The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1897-02-12
President Cleveland Longs For
March a.
so HIS CABINET OFFICERS SAY.
The President Is Making Efforts to Clear
the Docket OF All Important Cases-But
Anxiety.


we shall have the inauguration of a new
president. In four weeks Mr.. Cleveland
will have an experience which no other
man has ever habitat of riding the Sec
ond time to the capitol beside his successor
In the presidential office. Mr.. Cleveland,
l am told by his cabinet officers, is anx-
iously awaiting the day. He is sincerely
glad to escape from the cares of Office. He
looks forward to years of ease and enjoy
ment. Mr. Cleveland will practice law in
a quiet way in New York city. He will
resume his old offices in William street,
and there act as counselor for his firm
He will not often appear in court, though
he may occasionally do so. He has for the
present abandoned his idea Of taking q trip
around the world. fancy, however, that
will come later. He does not wish to 60
at once, for the journey, If made so soon
after his retirement from office, might look
like bid for acclaim. 1t might be said
he was trying to initiate General Grants
tour around the world, with hopes of re.
ceiving similar attention from the crowned
heads and the great men of all nations
Mr.. Cleveland has little love for display
He Is without vanity. A tour for the pur-
pose of receiving attention and exciting
curiosity would be distasteful to him.
Cleveland's Future.
One of the members of the cabinet tells
me Mr.. Cleveland has his own ideas as to
the proper line of conduct for a retired
president. He does not think there is any
reason why an ex-president should strive
to thrust himself into the background He
sees no good reason why a man who has
held the office Of president should fail to
take part in public affairs, in politics, and
such things, any more than a man who
has held any other office. Believing this.
| the president, when he has the ex before
| his name Is sure to be found active in
public affairs. am told he will accept a
great many invitations to public meetings,
| to conventions and dinners, and Is likely
to develop into quite talker. L am also
told that he said few days ago:
81 propose to have something to say in
politics too No one need imagine that be-
cause have been president I have lost in
terest in the Democratic party"
1t has not escaped notice here that Mr..
| Cleveland, in arranging for his future,
carefully kept out of the state of New
York. Just why he should select New
Jersey as place of residence is mystery
to most people. There are politicians who
say he did not wish to go back to New York
to live because the politics Of that state is
not in satisfactory state because there
are factions there, and the presidents fac
ton is the smaller one. They add that If he
should decide to emerge from the retirement
| in which an ex-president IS popularity sup
posed to repose opd, TO become an active
/ politician, perhaps a candidate for office,
in Jersey he would have no difficulty in
| getting or in doing pretty much what he
4 WI in, fhora iryht No
war from the Jump. Whether or not there
is any foundation for this gossip I do not
know, but my personal opinion is that Mr..
Cleveland, while willing to take part in
public affairs, has not the slightest inten-
ton of ever again being a candidate for
office.
The Cuban Question.
| President Cleveland is making desper
ate effort to close up all the important
parts of his work during the next four
weeks. He has given instructions to his
cabinet officers to rush matters, and IL
| possible to clear the docket of all important
| cases before March 4. just now the Cuban
| question Is giving nm Jne mosu anxle-
| ty. But the president is still hopeful
that he will be able to accomplish some
thing tangible in the direction of bringing
about peaceful termination of the trou-
bles in Cuba. AS write news comes that
Spain is rromulgating her reform scheme.
| The Cubans say, and give facts and fig
ures to support their declarations, that,
notwithstanding SPANS apparent liberal
| ity in conceding home rule she really gives
| up nothing. The suffrage is not extended.
| 1t is left within the circumscribed limits
which it has always been bound by. These
| limits are so narrow as to amount of prop.
| erty, as to taxes paid, as to offices held,
| ETC., that few Cubans are able to vote at
all Such small number of them are able
to exercise the right of suffrage that prac-
| tically the Spaniards and their sympathiz
| ers elect all the officers They have done
SO in the past in communities where the
| Cubans outnumber the Spaniards ten to
one, and there is no reason to suppose that
they will not do so i'm the future. If Spain
were really in earnest i'm desiring to give
Cuba home rule, she would widen the suf-
frage laws so as to permit the Cubans to
govern their own country. For this reason
the Cuban leaders here are sure the reform
scheme will not be accepted by the insur-
gents, no matter what guarantees or pres
sure may be offered by the United States.
Social Activities.
From the social side, the present admin.
istiduioh 10 hoo BolHS ouO III DitLe VI
glory. It is the rule in Washington that
the receptions given by president who is
on the eve Of retirement from office arc
more generously attended than during the
middle of his term. This is explained by
the fact that nearly every one wishes to
greet the president and his wife once more
before their departure. But In Mr.. Cleve-
lands case the rule appears to work the
other way At the reception given last
week to the judiciary and the congress the
small attendance of judges Of the courts,
of senators and of representatives was al.
most scandalous. There were by actual
count less than half dozen members Of
the senate and house in the executive man.
sion that evening. The reception was the
smallest In point of attendance given in
the White House in recent years.
This is not due in any way to any wan
ing of the popularity of Mrs. Cleveland
The mistress of the White House is as
much admired and liked as she ever was
Her afternoon teas and receptions are
thronged by all the best people in town
But when IL comes TO the evening affairs
the regular state functions, senator's and