The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1896-01-10
4 STUDY OF MIR. CLEVELAND
BY Walter Wellman. Washington Cor.
respondent of Chicnyo Time ..uernII

respondent of Chicago Times-HeraId
There must be something 10 Presi.
dent Cleveland beside the gamor of
his great Office, Without a party fol-
| lowing. without popularity. he never.
! theless appears able to make things
move pretty much as ne likes. have
noticed this peculiar fact. The men
/ who view him from a little distance
don't like him. but almost invariably
the men who get near him. who gain
his confidence and friendship, become
( MS devoted admirers and followers. 1t
has been SO with all the men he has
had IN his cabinet, with all who have
been brought into intimate relations
with him. Ii there is single excep-
7 tlon 10 this rule, | do not know it.
Mr. Cleveland is not brilliant ard he
| is not magnetic as Mr.. Blaine was.
de is as simple and straight forward
as an old reliable cart horse. By what
means he unconsciously binds men 10
him appears to be mystery. No one
is able to explain il. ! asked several
of his cabinet ministers If they could
discern the secret. and they confessed
they could not, though all admitted
the fact In certain circles this Cleye-
land idolatry is termed sort of
fetichsm. and Mr.. Cleveland himself
is called sacred white elephant. =
but whether this is fair or not, the
fact remains as / have given it, and it
is a fact which has had a tremendous
influence upon the history OF the
United States.
In the cabinet Mr.. Cleveland shows
his peculiar character in striking
fashion. They tell me he is invariably
in good humor. When the ministers
assemble he usually has a Joke or
CHEEKY word for them all. After bust
ness has been taken up he is inclined
10 be rather serious. He IS always in
earnest. He encourages the cabinet
men 10 offer their opinions freely. One
of the newer ministers told me that
when he first sat at council he felt
like keeping still He was too modest
70 join in the discussions. But the
first thing he knew, the president WAS
asking questions and drawing him
out. Mr.. Cleveland likes ;frankuess
and plain speaking, and is not averse
TO those entertained by himself. He
agrees with him. He invites argument.
Il.
acts on his own belief. uninfiuenced
by the discussion. "He is patient,
good humored, easy TO get along with.
and treats US all as his personal
friends. = said member of the cabi-
net, but ne holds 4 tight rein. too.
We always know who is MASTER
At the same time, Mr.. Cleveland
weakness is as leader of men. This
.ro
does not know how to widen his circle.
The very small number of individuals
who get near him are devoted TO his
interests. The greater circles outside
appear 10 be drawing farther from
him all the time. As party leader
Mr. Cleveland has been q failure be-
cause he has no tact. He has made
enemies instead Of friends of all but
this little inner circle. Not at any
time during this term has he had
party behind him. Ii he had started !
in three years ago to be conciliatory, /
tactful. yielding. persuasive. he could |
have rallied his party about him. The !
leaders were eager. to meet it half way, /
The men who had opposed his nomira- |
ton were willing to capitnlate on any |
honorable terms. Mr. Cleveland had !
Only 10 SAL lUc worn. dCu the! hOuEu I
have gathered about it substantial /
united democracy. But he did not APP |
pear to care whether they did or not.
He made no effort to lead them, but |
tried TO drive them. He beat them ,
with the Sherman law repeal cudgel, /
but they turned the tables on him I
with the tariff.
To-day, as leader OF thought and |
not of men. Mr.. Cleveland is showing |
his tremendous power. He has almost !
as with magic wand rallied the coun
try around himself or the Monroe doe
trine issue. Strengthened and EN-
boldened, he starts out once more to "
drive the Republicans into compliance
with his will, threatening refusal with
the penalty Of popular execration. The
are afraid he may sue
coed. After he shall have finished
with the Republicans, many think he
will drive his own party into nominal
Ing him for reelection, and not a
few Democrats are fearful that he is
going to succeed in this also. At any
rate. il is Dir. Cleveland who is hav
ing the fun this winter and not the
various Republican, Democratic and
Populist gentlemen Of congress. They
are all wondering where the old man.
IS going TO break loose next.