The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-02-08
The Secret of q Failure.

If we may believe published reports
that bear facial appearance of authen-
ticity President Cleveland's one regret
in connection with the rapidly ap-
preaching end of his public career is
that he should have been so generally
misunderstood. THE president" Bish-
op Walker is quoted as having lately
said after an interview with Mr.. CleVe-
land, has labored since his return to
the white house faithfully to carry out
the responsibilities he assumed when he
took the oath of office. He feels that
everything that he has done has been
with an eye single to the welfare of the
people, and yet he does not fail to per-
ceiVe that his purposes are miScon-
strued, his acts severely criticised and
a sort of tacit antagonism, at least,
to him and his administration has been
established in congress. and especially
between members of the Democratic
party. This has given him great pain,
and, while he believes that the future
will make clear the sincerity and stead
fastness of his purposes, yet he realizes
that now he is more greatly criticised
than supported" Adds Holland" to
this quotation: "It is almost a pa
thetic picture which those who have
seen the president recently paint of
him in his solitude, his disappoint-
ments, his anxiety for the future and
his keen sorrow that 50 many of his
fellow citizens should have been will
ing to be Influenced by revengeful poll
ticians to view him in an unfavorabl BILE
light, and to regard his administration
as distinguished not by its successes
but by its failures"
In reading this we are at once re-
minded of significant passage in an
| article which Speaker Reed, who more
nearly than any other man now in pub
| lie life, presents characteristics not dis
similar to many possessed by Mr..
| Cleveland, recently wrote for the
Youths Companion. He was writing
about congress, but he might we'll have
had the presidency in mind when he
said: "All legislative bodies suffer in
| public estimation because of the per-
| petual criticism to which they are
obliged to submit without any chance
or opportunity of reply. Hence the
| popular idea of such bodies is much
lower than is just. A representative
body has to do the best it can to recon-
J cile with the terms Of it's proposed ac-
ton all the prejudices of the whole
| people, and to take into account their
wrong views as we'll as their right
views. Hence it is that individual
members seldom are able to vote any
thing more than that modification OF
their own ideas which it is possible tc
enact. OF course, this falls far short
of the freedom of an editorial, or a SER
mon, or the speech of reformer."
If true of a congress where RESPONSE
bility is divided among $50 men, how
much more true are Mr., Reeds remarks
when applied directly to the central ex,
ecutive head of the nation, upon whom
10000, 600 citizens feel at all times free
to pass judgment for every real or fan,
cied evil in public affairs? How ha!
Mr.. Cleveland recognized the "prejud
ices" or what he assumed to be the
"prejudices of the whole people?" How
has he sought to meet congress and his
constituents half way? In each anC
every case with a homily or {