The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-25

For some mysterious reason known only
to the publishers. Mr.. Grover Cleveland has
been permitted to print his essay on THE
Independence of the Executive" recently
read before the students of Princeton Uni
veTsity. in the June Atlantic" Emerg-
ing from his tomb. Mr.. Cleveland BUBBLES
as follows:
Sometimes it has seemed to me that quite
large section Of the American people regard high
pubic Office sort Of pillory where IL is quito
worth their while to put a man fer the sake Of
enjoying the abuse OF him atterward. larger
Part OF our people, more decently disposed, are
benovolontly willing to put At the service OF
public officer all their knowledge of statecraft
and to advise him in any real or imaginary emer-
seilcy. 1t is only after their advice is disrcgarded
maj they set about the task OF demonstrating
mat the popular choice has been sad mistake.
and that an abundance of excellent material for
public place has been overlooked. II is safe to
say that after every Presidential election the
TACT is developed that In our newspaper establish
rnrnts alone there are thousands who have been
thus neglected.
The author of these ponderous and preg-
nant sentences is as devoid Of any sense
or perception of hun:or rs Scotch
scratching post, or he would recognize
their utter absurdity in his case. For
types there was public man who was
altogether and completely the unassisted
and lamentable creation Of the newspapers
that man is Grover Cleveland. But for his
discovery in the purlieus Of Buffalo by
the press, and Its persistent and ceaseless
booming from 1882 to 1884, he would not
be known today outside of the ward poll
nf
provincial city named. The papers took
mud from the gutter and made Presi-
dent. and the Princeton address is what
they get by way of gratitude.
1t is due to the considerable section OF
the press responsible for the unconscious
crime referred to to say that 1t recognizes
and is remo-seful for its action, and never
refers to its monstrous creation when that
can be avoided. But when this discredited
individual breaks loose from his undigni-
fled retirement to cast hippopotaE1ic sneers
at the power that made him what he was,
and made 1t possible for him to garner
what he has. 1t is time to remind the pubic
Of the truth.
The views of Grover Cleveland upon pub
lie or ether questions are not iutrinsically
worthy of notice. Why the Princeton dons
should desire the youth under their con-
troll to listen to his uneducated concep-
tons and conclusions we are at a
loss to understand. Why they should
be willing to bring him in personal
contact with young and presumably yet
unhardened undergraduates is a matter
for conjecture. AS long as they do that
sort of thing. perhaps it would be we'll for
them to realize that the sort of 'independ-
ence of the executive" that he always had
in mind when he was President of the
United States, to the lasting regret of all
decent Americans, was executive indapend-
ence of Congress and of any and every
law that Congress might enact: of the
Constitution and every reading Of that in
strument known to Congress or educated
men anywhere; Of everything save the
coarse. pig-headed selfshness and obdu-
racy, the narrow minded prejudice and
greed that. during eight unhappy years Of
American history, progressively infested
and infected the White House.