The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-03-27
WASHINGTON.
Cleveland as a War Issue
Candidate.
Secretary Gresham is a Strong Bluff
fer When He Tries.
Marshall Cnshing's Budget of News
and Gossip From tue Capital.
special correspondence Of the News.

rpeclhl correspondence OF tue news
WASHINGTON, March 26--I am told,
and IN such way as TO be obliged to be-
iieve it., that Mr.. Cleveland has an idea of
running for President again on the war
issue. 1t seems that some rich friends OF
his from New York were here while ago
talking with him about politics, busi-
ness, etc, and they said that he was a
great President and all that ;who had sac
rifced himself for his country and party's
good by running for President the last
time when; of course, he didn't want the
nomination, but permitted it to be forced
unwiilingly upon him. Now, however, il
this country should get into a war with
several foreign powers of consequence
nothing could prevent his denomination.
This is what the Presidents New York
friends told him, and il is said that he
really felt that way himself and looked
forward to the time when he should break
down our unwritten law that no President
shall serve three terms. The rich friends
of Mr.. Cleveland in New York are not
without an object in all this. They are
the lively, aggressive, speculative class of
pus with foreign countries raised as DOS
sible, for that would start up manufacture
ing, money lending, speculsting, schem-
ing, etc. II looks odd, the story, doesn't
1t, but that IL what they tell me.
OF course, Mr.. Gresham is one of the
observed of sll observers now. He has
been criticised as Secretary of State be-
fore this. First, for going into the cabinet
Of . Democrat at all; next, for sitting st
his desk with his waistcoat unbuttoned,
and with his feet upon his desk even, and
also for picking his teeth with his
jack k-knife. But now comes public
criticism that the conduct OF the
state department is bilious, irascible,
rough, like the character OF Gresham him.
self; and there is good deal in that, for
this man was failure as Post
master General. and then again
~ Secretary Of the Treasury, for
thess same qualities which he is dis
playing now, mainly ana chiefly the quail
ity Of not getting along with things and
people. President Harrison used to say,
before be came here from Indianapolis,
that he suspected that he might handle
public questions all right, but as for get
ting along with people he distrusted his
ability. Mr.. Gresham, though totally
different from Mr.. Harrison las Mr. Gres-
ham would doubtless be proud to say),
displays the quality of not getting along.
He irritates and confuses people. He
stumbles.
But this much may be said about Mr..
Gresham; he is hitting them up pretty
lively in these foreign complications. He
didn't like Minister Thurston and called
Gor his return, and in the Spanish i'm
broglio be seems to have done exactly
what he criticised and discharged Thurs
ton for doing, but / am told that his
letters to Baysrd, touching the possible
Intervention OF the English gov
srnment in Central America, show
. good deal OF nerve. OF course.
there is bluff, and great amounts of it. in
diplomacy, and the English are great
buffers. Mr. Gresham is himself a great
poker player and doubtless a good buffer,
but this 10 international business. Ii is
diplomacy, and no one can yet tell us
whether the war scare will blow entirely
over or whether the dozen war vessels.
half dozen of them, say, on side,
will get into trouble down in these
Central American waters. The tenor OF