The Washington critic., 1890-05-07
REPORTER CRAWFORD
TELLS HIS SIDE OF THE CLEVELAND
ANTl~FAT INTERVIEW.

He Says the Ex-President was Quoted
CONGRATULATIONS Dana Referred
TO In Blank Terms which We're
Not Published.
Mr. F. G. Crawford, the reporter who
interviewed ex- President Cleveland and
brought about the triangular fight be-
tween the latter, the World and Sun of
New York, has furnished statement
of his side Of the case for publication
in the current number of Frank Leslio's
Weekly.
Mr.. Crawford starts off by saying:
Grover Cleveland has, ] believe, seen
fit to deny certain portions of the inter.
view with him published in the World
OF Thursday, April II. He declares
that he never used the violent and in
temperate language ascribed TO him in
speaking Of Mr.. Dana. In view of Mr..
Cleveland's denial, it seems to me that
the writer of the interview should be
permitted to state his side Of the case.
My own reputation is as dear to me as
uiis OltNGiduu Gull DOSSlDly Dt W ulIlt
and in this connection ] wish to say that
l am deeply grateful to my many news
paper friends and others for their kindly
expressions Of confidence in my integ-
rity."
IL assert on my honor that Mr. Cleve-
land was correctly reported In the inter.
view in question. He was not misrep.
resented in any particular. l did not
oil hntN NJ, TIa,o1an1 nosA
but what did write was q faithful and
accurate report Of his conversation.
Much of what was omitted was simply
unprintable in any respectable journal.
He then describes the circumstances
attending the interview in detail. He
was assigned by the city editor of the
World to interview Mr.. Cleveland in
reference to an article published in the
Sun to the effect that the ex President
was under medical treatment 70 reduce
himself in flesh. The article in ques-
tion represented that he was gaining in
avoirdupois at the rate of twenty five
pounds month. etc.
Mr.. Crawford then states that he
called on Mr.. Cleveland and was alone
with him for nearly three-quarters of
an hour, and that the latter talked
freely. He said he had not seen the
article; he never read the paper, he
said, and would not touch it with o
pair of tongs, and / gave him verbally
the gist of it. Mr.. Cleveland Strengthened
himself up and made use of profane
expression rejecting on the chastity of
Mr.. Dana's mother. (This was omitted
from the published interview.) Mr..
Cleveland then launched out into a
vigourous denunciation of the editor of
the Sun. He said he was blackguard,
vagabond and dastardly scouudrel. He
also characterized him as "a senile
liar and thief" with the addition of q
profane prefix. Several other profane
words figured in Mr.. Cleve'and's re-
marks, but none of them, of course,
were published.
After twenty minutes further conver-
sation Mr.. Cleveland wrote the follow
ing, which is the first paragraph of the
published interview;
60 have not" said Mr.. Cleveland,
'seen the article you refer to, and If it
appears nowhere else but in the Sun
there is not the least chance of my see
ing it. OF course the entire thing is a
lie, without the least pretext to excuse
it. Judge from what you say that the
venerable editor of the Sun supposes
that he has at last hit upon subject
which can be used to annoy me. In
this he is mistaken. He must be his
own Judge of social decencies and pro.
prieties. | am not sure that he should,
at this time of life and in his appar-
emily peculiar mental condition, be mo-
Tested in his amusement.
This did not end the interview. Be-
fore Mr.. Cleveland took up his pencil
to write anything, he had said in sub
stance much of the matter contained in
the interview. In preparing 1t for pub
lication | inserted it as following hi:
written paragraph All of the matter
contained in the following paragraph;
took place in the first stages of the in
terview
81 do not care" Mr.. Cleveland added
''how much am criticised for my pub
lie acts. That is perfectly Legitimate
and recognize the right Of every mar
10 differ on public questions. There /:
line, however, it seems to me, where
criticism and abuse should stop. The
man who invades the privacy of fam
lily and indulges in coarse and wantor
attacks ON private citizens is no bette
than highwayman. He places him
self on the level of the blackguard, ant
his vulgarities can have no weight will
decent people"
Regarding the frequent persona
attacks upon himself in the column
of the Sun. Mr. Cleveland said that
while he never saw them, every tim
one appeared dozen crank4, more o
less, would write to him about it.
whenever / receive these cranks
1otfarc - cold Mr. Nlayolos,I CT Eunv
that the senie liar and thief, Dana
has been at il again That is the onl,
way keep track of his mental rawlings
The object, | suppose, is to annoy m
and my friends"
Mr. Cleveland then alluded to hi
wife. and said that Mr.. Dana had nc
confined his attack to himself FL
made war on women as well as men
The attacks on Mrs. Cleveland had nc
been made openly or directly, but b
Mr.. Dana's favorite method, innuend
and indirection. Much of the matte
consisted of alleged praise of Mrs
Cleveland, with the idea of making
contrast 10 his (SIr. Cleveland's) disat
vantage. Cranks were sure to sen
Mrs. Cleveland clippings, and they al
poyed her very much Mr.. Clevelan
said distinctly: THAT - - -
old thief Dana, has not hesitated to dra
my wife's name into his scurrilous a
taeks A man who makes war o
women is infamous"
Mr. Cleveland spoke with consider
able feeling in referring to the unwa
ranted use that had been made of Mr.
Cleveland's name by the maglignaI
editor. There was no language, !
said sirnnn nnnnnh 10 chArncteril