Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-15

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Seventh avenues. They are regular attend,
ants. Every Sunday there is cro"o
about the church door waiting to see them
as they pass out, Just as there always was at
Washington. Neither Mr.. nor Mrs. Cieve-
land were anxious to appear in society. In
fact, they came to New York with the ioea
that they would be wholly lost in the great
city, and that they would be permitted 70
live as they pleased and do as they pleased.
1t was to be retirement, and sort oi rest
from the excitement of official life.
LITERALLY FORCED INTO SOCIETY.
Instead of making efforts to get in the
social swim. they were simply forced to the
front. A mans social position is what ms
wife makes it. Mrs. Cleveland's lovely
face and charming manners would carry ner
anywhere; but here she has been almost
lionized socially. The friends of both
pressed them hard, and in a very brief time
all their preconceived notions of retired
life vanished. They could scarcely refuse
these overtures without seeming ungraclous.
These social exchanges have occupied their
time during the past winter. Sunday even
ing has really been about their only quiet
evenings at home.
Where have they dined? Where haven't
they? Perhaps the latter would be the
more easily answered. They have been the
honored guests at Astor's, Edward Cooper's,
Morris h. Jessup's, Pierpont Morgan's,
Carl Schurz's, Bishop Potter's, Cornelius
Vanderbilt's, August Belmont's, w. R.
Grace's, Joseph H. Choate's, Robert B.
Roosevelt's, Daniel Lords, W. c. Whit
ney's, Andrew Carnegie's, j. j. O'Dono-
hue's. Judge Dillon's, Governor Cornell's,
Randolph Robinson's, and so on, the SWELL
est of the solid people of Gotham. They
have occupied seats of honor at the Metro
politan Opera House, at banquets, balls,
commencements, cornerstone layings, etc.
So far from the Clevelands crowding into
society, as some critics have observed, So
ciety has crowded the Clevelands. They
are simply dragged about everywhere.
ALWAYS IN DEMAND.
If people knew how Mr.. Cleveland is i'm
portuned for public dinner speeches they
would understand how it comes that he has
figured so much in print. He would seem
to be one of the chief ends and aims of every
committee of arrangements. They call on
him in a body, they enlist his personal
friends in the chase, and they ingeniously
insinuate that be would be ungrateful not to
come to, say, their St. Patrick's Day dinner.
How can he refuse? Scores and scores of
SuCu luNlldllOuo ICluocS, uCNCItuClCcn.
But it comes hard to deny his admirers
their profered act of courtesy.
1t is the same way with letters that now
and then find their way into public print
1t seems trifing matter to those who ask
these things of him; but if he undertook to
write to everybody and attended all the en-
tertainments to which he is invited, he
wouldn't have much time left for home or
business. 1 don't believe Mr.. Cleveland
deserves the carping criticisms to which he
is subjected. Other men, like Depew, for
instance, go to dinners and make speeches
and write letters that are printed. Why is
it that Cleveland is an especially bold, bad
man? Because he has many friends and
political admirers? Is it because he is be-
lieved to be formidable candidate for a
Presidential denomination? But be is not a
candidate It is not the time for Matching
candidates.
DOESN'T WANT ANOTHER TERM.
When the time comes, that Cleveland
would turn aside from his private business
and seek the Presidency, do not believe.
1t is not his way of reaching a given point,
even if he desires the Presidency. which I
know he does not. Politically speaking,
Mr.. Cleveland is regarded by the politicians
in New York with widely different and in
consistent opinions. There is one class who
consider him political sphinx, sly and in
comprehensive; another sets him down as a
simple-minded Buffalo politician without
political breadth or thickness. 1t is hardly
necessary 10 say that both of these are
wrong.
Those who know Mr.. Cleveland we'll and
him thoroughly will make
neither mistake. He is by no means a
political schemer or political idiot There
is but one man who has figured in national
politics of recent years, who could, were he
alive to-day, be compared with Mr.. CIeve-
land for political sagacity. That man is
the late Samuel j. Tilden. Yet the methods
of Mr.. Tilden and the methods of Mr..
Cleveland are about as wide apart as the
antipodes. Their training and traits were
as different as their physical characteristics.
TILDEN AND CLEVELAND.
When Mr.. Tilden was in politics he sought
to hold direct personal control of his party
organization. There was not a county con-
vention in the State of New York but what
ielt his nervous grasp, or that was too small
for the direct operations of his personal lieu
tenants. He reached out into every State in
the Union, and laid a finger upon every
political platform formulated in con yention.
His ideas permeated every material plank,
and through his minions he largely con-
trolled even their nominating power. Mr..
Tilden was the pioneer of the political "lit-
erary bureau" From this bureau in New
York emanated those sharp, crisp editorial
paragraphs which found their way to the
people through their Democratic newspaper
in the country. He not only endeavored to
direct his party press, but through this press
&ka IL
national Democratic constituency.
The methods of Mr.. Tilden has been imi
tated by politicians of lesser note since. but
not one of his imitators possess the same
grasping mind aud force of character to
make their political personality felt. Now.
contrast the conduct of Mr.. Cleveland rom
the time he was Sheriff to the Governorshin
of New York, to the Presidency of the
United States, to his present retirement.
There is not apparent one single effort of his
to direct his party, to interfere with the
party machinery, or to dictate directly or
indirectly to his party managers.
A WISE NEUTRALITY.
While be has not shirked the duty of nm
American citizen In expressing his views of
public affairs when asked to do SO. there ia
not a man in New York who has less to do
with party management than Mr.. Cleye.
land. He has absolutely held himself aloof
from entangling alliances. Amid the
wrangling and pulling and hauling of Dem
ocratic partisans the like of which cannot
be seen outside the city and State of New
York be has maintained dignifed silence
and a wise neutrality. With all the fas-
cination of political warfare, local power
and the most strenuous efforts of party
henchman to involve him on one side or the
other, be has maintained his position with
out waverlng.
If that were by design Mr.. Cleveland
could be set down as one of the most astute