The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-03-10

the president himself has been caught
| in the act, as ii were, and made TO ap-
pear to somewhat ridiculous light.
1t is noteworthy that in all the COM
ment about this rather ludicrous affair
| in official circles and among senators
and representatives there is little of the
old doctrine that whatever the king
does is always right. If Mr.. Cleveland
| is laughed at and jokes are made at
his expense by men who should give
| him nothing but loyalty he has only
himself to blame. Perhaps there never
was in Washington president more
| Unpopular personally than Mr.. Cleveland
is among the men of affairs at this cap
itaL Precious few call to see him and
| while the great majority of them have
for him great respect, those who like
him as a man can be counted on the
fingers of the two hands.
Some of the methods of this admin
istra ation have been abhorent TO all who
love a Democratic government. The
president himself has set the pace. His
fad Is mystery, concealment of his ac-
tionS and movements, and he has
preached the doctrine that the people
have no right TO information concerning
the affairs of the government till II has
become well-fxed tradition of the
Cleveland administration.
Every now and then the president
calls down" member of the cabinet
VINO has communication with the press.
Secretary Carlisle was rebuked in this
way a couple of times, till he took his
cue and kept quiet. Secretary Morton
caught it most savagely after one OF his
interviews. Now it is Olney's turn
That it Is possible 10 gain informa-
ton as TO the views of the president on
public question and for representatives
of the press to defect and foreshadow
with fair degree of accuracy is due
to the fact that this administration,
like any other, is full Of human nature
and that many of its most important
members refuse to be bound hand and
foot-and mouth-by the Cleveland tra-
dition.
AS for the White House itself, 1t Is Ia
booed by all newspaper correspondents
who have genuine respect for them
selves. Mr.. Thurber, the private secre-
tray, IS a nice man and II left to himself
would be occasionally communicative
and useful But he IS so completely
dominated by his chief and lives in such
abject terror of the great mans dis
pleasure, that Mr.. Thurber is as use
less to the representative Of the press
as the man who shovelS coal into the
cellar OF the executive mansion.
There are signs that Mr.. Cleveland Is
unbending nttls and making a sincere
effort to be agreeable to people who cali
on him. A few senators and congress-
men who have had business at the
White House OF late report that they
were surprised at the cordianty of their
reception. They could not understand
-, %1,n a
This is true also of distinguished DEM
the occasion of their trips TO Washing
ton from their homes out in the states.
Another evidence of the humanizing
process that has been going on in the
presidents attitude toward persons and
things of late-a sort of coming down TO
earth as the campaign draws higher
Is found in the fact that Mr., Cleveland
has decided to resume his afternoon re-
ceptions in the east room, those little
levees at which all who wish may have
the pleasure of shaking the hand of the
chief executive
From all accounts the president IL
really worried about the Cuban bus
mess. His Judgment tells him he has
taken the right position IN assuming
that recognition of the be11fgerency OF
the patriot armies would be a mistake
reactfng upon this country as well as
upon the insurgents themselves The
president IS also convinced that recognt-
ton would make Intellectual any subse-
quent effort On his part TO intervene
between Cuba and the Spaniards. a view
which is confirmed By the expressions
which Premier Canovas has Just made
10 a, New York newspaper over his sig
nature The president has an along
wished to crowd the Cuban question
back TN spring, and II has been a fav-
oTite notion of his that If then the pa
t1iot armies are in the field an inter-
Vention through our minister at Madrid
would be splendid thing. sure TO rouse
the utmost enthusiasm among the
friends of Cuba in this country
It may sound invidious TO say that
the president has also calculated the
political effect which such Intervention
might have If coming right on the eve
of the national convention at Chicago.
but no one who lives IN Washington and
studies its men and events with intelli-
gence can fail TO acquire the notion that
Mr. Cleveland IS sly, devilish sly This
was his program and 1t was good one,
but now the fly IN his ointment is that
Withholding of action as to Cuba ap-
pears to be- unpopular.
The country is bowling about the
manner In which the executive thwarts
the will Of congress. Cleveland is ac-
cused of being more friendly to Spain
than to Cuba 1t was such an accusa-
ton, read in a newspaper that brought
out the remarkable card Of yesterday
one of the most remarkable expressions
made by a president of the United
States since the days of Andrew john
son. This explains why Mr.. Cleveland
was wrothy at the appearance of
semi-official statement of the admins
tration's position 1t was a true state
ment, but the president could see what
perhaps Mr.. OIney had not foreseen,
that reasons existed, largely pertaining
to public opinion. why Mr. Cleveland
should wish to change his mind and
take up Cuban program that would be
really popular.