The daily critic., 1890-07-07
PRESIDENTS AND COTTAGES.

There are grave doubts whether the
Philadelphia Press has done Mrs.
Benjamin Harrison a service by per
suading her TO talk about the Cape May
rift cottage. That Is one Of those mat
ters about which the less said the better
for The parties concerned. There are
fiill graver doubts whether, after in
weighing Mrs. Harrison into the luter-
view, the PrCss has faithfully reported
her remarks. one paragraph ia the
conversation We especially challenge.
II is IN too bad taste TO have come from
lady Of Mrs Harrison's antecedents
and experiences
There have been suggestions from various
sources about the Presidents purchasing a
GUNNER home iu the suburbs G Washington,
which. a. the end Of hjs official term, might
he sold az a considerable advance We
have had an example Of this. but the PresI-
dent vii not use bis oficiai RANK as a means
uf mailing money even to the extent OF pur-
chasing a home for his summer use and sell
ing il when be TetiFes from office The Presi-
dent has dtci led seFuples about that. The
Commissioners Of the District Of Columbia,
MS AW u aINAHAAEEar muAaA A0AHAlEes AHeA
Icsed 10 make improvements IN that direc
tiop, which would still further give the tran
saction the appearance Of a deliberate.
money making scheme.
We think that most Of the Presi-
dents friends win regret the publiea-
tion altogether His acceptance Of the
cottage was unfortunate enough. II
has brought disrepute on his admins
tTalioB and subjected himself 10 com
neHt which 10 President should ever
10 anything 10 justify OF even 10 pro
woke. But this attempt 70 defend the
iTsusaetion is needlessly and super
figously mistaken.
Especially infelicitous IS the effort 10
involve Mr. Cleveland in the scandal
Even If Mr CleYeland's purchase Of
IIol eIty here had been animated by
~ uHNoTihy motive suggested It would
Eot have excused Mr Harrison's ac-
eeptanee Of a valuable present from
political friends. II happens 70 be
known, however that BIT Cleveland
did nothing whatever that was IN
becoming Chatting under the same
domestic inconvenience 0f which Mrs
Harrison complains ID connection with
he White House be sought relief IN
he purchase Of a suburban residence
70 which be might retire during the
spring aad sumner months The
friends he consulted In the matter land
Their names are well known b every
MashingtoHian) advised him faithfully
and iutellIgently They selected for
him 8 locality which was already
fashionable. toward which the march
II improvement was then notoh0usly
directed, and which, with on without
lis participation, was, by universal ac-
know ledgement destined 10 be the
most arislocraue and elegant suburb in
tie District Had Dir Cleveland gone
elsewhere % some one Of the various
localities that were ,aud sin areJ heing
buill up 81 Department employees aud
small householders. be could have been
suspected 0f having impaired a fictitious
boom 10 q secondary ueignb0rhood
whatever might have been the pecuaiary
reault q himself AS # was bis al
YlseTs chose for MIN q locality which
bad already become fashioHablY eEclu-
age. and was dependent o. bin for
nothing Indeed II Tie Cleyelahd
purchase had any effect upon
he Improvements contemplated IL
that direction, Il was nQf a
stimulating eject b any means. ana Il
will be remembered that tie Engineer
Commissioner of thal time. Who was
mosi aciiTe aud enthusiastic p he pro-
moaoh q hose Improvements. was re-