New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-09
n1savoWS-HE KNOWS NOT WHAT.

,,oo;dont Clovelands disavowal OF a state
.on. rogording his attitude on the Cuban mat
.au .ho statement thus d.savOwed having come,
II Is alleged from Secretary or state Oihey-
is another curious disclosure OF the Happy ram
iIv NJ Washington 1t Is no longer news 10
orvhody thar the President Is extremely averse
:, any expression OF his opinions or purposes.
cxcont By himself in his own peculiar English.
and with Ills own customarily stilted professions
of supcrior wisdom and patriotism But in this
case he seems to resent "deverance published
q few DAYS ago which so closely accorded with
his supposed attitude toward Congress in regard
"a foreign affairs In general, and the Cuban
oucstion in particular. that people naturally
sunposed it was authorized by the President
himself
When Secretary Carlsles letter regarding the
navmcnt OF Treasury notes in silver was pub
Nshed in March, 1S93-a "delvcrance' when
caused such immediate alarm. selling Of stocks
and Withdrawals of gold, and called attention
so forcby to the dangerous conditions result
ing from the change Of National policy regard
ing the finances and the tariff that panic fol-
lowel-it aftcrward appeared that the President
had personally revised the statement, making
some changes with his own blue pencil before
III
Democratic dispatches. But the letter affected
public opinion unfavorably that the President
himself within three days took occasion to dis
ayow 1t with some show OF heat declaring mat
Mother he nor the Secretary had ever enter
tanned any such intention rs the letter was I'M
dcrstOOd TO clearly indicate That was the first,
but not by any means the last. OF the fresi-
dents experiments in the art Of feeling public
sentiment by outgvngs supposed to represent
him, which could afterward be Indignantly dis
avowed II it appeared that they did not nt
1t has seemed strange to many that the mem
bers Of the Cabinet, who are men not entireiy
destitute OF manly pride and personal AMBITION
| should consent to be used in that fashion. Bur
more than one before Secretary Olncy has quiet
| " borne the burden. and though 1t Is reported
nj Washington that there Is friction between
| the President and the Secretary OF state, II Is
| not supposed that any change Of relations Will
| follow. The President seems to regard his Cab
| met officers as private clerks, whose sole func-
ton is TO do his WILL and II 1t happens to be his
| will that they should appear responsible Tor
| oninions upon which he shortly after sets his
heavy foot that IS but part Of their function.
| The most curious feature Of the latest dis
| ayowal Is that the President takes care to say
| that he does not now know whether This latest
dcverance actually represents the views OF
the Administration on the Cuban question or
not" presumably because rs he previously
states he neglected to read all OF 1t, supposing
| II represented nothing but a newspaper guess
II Secretary Oncy inspired the statement, he
is still NJ liberty to indulge the hope that the
President may presently discover that he did
really represent the Presidents wishes. al
though the irrita.ed Chief Magistrate, without
having taken the trouble TO read II over before
disavowing H. could not AT the time say whether
II did or no.. Truly. this Is a most dgnhed
and crediabe mode of dlschargins grave pub
lie duties. It Is lovely Government this OF
the Happy Family n Washington. and the peo-
pie who offer up thanks every day that 1t Is to
last nearly year longer are not constantly
| incrca slnc In number.