The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-07-27
THE CLEVELAND MYTH.
Germans Speech Leaves Little of It
Some Inside Politics.

speech, and that is, perhaps, one of the
most interesting OF the developments which
this fierce battle has produced here. For
ii has long been felt that the curious. ir-
rational and almost erratic course of Mr..
Cleveland must sooner or later cause a
breach which would be publicly exposed.
/ heard such comment as long ago the
month of April, after Cleveland's second
inauguration.
Some of those men here who had worked
with zeal, with patience. enduring much,
and from Cleveland himself, for his NOM
ination and election, mer him at the White
House some five or six weeks after his in
auguration, and they came back TO New
York telling queer tales of their expert
ence 1t seemed to them then that the
President was in very great danger by
reason of his overwhelming and magnificent
sef-confidence and self-esteem.
One of those New York politicians, who
for thirty years has been leader in Demo-
cratic councils, and at umeS a powerful
one, said to me after his return from Wash
ington. having had a long and very friend,
is in greater danger of serious disaster
than he has ever been, and this danger Is
caused by a strange conception or ms own
power and influence, which makes IL I'M
possible to see clearly, justly, ana VIII make
ii impossible for him TO deal falrly either
with his party or its leaders, unless ne
overcomes this weakness. Those VINO nave
been near to Mr. Cleveland have long I'M
that Ma his OF as have Per pu up WITH
something of humiliation, something OF
shame because of that quality of Cleve-
men of the party at Washington will bear
with il through his administration. There
will be break, and when 1t comes a. mere
will be a clash that will test the PRESIDENT
as ne has never yet been tested.
Those Democrats who were at the time
familiar with the Democratic natonal Cam
Is ar11 n
ans who have since then learned something
of that strange canvass do not now say
that the trouble has been due entirely 10
Mr.. Clevelands intense, stupendous ego
tism. The real trouble that has now been
brought to a head began with the sham ana
the shame of the canvass of 1S92.
No man knows that better than Mr.. Cor
man. He entered into that campaign with
a sense of suspicion of every man VINO was
closely associated with Mr.. Cleveland. de
came to this city and faced Mr.. Whitney,
who then the fidus Achates OF Cleve-
land, and indicated his belief that the cam
paign was begun in trickery and would be
Conducted in selfishness and in treachery
by saying TO Mr.. Whitney that he must
share the responsibility of the campaign
Whitney shook his head, and with that
smile than which that Of no Jesuit was
ever sweeter. replied to German. saying:
mo, L fought the fight at Chicago; went
through the preliminary canvass, ana now
it is FOR you and your associates TO carry
the campaign.
Then German pressing Whitney further
stony stare-they stood there one Jesuit
facing another for moment, each under
standing the other and said: You Will go
on with that executive committee and you
will take part in this campaign, or l go
back to Baltimore and wash my hands OF
it, L don't propose to have the response
bility for the defeat of Mr.. Cleveland, If 1t
comes heaped upon the shoulders of those
Of us who were opposed to his nomina tion.
And the Jesuit of the Senate chamber won;
Mr.. Whitney bowed his head and then went
to the committee room and entered upon
his work
1t may have been the recollection of that
early episode OF the canvass which caused
German, with Conkling-like sarcasm and
satire. to make mention in his speech of
yesterday of the colossal Canadian trust
for whore benefit free coal would be un-
questioned.
Had Mr. German been willing TO tell to
the Senators some of the experiences of
the canvass he might have unfrocked the
President with even greater dramatic dis
play than was the case when he, beckon-
of the finance committee, persuaded them
to arise in due order and make positive
accusation of dupiicity, hypocrisy and
treachery against the President.
Mr.. German could have told the story
of Don Dickinsons relations to the cam
paign, the same clumsy Jesuit who is be-
leved to have induced the President to
write the Wilson letter the same Mighty
and irresponsible genius of meddling who
did much to persuade the President to
look with an evil eye upon the republic of
Hawaii, the same intriguer who, when
Cord Meyer, jr., told him at a dinner at
the Metropolitan Club, last winter. that
there would be no tariff bill. smiled
diplomatic smile and answering in effect
,n MEL we . shall see about that" and then
found to be stronger than Congress-
Dickinson was the man who suggested
the union union with the PoPulists and Social
gus growth of politics in the West where
by the Democracy could gain electoral
votes or the Republicans be prevented
from getting them, and il was he who
persuaded Mr.. Cleveland to view with
kindly consideration these suggestions.
and he has not liked them since Bur he
was not amazed to see Mr.. Cleveland lean
Knew waT r ld TOWARD such n, efforts for he
1t was German who. in the committee
room the day after Mr.. Cleveland deIiv-
cred his Lenox Lyceum speech, spoke of
that speech with sneer Mr. German is
not immaculate in his politics but he does
not believe In unnecessary hypocrisy He
LenoX Lyceum platform after delivering
that speech in which he denounced the use
or money in campaigns to a meeting of
some of the Democratic leaders to consider
the proposition to use money in Colorado
Kansas, Nebraska and other States that
the fus1on between the PopuliSts and the
Democrats might be perfected, or. as in the
case OF Colorado, that the Democratic tick
ct might be withdrawn.
1t was in the fall of 1892 that Mr. Cor
man was informed that the Boston syndi-
cate, with that astute business man. Henry
and
with Whitney. Lamont Johnnie Russell
and some others as members of it, were
favoring the Democratic ticket by work
and by contributions in the expectation
that through Cleveland's influence Nova
Scotia coal should come into the United
States free. Then German said nothing
but after election he is reported to have
said: " There will be no free coal as long
as am member of the Senate"
Mr.. German also knew perfectly well in
1S92-he yesterday admitted that he knew
it-that Mr.. Cleveland had made pledges
10 the sugar raiseTs and refiners of Louisi-
ana that sugar should be protected, and
Mr.. German also knew perfectly we'll that
the candidate was we'll aware that the
Sugar Trust. individually a least had con-
tributed large sums for campaign purposes
in Connecticut, New York. Nebraska and
Cleveland was as We'll aware of the obli-
cation, implied or explicit. then entered
into 5 German, Whitney or the members
of the trust. Gaining the presidency as
the result OF such an ill-assorted combina.
ton of conflicting interests, no man knew
| most delicate treatment, subtle and crafty
compromise, gentle Cancellation. could ever
hold these influences together. He has beer
afraid of Mr.. Cleveland ever since the tar
| if bill was under consideration by the ways
and means committee.
So far as is reported here German ha:
| never asserted that Cleveland is knowing
~. deliberately, consciously treacherOus
| but German believes that his intellectual
| and moral qualities are OF such curious
| combination and completely dominated
! by his abnormal self-eSteem that he really
| believes that he is capable OF no deviation
| from intellectual honesty and incapable o
| inconsistency or treachery to any man o.
| principle.
The seeds of mutiny sowed in an army