St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-04-23
AS TO MRS. CLEVELAND.
Special to the Globe

Special to the Globe
WASHINGTON. April 22.-The newspapers
are having precious little to say these days
about the women of this administration; but
as naturally follows from her exclusive
policy, there is more unfOunded and i'm
pudent gossip about Mrs. Cleveland in Wash
ington than there ever was when she was a
bride. Nobody knows much about her. and
everybody magnifes that little he does know
with something strange and wonderful. Mrs
Cleveland sometimes appears III a theater
box but sits so far back in the shadow or
the curtains that scarcely anybody knows
she is in the house. Not even the neWspa-
per people, who in Washington know every
thing, suspected that Mrs. Cleveland was re-
ceiving in the afternoons until an unWary
attendant let it out. Nobody knows before
hand what gowns she will receive in, and she
has given dinners TO people whose names the
society reporters have been unable to dis
cover The women of the cabinet remain
mysterious so far and even Mrs Carlisle,
who used to befriend every struggling scrib-
bier, begs 10 be lett out of the papers. This
is why SO many contradictory statements ap-
pear.
Just now however, everybody is agreed that
Mrs. Cleveland will not attend the worlds
fair with Mr.. Cleveland. Indeed somebody
who knows great many things the rest of
us don't dream Of informs me that Mrs. Cleye-
land has expressed her intention of remain
ing away from the fair altogether, whereat
worthy Chicago woman, whom met at the
White house door yesterday, fOams at the
mouth. IN goodness name," she snorted-
snorted is the only word that adequately ex-
presses it-and her tone was tinged with
wrath print can't produce, why isn't Mrs.
Cleveland going to Chicago?"
She seemed to expect an answer from me,
but had no hesitation in saying that did
not know.
well" she went on. I'D like to know. 1
think it's an insult to the fair. Do you sup
pose any of the crowned heads would do it?
If the Queen of Spain can send representa-
tive, think our first lady ought to do at
least as much. Is Mrs. Cleveland ill? No.
1 met her walking yesterday, and saw her
stand to receive people an hour two days
ago. Why, then, isn't she going to the tair:"
Why? Well, that's what everybody Is ask
ing. The only answer anybody receives is
from echo, which answers "Why?" Person
ally. l don't think it's anybody's business
why Mrs. Cleveland sees fit to stay at home.
Shedoubtless has reasons of her own. Being
a woman, IL she chooses to tell she will tell
and if she doesn't choose she will say not a
word. Still, people will gossip and specu-
late, and put two and two together and call
it seven, and keep on wondering why the
presidents wife will not go to the Chicago
exposition She may not like Chicago.
Great heavens! if that's crime half of us
ought to be in prison. She MAXWELL, she
may go, after all. Who knows? She is too
tactfal to offend the fair managers, too sen.
sibiei to slight national undertaking.
Above all, the constitution gives her right
to liberty and the pursuit of happiness. just
as she chooses The gossip about her is for
the most part idiotic.
But il the gossip is idiotic. what is one to
say of the letters she receives? No sane per-
sou would believe that people could write
such things. People who want her influence
to obtain an office send her reams of bold
and badly worded compliment ts and fattery
fiji to nauseate a woman with not tenth of
Mrs. Cleveland's sense. Her aid is wanted
on every side. and nobody seems to hesitate
about asking for what he wants. Every
letter sent to Mrs Cleveland is read. slthough
are opened by the woman to whom they are
addressed. Some communications are all
swered by means Of printed forms, some are
answered on the typewriter and signed by
Mrs. Cleveland, and some few are answered
by the first lady Of the land herself All
worthy appeals for charity Mrs. Cleveland
answers and attends TO personally. Souvenir
spoons are usually acknowledged by per-
sonal letter. Mrs. Cleveland writes in the
modern angular hand, though very clearly
aud not in an exaggerated style. Mr.. Cleve-
land does all the vast amount of little writ
ing he gets through with in much smaller
hand.
Just one class Of writers is sure of q per-
sonal answer to its letters, and that is the
vast multitude of parents who name their
children for the Clevelands 1t would aston
ish you to know how very largely the spring
crop of babies bear the names of the occu-
pants of the White house. Som etimes there
are twins named Frances and Ruth, and one
day last week letter came from the proud
father of triplet One child was boy. The
rest of them were girls. The three were
named Grover Cleveland, Frances Cleveland
and Ruth Cleveland. Now. if man can do
more than that to show his admiration for
Mr. Cleveland I'd like to know it. There's
man i'll Illinois. though, who has done
almost as much to show how deeply he ad-
mires Senator Palmer. He has no children
of his own, and his own name has become so
identified with him that he can't change it,
but he has done his best He has adopted
child and ehristened it John Macaulay Pal
mer.
I
81 DaI, ~ 10,
torn himself away from the office-seekers
and gone back to Illinois to the farm and
the blooded calf and the hornless cattle he
loves. there is a man whose life the office
seekers have made burden. Everybody in
Illinois knows Senator Palmer, and Senator
Palmer knows everybody in Illinois. He
may never have met you, but if you are of an
Illinois family he will speak of your father
by mis- Christian name and remember your
mother and her kin. There is one reason
why for month past Senator Palmer has set
out from his hotel Ill the morning
followed by string Of twelve or
thirteen Illinoisans, whom he cheerfully in
trodtices to the president or pilots to the
various departments. He never refuses to
see anybody and nobody ever sees him out
of temper He works harder than most men
a score of years younger. and whenever he
works whether at his hotel or in his COM
mittee room, his gentle wife is never farther
away than across the table. She writes his
letters, takes care of his mail, and tends him
as ifs he were a child instead of broad
shouldered man. beside whom she looks ab-
surdlY small. She does not go into society to
any extent and 1 really think that Senator
palmer would be simply lost If she did, for
she is his right-hand man. and he could not
do without her. RUTH KIMBALL.
Abolished One House.
HALIFAX. MS. April 22.-The legiS-