The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-27
GROVER oLEVELAND.


eoutif aux Etats Unis" when that power was
unable to achieve the purchase of a harbor in
San Domingo, though the President was the
redoubtahle Grant. In twenty years. under the
only Democratic President in thirty-six, the
American Executive power has become almost
Cromwellian. 1t has nearly destroyed the in
fluence of the United States Senate; the
Speaker. Reed, has become a captivated orony
at the White House; John Sherman is the
President's assistant; Mckinley and Harrison
both rather look up to Cleveland as their Dcan.
Finally. Mr.. Olney notifies the Senate, In the
Presidents absence shooting ducks, that two
thirds OF both houses will not avail to affect
the Presidents determination of foreign ques-
tions, and instead OF public Indignation there
seems to be public Indifference or acquiescence.
Why is this the apparent fact2
1t may be due to n new power in government.
public opinion.
That apparition has apparently solidined In
some Of tho States and against their Senators.
Tho loss of confidence in tho Southern Sem
ntors among tho commercial class has turned
this public opinion in favor OF the Executive.
In the South itself are signs of a similar revo-
luton. From Delaware to Texas, from Missouri
to Maryland. the abuses of voting and counting
the votes have been suspected.
A portion of the Senators, continued In place
for years. are regarded as of uncertain title.
AihO1 NV . . tito ~ VI NIc - NV
that confidence which brings them support
even when they arc right. And the Presidents
errors have too often been abetted by Southern
mon Indifferent to the public opinion of the
Union, as by the Blounts, Willises. Oateses. Nc
Crearys. sc.
Tho late Speaker. Crisp. appeared to defer to
the Presidents dictum as to the degree of his
obedience to the Executive power before he
would be allowed to be reelected as Speaker.
Finally. the abandonment of their party and
its principles by the Southern leaders to retain
their seats, their State Legislatures. and the
home offices at any sacrifice, going over to the
Populist and anarchical factions. and threaten
ing New York. which they had long deferred to
for candidates and platforms. has caused the
most conservative and the most powerful COM
mercial society in the Union to regard them
with despair.
The attack upon manufactures and oper-
ative labor by the great southern majority
which passed the Wilson bill ns 1t originally
left the House was the sequel of other wan
ton acts. such as the degradation of Samuel J.
Randall. the oldest friend of tho South. and
played directly into Mr.. Cleveland's hands.
He thus separated the Senate from tho House
and awoke party intolerance against the former.
The Republicans reaped the benefit, and the
President. after he had destroyed the party or
ganizstion. helped to elect Mckinley, and thus
returned the Executive power to those he took
1t from twelve years before.
The South forced Cleveland on New York
three times, and he has dropped the heavy
weight of New York upon the tomb Of their
influence.
In our day commercial opinion Is almost pub
lie opinion. The scare given in the last cam
paign to and finance has paralyzed
the initiative of those who did It.
IVhnr T1axalop nd rrac RrCt o1notol n troOrn
new. omput man emerged from the aoso-
lutte ohscurity OF legislative life.
He was not an admirer of Tilien. but looked
askant at that chief. and was with difficulty
prevailed upon by Manning to call on Tildcn.
He made his inaugural address with extraor-
binary confidence. It amazed even John Jacques
Ingalls,. the pink Of literary oratory.
Cleveland began by forgiving nobody who had
opposed him. He showed n sensibility to dispar-
agement which other Presidents have concealed,
but all have felt. Even Mr.. Quay feels 1t.
This extended, In Cleveland's case. to men
who visited other men who had hurt Cleve-
lands amour prOpre. He sourcd on Hill be-
cause Hin visited William Purcell. who pub
lished In his paper at Rochester some acute
personalities. Editors of important newspa-
pers were humlliatcd TO find Cleveland unre-
lentine almost at the social table. He had re-
markable hardihood in his resentments. and
told Senators like German bluntly that he
meant to give his patronage to their enemies.
Thus those whom he disappointed commonly
felt deep resentment and had a moral fear of
encountering him GTain.
His idea of magisterial duty was to read and
write nearly everything himself. Thus his legs
were early and late under his office table. In
terrupters who expected to ind him a party
crony were disguised to fad that he grud ged
both his time and his intercourse. They also
found that he was n capitalized politician. play
ing the game OF the Presidency with economy
and vigor, but not in partnerships. He has
never yet expressed any solicitude about any
friends defeat. Sdtpe Gui pcti' seems to be one
of his PHILOSOPHERS. In this he is truly Mug
wumpian.
His retaliation. a word he used over and over
again in his Canadian message of 1888. makes
him a good deal like the strong ward rulers of
Democratic New York and other cities. the
Rrennans. kellys. Crokers. &c. Cleveland has
about three Irish crosses in his Connecticut
root. The Puritan Celticized is his stock.
Read this sentence which he publicly sent
to Congress eight years ago and you obtain the
grimness of his character:
PLAINLY stated. the policy of national retail
alton manifestly embraces the infiction of the
greatest harm upon those who have injured us
with the least possible damage to ourselves.
u 10 hlso III tNiituI pIoprltlS as "tll hS al
invitation to moral support found in visiting
upon the offending party the same measure or
kind of treatment OF which we complain, and AS
far as possible within the same lines. And.
above all, the plan OF retaliation, If entered
upon. should be thorough and vigorous"
This sentence Is unique among rulers and
would read like an Interpolation by some Indian
chief in any paper of President Washington. As
the production OF the son of II preacher 1t is also
unique and unlike the rule OF do unto others
as you would have others do unto YOU"
Unforgiving. implacable rather than revenge
full, is Cleveland's equipoise.
With the distresses OF Office seekers he has
seldom shown comradeship. and is reported to
have had a mean idea Of the American people
who beat him in 1888.
l have just read again Mr.. Cleveland's in
augural of almost eleven years ago. That night
! walked close behind him at the inaugural ball
and saw him puckered to n whistling OF the
mouth like a big boy relieved Of n big speech.