The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1894-01-19


About President Cleveland-His Physical
Condition-Indifferenc For Walking.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Jan. 11.-[Special.] J.
Wall street has some peculiar connections
with Washington. From what sources
"the street" derives it's information as to
what is going on in the capital no one
knows, but it gets some strange and won
derful tips from these parts. A few days
ago. while President Cleveland, Secretaries
Gresham and Carlisle and Fighting Bob"
Evans were down the river on shooting
trip, Wall street became very much ex-
cited. 1t had heard-Heaven only knows
how-that President Cleveland was losing
his mind; that he had completely broken
down; that he was in such sad condition
that his friends of the cabinet were consid-
ering the advisability of taking him away
for long rest.
Wall street heard these things in some
unaccountable manner and evidently placed
more or less faith in them, because it fired
a score of kilograms into Washington that
day asking for the facts about the presl-
dents condition. The bigger the lie the
more quietly Wall street swallows 1T, hook,
line, pole and sinker Of course the rumors
were absurd. While it is true that the
president has some bad teeth in his head,
and while it is true also that he is to some
extent showing the effects of the long strain
to which he has been subjected, there is no
man in this country in less danger of losing
his mental faculties than Grover Cleveland.
His Mind All Right.
The senators, representatives and office
seekers who call on him occasionally about
- I do 70 hn1t owe
that Mr. Cleveland is in any danger of los
ing his mind. The sharp memory which
enables him to call up almost every detail
of case-the characteristics of aspirants,
their faults and weaknesses, the nature of
their Endorsements, the objections made to
them-gives noindication of waning mental
powers. Mind specialists say the memory
Is usually the first thing to suffer when
any arrangement of the cerebral organs APP
pears, and by that test, if no other, Mr..
Cleveland's mind is as clear as the tones of
a silver bell.
The men who call on the president find
him sharp, alert, keen in his analysis of
character and conditions and fully able to
cope with the bright men who do business
with him. Stories are told every day of
the presidents remarkable power of carry
whatever is noticeable in his manner, it is
an increasing impatience, lack of tolerance,
eagerness to get business off his mind not
by decision, but by procrastination.
A Silly Charge Refuted.
OF course these stories concerning Mr.
Cleveland's mental condition have been i'll
circulation in Washington. But here,
where the facts are known, scarcely sec
ond thought is given to them. When the
president'sspecial message on Hawaii made
its appearance few weeks ago, some peo-
pie thought they could see in it evidences
of the hand of Secretary Gresham. Feed
ing their imagination with trif1es, these
extra wise persons declared the whole mes
sage had been written by Gresham, and
that all the president had done was to sign
his name. In the same way some smart
persons thought they could see evidences
of the hand of Dan Lamont in the prepare
tion of the presidents annual message.
During Mr.. Cleveland's first term great
many people could never be induced to be-
1ieve anything else than that the presi-
dents private secretary prepared all OF the
messages to congress-, state papers and
speeches. OF course the facts are, as we all
know-all who take the trouble to ascer-
tain facts-that the president writes his
own messages and state papers. He has
always done so. The peculiar English of
those documents is the presidents own.
The Hawaiian message was more charac-
teristic of Mr.. Cleveland than anything he
has written for years. 1t is absolutely I'M
mistakable. And how any intelligent man
could honestly suspect it to be Gresham's
work-to whose style it bears no resem-
blance whatever-is beyond fathoming
Whatever may be the strong or the weak
points of Grover Cleveland as public man,
inability to prepare the state papers which
bear his signature cannot be charged against
him.
About the White House.
One of the penalties of fame is to be lied
about. President Cleveland is no exception
to the rule. Not long ago the newspapers
were filled with stories to the effect that the
president was physical coward-that he
lived in daily fear of assassination. The
tales had an increased force of watchmen
on the White House grounds; they told Of
the presidents sudden desertion of his
country house for the executive mansion;
they recited the fact that he had employed
a mounted policeman to accompany him on
his drives to and from Woodley; they laid
great stress upon the failure of the presi-
dent ever to take walks in the streets or
about the White House grounds.
There is just this much truth in these
tales: The president left Woodley sooner
than he had expected to do because he
found too much time was taken from his
work in passing to and fro, and because the
approach of winter made the country seat
less comfortable than the executive man.
sion. He did have a mounted policeman
detailed to ride ahead of him along the
lonely roads, but in doing so followed more
the advice of Mrs. Cleveland and members
of his cabinet, who urged him to prudence,
than any promptings of his own fears. 1t
was a wise and proper thing to do. in NO
other country in the world would national
ruler.go about in lonely country jtoadsSday
or night, without attendance. 4 There.has
been an; increase of the watch foree ABOUT
the executive mansion, but the. increase
consists of ditioh; of asfngle 1nssiin:@ /
Z. Mr. Cleveland docs DOT tAke walks. In the.
streets. OF about thsgro6inds; as Harrison
Hayes Grant laid fother presidents did,
for. fke; reason that he.;does not like walk.
ing, afms. not TO reed the exercise, and in
fact does appear to get along very well
without if, On bis vacations, whether in
Delawape, ae Sari&ac lake or down the Pc
tomac,t Mr.. Cleveland goes about as fear
lessGyf and unpretentiously as any private