The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-02-20
How Mr.. Cleveland Will
Leave His Party.
The Future of the President
as a Politician.
Has Now More Friends Among Re-
rublicans Than Democrats.

WASHINGTON, Feb. %. 0.-[Spccial. IA few
more words about President Cleveland ere
he leaves the White House, and Il shall
have achieved duty that have at least
ondcavored TO perform fairly and without
political bias. President Cleveland Is In
some respects great man. He has logic,
analysis, industry, courage, moral sense.
But his second administration has demon
stratcd beyond question that he lacks two
important equipments for n great loader OF
parties and people. Unconsciously To him
self. nc attempts TO drive where leading
would answer his purpose as well and
much better He is an utter stranger %
the maxim that it Is easy 20 get people 10
do what YOU want them 10 do IL you only
permit them 10 think they are doing what
they want 10 do.
Fundamentally Mr.. Cleveland is weak as
a leader because he lacks human sympathy.
He does not understand human nature.
He has mingled little with people. A Ger
tain part OF his nature was stirred too late
In life, and after habits and modes OF
thought had become too well settled III he
had more OF this understanding of and
sympathy with human nature, he would
never have quarreled with his party before
quarreling became absolutely necessary.
There are plenty of public men thorough
ly familiar with the inside of recent poll.
tics who declare that If the president had
kept certain pledges made in his behalf,
pledges about nonessentials and had fol
lowed with conciliatory, even just, treat
ment of Democratic leaders he could have
averted the present schism in the party
1t Ia of course impossible TO discern wheth
or this be true or not, but one may easily
believe 10 when he remembers that IL Mr.
Cleveland, as leader of his party, had kept
little more In touch with prominent
Democrats in three or four states of the
middle west, had attached them to his ad
ministration instead of driving them
away, there would have been different re-
suit at the Chicago convention.
A Lack OF Tact.
Admitting that 1t may possibly be un.
just 10 charge Mr.. Cloveand's error of
policy with responsibility for the submerg
ing of the great Democratic party by Pop
ulism, il still remains true that the senate
need not have become an antiadministra
ton body 1t remains true that II Mr..
Cleveland had been possessed of tact rather
than OF brute courage his party, which
Hhu Dtfn rtluTH'u W power On "a plcb ol
revenue REFORM would have been able to
reform the revenues instead of adopting
makeshift with which no one was satisfied,
not even its authors or the president him.
self
1t remains true that II the president had
In earlier life mingled more with the real
people of the country and absorbed sym.
pathy for and understanding of life he
would not have committed the blunder OF
Hawaii, nor would he have permitted his
administration to become silent partner
In Spains effort to hoodwink the Cuban
insurgents into n compromise without
honor. lie would have been satisfied tc
maintain the status quo without leaning
so plainly to the side of Spain. He would
have known that when this government
goes out of its beaten path of noninterfer.
encc In the affairs of foreign nations il
must be on the side of constitutional gov.
ernment and not for the perpetuation upon
American soil of an odious monarchy.
Civil Service Reform.
President Cleveland has pursued to his
hearts content his well known policy OF
enlarging the civil service laws applica.
ton TO government offices. In this it has
not been necessary to have the co-opcra-
tion of congress No doubt the president
IL supported in this policy by an enlight.
ened and progressive public opinion, but
there Is great deal of truth In the charges
made by interested persons that before is.
suing these orders Mr. Cleveland waited
till most of the offices had been taken pos
session OF by his party friends. Reform in
the civil service is the one policy which
Mr.. Cleveland maintained with consistency
and with somo courage throughout both
his administrations 1t was his first hobby
as public man. He had IL in Buffalo
when he was a candidate for local Office.
He carried IL with him 10 Albany and later
hrought IL To Washington. When he first
came here hc had but one idea He hardly
knew there was such thing as n living
tariff question in this country. But the
cause OF civil service reform has made dis
tlnct progress under his leadership, and
all tho efforts of the spoilsmcn To induce
his successor TO take n backward step in
civil service reform will doubtless fail, SO
firmly fixed has the policy become during
the past threc administrations.
The second administration of Mr.. Clove.
land has been stormy one. Ii may well
be doubted II any other president in time
OF peace since the days OF jackson has had
SO much turmoil ns Mr. Cleveland has en-
dured. In many important particulars the
president has shown himself man of com.
manding strength. His administration has
been marked by strange mixture Of sue.
cess and failure. But there can he no doubt
in the mind of any unpreiudiccd observer
that he rctlrcs from Office with an cxtraor.
dnary measure OF public confidence.
He is infinitely more popular with the
people than with tho politicians. He has
much moro support ont in the states than
he has hero in Washington. As a leader of
thought and public opinion he has been far
moro successful than rs leader Of practi
cal legislation. Even the bond sales. which
were so violently attacked by many Of his
own PARTY and by the thoughtlcss people Of
nh parties. are now seen 90 have been an
absolute necessity, forced upon him by the
system which he has in vain
urged congress To remedy
Mr. Clc,einnd's Future.
The president, u is said hy the members
NJ his cabinet. will live In Princeton dur
ing the winter and at Buz2ard's Bay In
summer IIc will practice law In New