New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-01
HE rs GOOD ENOUGH FOR Us.

An interesting bit OF information IL contained
IN Washington dispatch. which says that the
force of policemen detailed for duty in and
about the Executive Mansion has been de-
creased by almost one-half since President
| Mckinley took the oath Of Office. no less than
eight men being ordered back TO ordinary street
and precinct duty this week. and that all traces
Of Fort Thurber and other contrivances Of a
loyal but bandy-legged domestic TO encompass
the safety Of Consecratcd Master have dis
appeared from the landscape. The White
House grounds. which under the Cleveland
reign. rescmbed the camp Of n Pr@t0ran
Guard, once more wear the aspect Of peace.
quiet and security. No longer does the call OF
the sentry disturb the midnight air. or the
stealthy tread Of sleuth dog the footsteps OF
the innocent wayfarer. The portcullls has not
been lowered once since the 4th Of March, fig
uratlvely speaking, 10 keep away the ordinary
American citizen, nor have the grounds been
patrOlled in the hope Of flushing covey OF Of
fice-seekers. as might well have been done any
time of the night or day these five months.
The secret exit in rear Of the mansion has. for
ought we know been closed up entirely and
the cavalcade Of outrlders funkeys and detect
ives which used to blacken the road TO Red Top,
or whatever the name Of the Cleveland sub
urban home was. has been dismissed.
The change presented by Mckinley walking
in and out of the White House. unaccompaned
by attendants; sauntering down Pennsylvania
ave. and the other streets Of the Capital like
any other ordinary citizen: or mounting his
horse and galOping along the country roads of
Maryland and Virginia. is one every lover OF
his country will note with pleasure. Ascrbed
no unwOrthier motive to Grover Cleveland than
n passionate desire for privacy, 1t is difficult TO
deny that by sanctioning the DOING Of an Off
cious domestic he gave currency 10 the belief
that he dist,uste1 if he did not fear. the Ameri-
can people. 1t may be that the President OF
the United States is too accessible, and that,
therefore, he is exposed 10 dangers from which
he ought 10 be guarded. That is a question
which might with propriety have been dis
cussed and answered by Others than the Chief
Executive. So far AZ Mr. Cleveland was con-
ccrned, he ought to have taken the matter into
account before he consented TO serve his coun-
try. The heads Of other governments are ex-
posed TO dangers at least great as those TO
which the President of the United States is ex-
Iosed, but not one Of them. as far as we know.
has ever made 1t a practise as Mr.. Cleveland
did, 10 leave his official residence by a pair Of
back stairs-on any reputable errand. at least
or drive up dark alleys at the dead Of night for
fear of encountering the gaze Of the vulgar or
| exposing his person to contact with the common
herd They pratcd less. perhaps, thar did Mr..
Cleveland about "consecraiOn" and it GER
tainly never occurred TO them 10 look upon their
office as private snap or being all beer and
skittles." They discharged their duties with
thorough knowledge of the responsibilities and
dangers which that discharge involved. Mr..
Cleveland, II seems 10 us. never could quite rid
his mind Of the notion that he was an idol TO
be set up IN a shrine and worshipped at a dis
lance by the faithful, and that the chief Incl
dent Of that worship was the privacy and the
comfort OF his person. II he ever did anything
10 discourage this fetch. we are unable 10
recall il.
President Mckinley. we are bound TO say, il
made of different clay To the Cleveland wor
shipper II may seem n clay coarscr than that
cf which his idol was made. II so we shall not
quarrel with him. His idolairy must run It's
course The Mckinley clay is good enough for
Ms. II IS good enough for G9,1,o.9O0 Of his coun-
trvmcn- assuming that there are 800 Cleveland
idolators left in this country. 1t is the clay Of
a fearless. true-hear,ed and patriotic American
citizen II is the clay OF an unassuming sol
der II IS the clay of II gentleman. W" repeat.
, II is good enough for lis