The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-12-29
How Secretary 0Iney Let
His Light Shine.
He Made Himself a Very Much
Talked About Man.
Could General Tracy Be Tempted?
Washington Gossip.


Cuban resolution week or so ago, Mr.
Cleveland was down south on his ducking
trip, and there was great deal Of curiosity
on all sides to learn what the president
would think on his return Mr.. Cleveland
has always discouraged his cabinet officers
from taking responsibility upon themselves
except through himself. Time and again
ho has warned the members of bis official
family that they must not talk to tho
newspapers. and onco or twice there has
been danger OF rupture between the presi-
dent and his advisers on this account.
Though usually Of a kindly disposition and
gentle manner In dealing with the mem
bers OF his cabinet, no man likes to be
snubbed In public as certain cabinet OIL
GERS have been snubbed by their chief.
The OIney Statement.
1 learn on good authority that Secretary
Olney in issuing that statement of his
which has kicked up such big row, had
IN mind this regularity OF Mr.. Cleveland's,
but was not restrained thereby. On the
contrary, the chance was too good a one to
be lost. For a long time Mr. Olney's
friends have been telling him that his light
was too much hidden undor IA bushel.
They have pointed out that when the ia
Mr.. Cleveland who ut first received all the
credit therefor, simply because the first of
fetal announcement was made over the
presidents signature, though the fact Is
that all the work had been done by Mr..
Olney. Not line of the note to Lord Sails
bury which demanded arbitration and set
forth the position of this government In
such masterly way did Mr.. Cleveland
write. In fact, he never saw that docu-
rlent till IL was sent him by Mr.. Olney,
and then the president gave 1T his approval
without changing word.
Some time ago, as told you In one of
my dispatches, the secretary OF state was
about 90 go TO New York 20 mako speech
at chamber Of commerce dinner. He. had
intended to institute there the precedent
of deliverance on international matters
by the secretary of state, much rs the min
lister of foreign affairs in England takes
the public into his confidence througl4a
speech at the Guildhall banquet. The topic
which Mr.. Olney had chosen was Cuba,
and IL gees without saying that IL he had
made his speech IL would have been a most
interesting one and would have served to
bring tho secretary OF state moro promi-
nently than ever before Co tho public atten-
tion. But after Mr.. Olnoy had reached
the railway station, grip in hand, a tele-
phono message from the president called
him back.
It Brought Him Fame.
This timo Mr.. Cleveland was ont OF
town, and the opportunity was TOO fortu.
nate n ono TO be neglected. Without any
communication with the absent president,
without consultation with his fellow cabi-
net officers, Mr.. Olney gave his manifesto
against the rights Of congress TO the press.
For week the country has been ringing
with Mr. Oiney's name. He has been the
most talked of man in the United States,
If not in the world, during that time. He
has raised question which will not be
settled for many months to come, and
through all the debate In the senate and
elsewhere the namo Of tho secretary Of
state viii he more often heard than that
Of President Cleveland.
All is woll that ends well, and am as
sured that on his return from his expedi-
tion against the ducks President Cleveland
promptly Endorsed the attitude taken by
bis secretary OF state. Not only that, but
he was delighted with the manner in
which Mr. Olney had raised big obstacle
In the way of the promoters of the Cam
oron resolution, and expressed his satisfao-
ton in characteristic phrase True, there
was little fly In the ointment, for the
resident was and still Is n trifle dubious
as TO the wisdom Of hitting congress quite
so hard a crack as that which the secretary
dealt ont when he said the resolution would
be ignored even II 10 were passed in both
houses over the presidential veto. Iha
president, am told, is not yet fully salts
fictf It's to that part Of the manifesto, though
venture the assertion that nothing will
ever be heard from him about IL.
Ex-secretsry Tracy.
There has been great deal of talk In
Washington TO the effect that ex-Secretary
of tho Navy Benjamin +. Tracy of New |
York might be asked to become secretary
of state under President Mckinley. Mr.. |
Tracy is conceded to be one OF the ablest |
men In tho country. During the last year
of Mr. Blaine's lie that statesman was 50
Ill he could not fully discharge the duties |
of his office and Mr.. Tracy was virtually |
both secretary Of the navy and of state |
He wrote number of important state pa |
pers TO which Mr.. Blane's name was |
signed and which reflected considerable |
credit upon the Harrison administration. |
Tho latest news from Canton, however, Is |
that Mr.. Tracy is not likely to be asked to |
take the place, and ut the same time hear
from one of the ox-sccrotary's intimate
friends that he has no desire TO ro-entor
public life. He Is said TO enjoy an income
exceeding 100000 year from his law
and il would take pretty great
in the way Of official honor to
tempt a man 10 make sacrifice of such an
Income "a this.
On the opening day Of the session no.
ticcd an example of congressional vanity :,
which exceled everything Of the sort l had
previously noticed-d during my residence in
That is flower day in the
senate aud house. The friends and ad-
mircrs and official dependents Of public
men make it point TO place flowers upon
their desks, with tho cards Of the donors
attached. you may be sure. The congress-
mon I'm question, u western mombcr with
out much reputation, had been remember
I'd In this way, and no one had any objec-
'ions to IL. But that night the ambitious
spent couple of hours running
about tho newspaper Offices asking CORE
spondonts 90 telegraph their papers that he