The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-03-10

the Recognition of the Cubans had
Been Given Out by Olney but Cleveland
Did Not Know it and He Proceeded tc
Deny it Vignrously-Olney Turns Up on
the scene and Wants an Explanation
and Gets It-OIney is Not Afraid of the
President.
Washington, March 9.-The national
capital has today had a good laugh al
the experience of President Cleveland
in which tie president is said to have
Joined. The joke on the chief magis-
tIate is that he committed the blunde-
Of rushing impulsively into print in such
way that he afterwards found 3;
necessary virtually to apologize for his
utterances.
Last night fears were expressed In
weIl-informed circules that on account
of the card which the president had
given to the newspapers, stating that
he knew nothing of the semi-ofhcial de-
HYerance' on the Cuban question re-
Gently published, and that he was quite
able to define his own position on public
questions, might lead TO trouble be-
tween the president and his secretary
of state There was some foundation
for this fear, but. fortunately, the cpl
sode has resulted in farce rather than
In tragedy
Secretary Olney was at the White
House for al hour today, and, after
his return 10 the state department, was
In the best of spirits While he de-
cIined 10 discuss the affair at all, he
did deny that there was any friction
between himself and the president, and
asserted that so far as he knew there
was no danger Of his leaving the ca b
met TN March Z. 1897 This CORES
ponds with informa ton gathered from
other officials familiar with the facts
and IT may be regarded as settled that
the tragedy part OF the episode IS over
and that nothing remains but the COM
edy-
This is Interesting enough As was
said IN last nights dfspa tch- Secretary
Oiney did give out last Tuesday after
moon, during the absence OF the presi-
dent IN New York a s1a tement express
ing IN part the views Of the adminIstra-
ton On the Cuban question He stip-
ulated that the article was not to be
ascribed as coming from him or any
other official, but gave permission that
IL be used as a fair and Senl1-of1cial
statement Of the case
There was nothing particularly new
In the article, nothing that had not al
ready been published over and over
again on good authority, but the secre-
tary thought such a statement might
tend to clear the public mind to some
extent on matter Of great Importance.
and about which there is more or less
anxiety There was nothing improper
either In the subject matter of this
statement or in the manner in which
Il reached the public and 1t probably
was farthest from Secretary Ofneys >
mind that he was to be called down"
for it by his chef.
OF late Mr. Cleveland has been watch
ing the newspapers with more than his
usual earstness. AS a rule he affects
contempt for the press and for most
of its writer's and editors. To him amy
thing that has appeared in a newspaper
is most likely to be untrue. At the same
time he is just now displaying extraors
dtnary curiosity as to the political COM
ments Of the papers.
Yesterday morning he saw IN one
eastern paper reproduction Of the So
called semi-officia1 statement given out
by Secretary O1ney and an editorial
comment thereon. severly arranging the
admins u'anon for neglect to carry out
the will of congress Mr.. Cleveland waS
first surprised and then angered All
his old antfpathy to the newspaper press
at once took possession of him He said
TO himself he would see If these Wild
and irresponsible ghUuls Of the news
papers could go around guessing at his
policy on the Cuban or any other Ques-
ton. and by printing 1t as semEofhcia1
make people believe IL was authentic
and represented his-Mr- C1evelanfs
views
He must have had some heat about
the matter, for in a few minutes he had
written card and instructed Mr. Thur
Der to give ii to the newspapers II
was sent all over the country, and
doubtless aroused no end of curiosity as
10 what he meant and what was the
mystery lying behind IL
Whether or not Mr. Cleveland read
his card to the cabinet, which assembled
within few minutes after it was given
out, no one has been able TO say posi-
lively. The odds are that il was not
mentioned, and that Mr.. Olney did not
know of the existence of that remark
able communication till he picked up
the evening papers. If it was read 10
and discussed by the cabinet the nIem-
bers of that council successfully conceal
the fact, for nothing but denial is given
in response to all inquiries if the matter
was broached about Mr.. Cleveland's
long table. The circumstance that Mr..
Olney left the cabinet meeting before it
was concluded gave rise to the suspicion
that tha-e had bssn scme pleasant con-
versatiOn about the card, but inquiry
fails to develop and prove that this sus-
plciNp was founded on facts
Perhaps il is fortunate that the mat
ter was not brought W then and there,
for Mr. Giney has an exceedingly sharp
tongue in his head and an independent
way Of blurting out what he thinks On
the slightest proYocatIo
1t is learned on unquestionable au-
thority that when he wrote his card Mr..
Cleveland did MT Know that the de
liverence" Of which he c, implanted had
had been made by Secretary Olney. If
he had k-loWn this fact The card would
not have been written. President
Cleveland knows enough of Mr.. Olney's
character 10 know that the secretary
of state would not endure a deliberate
affront OF that sort.
In his card Mr.. Cleveland said he did
not know who had written or dictated
the first publication, and he will have TO
be taken at his word, though there are
Iflends OF the secretary of state who
Relieve that Mr.. Cleveland had suspic-
Ion OF the origin of that "deliverance"
anu cnose this method Of rebuking his
secretary Of state. This view is en-
tertalned by but few persons and is not
indorsed oy any member of the cabinet,
so far as can be learned. The general
opinion and one which comedies moss
closely with all the facts is that Mr..
Cleveland in his adherence of publicity
and his almost freakish objection to
having anyone else presume 10 present
the views OF the administration i,,,,,,l