The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1896-12-30
THE OLNEY STATEMENT
How the Secretary Let His
Light Shine.
WITH MIR. CLEVELAND A.sHOOTING

estfnE Episode-Coulu tenerhi II. II.
Tracy he Tempted.-An Example OF
Congressional Vanity - An Ambitious
Statesman.
WASHINGTON, Dec. go Especial when
Mr. Olney, the secretary Of state issued
mis- now famous manifesto concerning the
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
he has warned the members of his official
family that they must not talk TO the
newspapers, and once or twice there has
been danger of rupture between the presi-
dent and his advisers on this account
Though usually of n kindly disposition and
gentle manner in dealing with the mem
bers of his cabinet, no man likes 10 be
snubbed in public as certain cabinet Off
GERS have been snubbed by their chief
The Olney Statement.
learn on good authority that Secretary
Olney, in issuing that statement of his
In mind this popularity of Mr.. Clevelands,
but was not restrained thereby. On the
contrary, the chance was too good one TO
be lost. For long time Mr.. Olney's
friends have been telling him that his light
was too much hidden under a bushel.
They have pointed out that when the IA
nous Venezuelan message came out IL was
Mr.. Cleveland who at first received all the
oi ylxy ha iraf M
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
such a mastery way did Mr.. Cleveland
write. In fact, he never saw that docu
ment till It was sent him by Mr.. Olney,
and then the president gave it his approval
without changing a word.
Some time ago, as told you In one OF
my dispatches the secretary Of state was
about to 40 to New York to make speech
at chamber Of commerce dinner He had
intended to institute there the precedent
of a deliverance on international matters
by the secretary of state, much as the min
lister of foreign affairs In England takes
speech at the Guildhall banquet The topic
which Mr.. Olney had chosen was Cuba,
and 1t goes without saying that If he had
made his speech il would have been most
one and would have served to
bring the secretary of state more promi
nently than ever before TO the public atten-
ton But after Mr.. Olney had reached
the railway station, grip In hand, a tele
q hn Aanf lIad
him back.
1t Brought Him Fame.
This time Mr.. Cleveland was out of
town, and the opportunity was too fortu
nate a one TO be neglected. Without any
communication with the absent president,
without consultation with his fellow cab
net officers, Mr.. Olney gave his manifesto
against the rights of congress TO the press.
For week the country has been ringing
with Mr. Olney'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 a question which will not be
settled for many months TO come and
through all the debate in the senate and
elsewhere the name of the secretary of
state will be more often heard than that
Of President Cleveland
All is well that ends well, and am as
sured that on his return from his exped-
tion against the ducks President Cleveland
promptly Endorsed the attitude taken by
his secretary of state Not only that, but
he was delighted with the manner in
which Mr.. Olney had raised a big obstacle
in the way of the promoters of the Cam
eron resolution, and expressed his satisfac.
ton in characteristic phrase True, there
was a little fly in the ointment, for the
president was and still is trifie dubious
as to the wisdom of hitting congress quite
80 hard a crack as that which the secretary
dealt out when he said the resolution would
be ignored even If it were passed IN both
houses over the presidential veto The
president, l am told, is not yet fully salts.
fed as TO that part of the manifesto, though
l venture the assertion that nothing will
ever be heard from him about it
Ex-Secretary Tracy.
There has been great deal of talk in
Washington TO the effect that ex Secretary
Of the Navy Benjamin + Tracy of New
York might be asked to become secretary
Of state under President Mckinley MIR
Tracy Is conceded to be one of the ablest
men in the country. During the last year
of Mr. Blaines life that statesman was so
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. Blaines name was
signed and which reflected considerable
credit upon the Harrison administration.
The latest news from Canton, however, Is
that Mr.. Tracy Is not likely to be asked To
take the place, and at the same time hear
from one Of the ex-secretarys intimate
friends that he has no desire TO re-enter
public life He Is said TO enjoy an income
exceeding $4,000 year from his law
practice, and it would take a pretty great
inducement in the way Of official honor to
tempt a man TO make u sacrifice Of such an
income as this
On the opening day of the session no
ticed an example of congressional vanity
which excelled everything of the sort had
previously noticed during my residence in
That is flower day in the
senate and house. The friends and adj
mirers and official dependents of public
men make It point TO place flowers upon
their desks, with the cards of the donors
attached, you may be sure. The congress-
man in question, a western member with
out much reputation, had been remember