The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-02-16

Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, Fab. 9.-"Mr. Cleve-
land" said to the president elect a few
days ago, mot since Lincoln's first term
has president found awaiting him so
many great and difficult public questions
as will confront you when you go to
Washington next month" 'sThat may
be true" replied Mr.. Cleveland, "but it
is not the big questions that I am afraid
Of With the help of the many strong
and able men at Washington we shall be
able to dispose of these important mat
tiers satisfactorily to the people, hope,
if we are not harassed too much by the
little questions. Nothing is SO fatiguing
as to be compelled to listen to arguments
in favor of this man or that for some
petty office while one is eager to take up
some really important public matter"
Mr.. Cleveland did not say SO, but in
ferred from what he did say that he has
determined to suffer himself to be less
annoyed by the office seekers than he
was during his first term. The president
elect has had enough experience in the
White House to convince him that the
day is at hand when some sort of revo-
luton must be effected in the methods
Of the presidential Office. have always
commended that we have outgrown our
system. Every president during the last
90 years has realized that. It is folly for
the chief executive Of this great nation,
the controller of it's policies and director
Of it's affairs, to permit his mental and
physical strength to be consumed by the
minor Offices and the hucksters in Office.
have notion that Mr.. Cleveland has
determined to make an effort to effect
during his coming administration some
part of the change which has become an
imperative necessity. He is in better po-
sition to do this than most of our presi-
dents have been. He cannot aspire to
another term. He is independent and
to certain extent self willed. He GER
tainly has the courage to do whatever he
thinks ought to be done.
Therefore fancy Mr.. Cleveland will
do that which General Harrison is sorry
he didn't do at the beginning of his term,
and that is to turn over to his ministers
the many thousands of minor appoint
ments. predict that about two months
hence, when the politicians want to see
Mr.. Cleveland about small postmaster
ship, they will be told to go the postmas-
ter general. When they want to run
into the White House and discuss col
lectorships, they viii find the door barred
and some one there to give them hint
that the secretary of the treasury is the
man to settle that business.
Mr.. Cleveland has been working al
most as hard in his Office in the Mills
building, New York, as if he were al
ready in the presidential chair. A for.
eigner would have been astonished to
find amid such surroundings and follow
ing such simple methods the man who
was about to ascend the throne of one Of
the greatest nations of the earth. You
go to Mr. Cleveland's Office just as you
would go to the Office of any other pros
porous lawyer in New York.
In the hall is desk, and by this desk
stands small but intelligent boy. He
presents to you a blank on which you
write your name, the name of the men,
Der of the firm you wish to see-for
Mr.. Cleveland has several partners
and the nature of your business. The
boy takes this blank in, and presently
returns with word that "Mr. Cleveland
will see you in few minutes" When
you are ushered in the room Of the presi-
dent elect, you find yourself in very
large apartment, at the farther end of
which, behind big desk, sits the great
man. He says, Elbow are your" in a
good, bluff American style, extends his
hand, knocks some papers off chair to
make room for you and squares himself
around for nice, comfortable talk.
Mr.. Cleveland has way Of closing his
eyes for moment while thinking how
he shall turn sentence, and when he is
in the humor for it he is very dry and
droll. He is great cross questioner,
too, and under his deft manipulation it
did not take me long to tell how much
or how little I know. That's the way he
treats every one, am told-pumps them
dry and gives up mighty little himself.
And he could tell such interesting things
if he wanted to!
Well, told Mr.. Cleveland was sorry
for him, and he wanted to know why.
said because he had taken such a hard
job for the next four years. When
you come to think of it, his task is diff
fcult one. I believe was entirely right
in saying that he has a harder row to
hoe than any president has had since
Lincoln.
To begin with, he has his administra-
ton to organize. He is the instrument
which is to turn one political party out
and put another in. Besides Cleveland
himself, General Harrison is the only
president since Lincoln who has had this
to do, all the others succeeding presidents
Of their own political faith. Consider
the magnitude of this undertaking for q
moment, and you will see what source
of worry and work it is. There are the
big bureau offices of the government,
like pension commissioner, public print
er, commissioner of patents, etc. There
is a host Of assistant secretaries and
auditors. There are so or go important