Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-02-22
GROVER CLEVELAND.
A Newspaper Mans Estimate
Of Retiring President.
Wherein He is Great and Wherein He
WoefuIly Lacks Greatness.
His Chic. Hobby Moving to His New Home
in Princeton.

Washington, Feb. ri (Special).-Af few
more words about President Cleveland ere
he leaves the White House, and shall
have achieved a duty that have at least
endeavored 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
strated beyond question that lie lacks two
important equipments for n great leader of
parties and people. Unconsciously to him
self, he attempts to drive where leading
would answer his purpose as we'll and much
better He is an utter stranger to the
maxim that it is easy to get people to do
what you want them to do If you only per-
NIT them to thiitk they are doing what
they want to do.
Fundamentally Mr.. Cleveland is weak as
a leader because he lacks human sympathy
He does not understand human nature lie
has mingled little with people. A certain
part of Ms nature was stirred too late in
life and after habits and modes of thought
had become too well settled. If he had
more of this understanding of and sympa-
thy with human nature, he would never
have quarreled with his party before quar-
reling 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 pledg kAnale in his behalf
pledges about noncssentials, and had fol
lowed with conclliatory, even just, treat
lnent Of Democratic leaders, he could have
averted the present schism in the party. 1t
Is Of course impossible to discern whether
this be true or not, but one may easily be-
lieve It when he remembers that IL Mr.
Cleveland, a. lender Of his party, had kept
q little more in touch with prominent
Democrats in three or four states of the
middle west, had attached them to his ad
ADMINISTRATION, instead Of driving them
away, there would have been a different
result at the Chicago convention.
A Lack Of Tact.
Admitting that 1t may possibly be un-
just to charge Mr.. Cleveland's error OF
policy with responsibility for the submerg.
Ing Of the great Democratic party by Pop
ulism, it still remains true that the senate
need not have become an antiadministra-
ton body. 1t remains true that If Mr..
Cleveland had been possessed Of tact rather
than of brute courage, his party, which
had been returned to power on q plea Of
revenue reform, would have been able t6
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 If the president hat
in earlier life mingled more with the rea
people Of the country and absorbed sym
~. e. "a
would not have committed the blunder o.,
Hawaii, nor would he have permitted hi
administration to become silent partner
in Spain's effort to hoodwink the Cuba1
insurgents into compromise withou,
honor. He would have been satisfied tt
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
ence in the affairs Of foreign nations, j
must be on the side of constitutional gov
eminent and not for the perpetuation upot
American soil OF an odious monarchy.
Civil Service Reform. -
President cleveland has pursued to hi
hearts content his well known policy O.
enlarging the civil service laws applica
ton to government Offices. In This it ila
not been necessary to have the co operation
OF congress. No doubt the president is sup
ported in this policy by an enlightened and
progressive public opinion, but there is
great deal Of truth in the charges made by
interested persons that before Issuing these
orders Mr.. Cleveland waited till most OF
the offices had been taken possession of by
his party friends. Reform in the civil
service is tie one policy which Mr. Cleve-
land maintained with consistency and witt
some courage throughout DO. h his admin
istrations. Ii was his FIRST hobby as pub
lie man. He had it in Buffalo when he
was candidate for local Office He car
ried ii with him to Albany and later
brought it to Washington. When he first
came Here, he had but one idea. He hard
~ knew there was such thing as livins
tariff question in this country. But thu
cause OF civil service q II has made dis
tinct progress under h. u ldcrship and al
the efforts of the spoilsmcn to induce hi.
successor to take backward step in civi
service reform will doubtless fail, so firmly
fixed has the policy become during the past
three administrations.
The second administration of Mr.. Cleye
land has been stormy one. 1t may vel
be doubted if any other president in tim,
"a P~ssSS SAAASS Wiz u0y Va 0S1tNSOu 0dS Nt1C
so much turmoil as MIR. Cleveland has en-
dured. In many important particulars tn,
president has shown himself II man Of com
manding strength. His administration has
been marked by strange mixture Of sue
cess and failure. But there can be no doubt
in the mind Of any unprecedented observer
that he retires from office with an extraor-
binary measure Of public confidence.
He Is infinitely more popular with tho
people than with tho politicians He has
much more support out in the states than
he has here IL Washington. As leader of
thought and public opinion he has been far
more successful than as leader Of practi
cal legislation. Even the bond sales, which
were SO violently attacked by many of his
own purity and by tho thoughtless people Of
all parties, are now seen to have been an
absolute necessity, forced upon him by tho
financial system which he has in vain
urged congress to remedy.
Mr.. Clevclanls Future.
The president, it Ia said by the members
Of his cabinet, will live in Princeton dur.
ing the winter and at Buzzards BAY in