Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-03-20

fdce and nearly blinded HIM with 1T
dash Of fine. hard snow. Mr.. Cleve
land paid no more attention to this rud,
interruption than if it had been a gentl,
breath from balmy springtime zephyr
Never before under similar circum
stances probably was man so oblivion,
to his surroundings as Mr.. Cleveland ap
peared that hour. The weather appar
emily was the thing furthest from hi:
thoughts. 1t was climacteric which ex
cluded every consideration but that oi
conservation to the great business il
hand. With his left hand holding hi:
silk hat and his right hand plunged int
the pocket of his big coat. Mr.. Cleveland
faced the crowd and the storm. His face
was turned half toward the sky. as if he
felt himself uplifted by the transcendent
Importance of the moment. 1t was moth
ing to him that others were suffering
with the cold. shrinking within the col
lars of their coats in hopes of escaping
the severity Of the winds. He needed
not the fact that the lock of hair which
still remains like an oasis in the deser,
Just above his forehead was Haunting
about like flag in a gale. He did NOT
know that his breath. frosted in the icy
atmosphere, was seen emerging first from
one side of his face and then from the
other like the escaping steam from the
cylinders Of a locomotive.
There was not a trace of self conscious
ness i'll his manner. He appeared even
to be obliyious to the great throng sur
rounding him and hanging on his every
word. He gave as complete an illustra-
ton as the world ever saw of Il man
talking not to his environments, but to
S.. 600. 600 of sovereigns. to the world al
large, to history His voice was full and
strong. though he talked into the teeth
of the north wind. Not word did he
skip, not an infection of syllable was
slighted. For once in his life Grover
Cleveland was surely majestic.
There is tradition in Washington
that Mr.. Cleveland. though moral hero
is "a physical coward. | have heard nc
end Of people talk about his timidty: his
employment of guards; his failure tc
walk the streets of the city as other pres
idents have done: his entrance during
his former term Of railway stations by
the back door. do not believe there il
the slightest foundation for the gossip
If ever Il man gave evidence of possession
of physical courage of the highest sort
Mr.. Cleveland did in his Inauguration
day performance. Not only did he stand
for % minutes with head barred to the
storm during the delivery Of his inaugu-
yal aud taking the oath of otIice. but dur
ing the remainder of the afternoon he
faced Il howiing blizzard on the review.
ing stand. when even the newspaper re-
porters We're frozen out. and doffcd his
hat every lime he was saluted or the
American flag was dipped.
The fear that he would not come out
of this ordeal sound and well happily
proved groundless, The day and even
ing after the inauguration Secretary
Gresham was with the president at the
White House. and Mr.. Cleveland was
never in better physical form or happie,
spirits. Not so much as a cold troubled
him. He is as strong as mule" said
secretary Gresham in that graphic west.
srn way of his
Secretary Gresham, despite the pecEl
iGT circumstances attending his appoint
msnt, is already one of the most popular
Of all Of Mr.. Cleyeland's cabinet minis
ters This is due as much to his charm
ing manners as to anything else. He is
simplicity itself. He has great fund OF
humor and a large repertory of thost
hGnely sayings which helped to make
a good deal such man as Lincoln was
depending for his strength less upor
learning than upon common sense
wholly without affectation or ceremony
in his contact with men, naturally rather
than by cultivation gentle and courteous
and his sympathies always with tht
common people.
If you want to see Gresham at his best
call on him at his private rooms. Ioy
will find him perchance lying on d sofa
surrounded by friends, smoking the q
gar. which is his inevitable companion
except during office hours. and with hi
feet thrown about in the most lazy am
comfortable Of ways. The old time Dem
ocrats who at first were inclined to grow
about his appointment talk differentl,
after they have seen and talked with tn
new secretary. How that man coult
have ever been anything int Demo
crat," they say, lis more than | can un
derstand. He is natural born Demo
crat." confess | don't know what tha
means. for as far as my observation zoe
a natural Democrat is very much like
natural Republican. 1t all depends upol
the man.
All the members Of the new slininls
tration are head over heels in wors.
They get up early in the morning ans
stay up till after midnight. They ar
hesieged at their offices. in their rrivat
rooms and even at their dinner tables il
the hotels at which they stop. No VI.
has been invented of suppressing th
Office seeker. He is a necessary evil il
any political party. But the busies
man of them all is the new secretary O
war.
Daniel Lamont. it is pretty well IN
derstood. is the political manager ~ t'l
administration. under Mr Cleveland
orders of course. He knows the Tcll
ticians: he can distinguish the drai.s
from the honey workers: he Is not sa.sll
imposed upon. In addition TO al tai
he knows his chiefs personal likes an
disiilzes better than any other man il
Washington. If you come to Washing
ton during the next two or three weeks
don't fail to go over to the war depar'
ment and see how the Office seekers gathe
around the door marked Secretary o
War And if you can ge. inside take
look at the little colonel handling hi
callers. He is easy and sleek. 4 thou
sand words are said to him for every or
that he says In reply. And how DILL
he disposes Of his caller and sends hiI
away wondering what in the dence b
came there for.
Lamont is the smallest man in the cab
net, which is distinctly ministry q larg