The times., 1898-01-26
A Matter of Veracity.

A Matter of Veracfty.
Friends of Mr.. Grover Cleveland will
not fail to be much concerned that he
has become involved in a serious ques-
ton of yeracity with Senator Morgan,
of Alabama, over his extraordinary
and esoteric position on the question of
Hawaiian annexation. Mr.. Cleveland
publicly expresses surprise that Sena-
tor Morgan, or anyone else, should en-
tertain the least doubt as to his views
in the connection. which he now asserts
were always and without qualification
opposed to annexation
The direct issue between the individ-
uals involved is Joined in the statement
made by Senator Morgan in the Senate
on Monday last that, during his first
Administration, Mr.. Cleveland stated
to him that he, Cleveland, was in favor
of the acquisition of both Hawaii and
Cuba, and that the same statement was
made to at least one confidential friend
of the then President, whose evidence
can be produced if necessary.
The matter would be a delicate one to
discuss in the case of former public
man who had shown delicacy in his Of
fetal or private relations; but. in the
case of Grover Cleveland, we may drop
any such hesitation and discuss the
subject as one of fact or probability
without any danger of violating neces-
sary amenities. At the outset, every
man of every party who has been con-
nected with national affairs in the cap
ital of the country viii agree with us
that the word of Senator Morgan, in
this or any other like matter, would be
regarded as convincing, even if unsup-
ported by extraneous testimony. His
affirmation that it is SO supported pre-
cludes even a question that he might
have misunderstood the other party to
the controversy.
Fully assured on this point. it would
be wrong not to give Mr.. Cleveland the
benefit of a doubt, although a faint one,
which occurs to US. 1t is possible that
his vindictive feeling against annexa-
ton, which certainly developed after
the failure of his attempt to overthrow
the Hawaiian republic and to restore
the cannibal dynasty, may have so
filed his mind and memory as to crowd
out recollection of the antecedent posi-
| ton held by him. He may even forget
that, during his first term. there was
| nothing in his relations with any party
interested in the Hawaiian question to
! affect his personal views; while just be-
| fore his second advent it has been un-
! derstood that he became legally and
| perhaps financially connected with the
operations of Claus Spreckles and
| others opposed to the change of gov
ernment in the islands.
Perhaps there may be another expia-
nation, which could tend to relieve Mr.
! Cleveland of the suspicion of willful
malversation of memory. Under ordi-
nary circumstances he was notable
among the public men of his time for
impenetrable reticence as to his real
thoughts and intentions. But, as Is
often the case with strong natures,
there may have been extraordinary oc-
casions of approximate periodicity
upon which he would become extremely
frank to those in his confidence, and
possibly be oblivious of the fact at a
later time. 1t is said of the distin-
guished Mr.. Bennett, of the Spanish or
gan, the HeraIdo of New York, who re-
sides in Paris, that he learned with
amazement and dismay that the even
ing edition of his journal was about to
be discontinued. and that it was not un-
til the cable order to that effect in his
own handwriting was shown him that
he had the faintest conception of any
such thing in the wind.
Thus, endeavoring to make every
reasonable excuse for Mr.. Cleveland, it
nevertheless is impossible to escape
the conclusion that he ought to refresh
his memory, and to purge himself
from the very significant situation IN
which he has placed himself by his de-
nial Of Senator Morgan's statements
Judging entirely from the face of the
record, as far as the same is before US
and without the slightest bias, we
should say that those who revere the
memory of Grover Cleveland would be
much relieved by frank acknowledge
ment from him that after all, he does
now remember a sort of kindly lean
ing toward annexation in the early
days of his greatness, and before he
met Claus Spreckles.