimat-
ed play Of his feathers when dis
cussing it, as the writer has done,
can fail to be convinced of the earn
estness and sincerity of bis purpose,
his high sense of public duty, and
his devotion to the best interest of
the people. In conversation with
the writer to day he remarked with
feeling that his afternoon receptions,
or handshakes, as he calls them,
were the pleasantegt incidents of
his official life.
The close of Mr.. Cleveland's adj
ministration finds him as busy, and
perhaps even, buster than when he
was indicted into office. He works
as hard as any department clerk, be-
cause he is not content to take
things for granted, but insists upon
informing himself as to every ques-
ton he is called upon to decide.
The pressure of official and social
duties throughout the day, is SO
great that he is seldom able TO adj
dress himself to the documentary
work and correspondence, which is
accommodating upon his desk during
almost every hour, until 9 o'clock,
and he is seldom able to retire be-
fore or o'clock in the morning.
Much of the time is consumed un-
necessarily by the want of consider
alton by Congressman introducing
persons who merely call to pay their
respects. Notwithstanding his pa
tience 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 being Exclusive. :"
"There has never been time, :"
said the President on this point,
"when | have not been willing and
anxious to talk with members of
Congress and leading men in the
party. 1t may be because 1 am
awkward at it," he said to-day,
"that have to work SO hard"
1t may be stated that the Presi-
dent is thoroughly satisfied with
the practical outcome of his admin
istration and its effect on the for
tunes of the Democratic party. He
is very earnest in predicting great
future for Democracy, and in assert
ing his unqualified devotion to the
party. at is a grand party" said
he, "and was never in better shape
than it is. at present, and it 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 tolerate the idea that
the Democrats were beaten on the
tariff issue last fall.
"Had certain contributions been
eliminated from the campaign" he
says, "we would have won IA decis-
live victory.
So far as he is individually con-
cerned, he has no regrets at laying
down his trust. He thinks the de-
feat of the Democracy is to be de-
plored, because of the injury result
ing to the public interests, but per-
sonally he experiences a profound
sense of relief at the prospect of a
speedy release from the ordeal to
which he has been exposed during
the past four years.
1t is an open secret that he ac-
cepted the Democratic nomination
lastsummer with genuine reluctance,
and after earnest efforts to escape it.
His supposed political aspirations
for the future do not exist. There
is no rivalry on his part between
himself and anybody else. 81 am
in no ones way" he says; 81 shall
be delighted to be relieved of the
cares of the Presidency, on the 4th
of March next. On purely personal
grounds, their will be no, happier
man in the United States"
With reference to the civil service
system. he is as firm and decided as
in his views as 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 seekers who ex-
pected place and recognition, and
the disappointment and irritation
which resulted from. his inability to
satisfy them is a matter of deep re-
greet to him that he could not do so.
But he had higher public duty to
periorm-the publication and ele-
walton of the public service and the