The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-02
THE CLEvELAND-DANA FEUD.
| Col. Alexander Ia. Mcclure Tells for
the First Time How 1t Hogan.

tht u hfSt iimS now IL BeHAu.
In a series of articles in the Saturday
Evening Post on How We Make Presi-
dents" Col. Alexander X Mcclure whom
Lincoln called the ablest man ne ever
knew and who has been actively in ma
tional politics for a half century, says;
Charles A Dana. then editor of the
New York sun, became estranged from
Mr.. Cleveland the year before the Pres
tdenial election OF 1884. He had earnest
ly supported Cleveland for Governor in
1882, but when a movement was made nv
Mr.. Manning to organize the state FOR
Cleveland in 1884, Dana was implacable
in his opposition. | met him several times
before Cleveland was nominated, and he
always discussed the question with an
unusual degree of acrimpny.
Soon after Clevelauds nomination T
was spending few days at Saratoga,
and was watching Dana's paper with
much interest, for he was very much
disgruntled. He did not at first declare
himself aggressiyely against Cleveland $
election, but one morning at Saratoga in
taking IN the Sun ! found one of Dana $
terrible dclivernnces against Cleveland
that left no possible chance for a recon-
citation, / telegraphed to Mr., Dana and
asked him to meet me at his office at ,
O'Clock that afternoon. and called there
on my way home. Mr.. Dana had gone
too far to recede. but I tried to temper
his bitterness, as / thought II would
do great harm, not only to Cleveland but
to his own newspaper as well, then one
Of the most prosperous in the country.
Mr. Dana was petulant and violent in
his expressions against Cleveland, and
said that he had decided to support Gen.
Butlep,
Charles A. Dana was the ablest editor
ever. developed by American journalism
Horace Greeley was more pungent and
telling i'm his political articles and Henry
Wattersou is more brilliant, but Charles A.
Dana was the strongest edii oral writ er
this country has ever produced
1T was not untl met Cleveland at Al
bany, soon after his election, that learn
ed the cause of the estrangement between
Cleveland and Dana, and the statement
given bv Mr. Cleveland was subsequently
confirmed by Mr.. Dana. Dana had very
earnestly supported Clevelands -nomnn-
ton and election for Governor in 1882 and
after the election he wrote a personal let
ter to Cleveland asking the appointment
of friend TO the position of adiutant gem
eral. Cleveland received that letter as he
received thousands of other letters recon-
mending appointments instead of recog-
nizinA the claim Mr.. Dana had up-n him
for the courtesy Of an answer. Beecher
had candidate for the same position, and
Cleveland gave it to Beecher's man with
out any explanation whatever to Dana,
who felt that he had been dscourteously
treated by Cleveland.
MIR. Dana gave no open sign of his dis
appointment, but some time after Ceve-
lands Inauguration, when 1t became
known that Dana felt grieved at the Gov
ernor. some mutual friends interviewed and
proposed to Cleveland that he should in
wife Dana to Join with some acquaintance
to dine a the Executive Mansion. To
| this Cleveland readily assented. Dana was
| Informed that Cleveland would tender
such an invitation if 1t would be accept
| ed and he promptly assented. Cleveland
| then became involved in the pressing slu-
ties of the Legislature, and allowed the
| session to close without extending the
| promised aud expected invitation TO Dana.
| Mr.. Cleveland told me that he was en-
| tirely TO blame for neglect in both in
| stances as Dana would doubtless have
| been satisfied if he had courteously in
| formed him of his convictions which re-
| quired him to appoint another for adjutane
| general; and he had no excuse to offer bu,
| that of neglect for not inviting Dana to
! dinner.
| Dana naturally assumed that Cleve.
! land had given him deliberate affront, and
| Cleveland could make no satisfactory ex-
| PLANTATION. AS Governor and as President
! he was first of all devoted to his official
| duties, which he discharged with rare
| fidelity, and he gave little time even Ia
| the common courtesies which most Gov
| errors and Presidents would recognize as
| justly belonging to their friends Eff
| forts were made to concilate Dana. but