The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-08-30
President CIeyeland,s Health.

President Cieyeland's Health.
The Philadelphia Press New York
correspondent. Mi. Holland, sent
that paper a long letter yes
terday, purporting to reveal the
very serious illness of Presi-
dent Cleveland and the danger of his
proximate death from a disease re-
sembling in its general character that
to which General Grant succumbed.
The story was that the President had
been suffering excruciating pain in
the region of his upper teeth for
many weeks, and that his physicians
had after long observation concluded
that it was caused by a diseased con
dition of the jaw bone. The dag
nosis inclined to the theory that
sarcoma, a form OF cancer, had set in,
and it was determined to at once
attack it by a radical surgical opera
tion. This was performed by DR..
Bryant, we are told, on board Mr..
Benedict's yacht. The surgeons
found the bone affected as
they had thought. and they re-
moved a very considerable portion of
it. They believed they had taken
away every atom which was in the
least tainted with the disease, and in
this they found ground for hope that
no recurrence of the disease might
take place. MI. Holland describes
the President as enduring agony for
many weeks with a fortitude which
concealed his condition even from his
family, and as submitting to the ope.
ration. on which his life depended,
with a simple courage which affected
even the surgeons with admiration.
Coming from any other source. this
story might be regarded with doubt
and suspicion. But Mr.. Holland is
one Of the most distinguished and
conscientious of New York newspaper
men, He has altogether unusual
sources of information, and from
time to time he gives the public just
such important items of news as this,
and, however. contradicted, his re-
ports invariably prove true. The
Philadelphia Press. too, has a reputa-
ton second to that of no journal in
the country, and, beyond all doubt,
had thoroughly enquired into this
story and absolutely believed it true
in every detail before spreading it in
its columns. The New York
papers this morning affect to
make little of the facts, but
any intelligent reader can see that the
"denials" and explanations, which
they have secured from the President
himself and others, really deny moth
ing. On the contrary. they inferenti-
ally confirm MI. Hollands asserti ons,
but seek to reassure the public mind
by making light of the past condi-
tions and the operation which re-
lieved them, and by dwelling on the
great improvement in the Presidents
health, and the good prospects of the
future.
All things considered. we feel COM
PEELED to accept Mr.. Hollands state
ments as true in all their extent. 1t
must, we believe, be accepted as un-
questionable that the President has
passed through a trial such as might
have broken a spirit which had less
of manliness and serene reliance upon
the higher principles of life. In all
the long period of public trouble and
anxiety through which he has just
passed. it is surprising to learn, Mr..
Cleveland has had to endure not only
~unceasing physical pain, but also the
sense Of an ever present danger,
threatening his life and extending
over his beloved family the shadow of
an untimely bereavement. It is
characteristic of Grover Cleveland, rs
the American people have learned to
know him, that in all this period no
expression of suffering direct or indi-
rect has escaped from him. He
has shirked no responsibility, de-
precated no comment, sought no
relief or consolation in that sympathy
which would have gone forth to him
in a great tide from the popular
heart, had the truth about
his suffering been known. The
condition of his wife's health
appear to have deprived him
Of even the support which he might
have derived from confiding his fears
to her. Alone, save for the ministra-
ton of one or two trusted friends, he
bore his terrible af1iction silently
and patiently, with simple courage
and resignation.
Now that the truth has come out,
the shock to the country is lessened
by the hopes which we are permitted
to feel that the cloud has passed
away from q life which is so dear to
the people and SO important to their
welfare. 1t is not too much to say
that the death of the President or any
illness which might incapacitate him
would be a National calamity, doublF
great in these times of transition and
uncertainty. The people rely upon