The Portland daily press., 1900-03-29
THE CLEyELAND-DANA FEUI
Colonel Alexander X. Mcclure Tells for
the First Time How IL Began.

\ In a series OF articles In The Saturday
Evening Pest on show We Make Preai-
dents," Colonel Alexander K. Mcclure,
whom Lincoln called tbs ablsst man he
ever knew and who has been actively In
natioual politics for half century, says:
"Charles A. Dana, then editor Of the
New York sun. became sstraDged from
Mr.. Cleveland she year before the Presi-
dentisl election OF 1884. de had earn
estly supported Cleveland for Governor
In 1852, but when movement was mace
~ M. Manning s to osg.nizs me ,ns..s state
BILE in his opposition. met him several
times before Cleveland was nominated,
and he always discussed the question
with an unu sual degree OF acrimony.
"Soon altar Clevsland's nomination
was spending few days al Saratoga, and
was watching Dana's paper with much
Interest, for be was very much disgrunt-
led. He did not at first declare himself
Aagrsssively against Cleveland's election,
but one morning at Saratoga on taking
up The Sun found one OF Dena's ter :
rible delivsranoss against Cleveland that
tion. telegraphed to Mr.. Dana and
asked him TO meet me az his office at
thres O'Clock that afternoon, and called
there ON my way homo. Mr.. Dana had
gons too far to recede. but tried 10 TEN.
per his bitterness, rs I thought 1t would
do great harm, not only to cleveland put
TO his own Newspaper as well, then one
Of the most prosperous In the country.
"Mr. Dana was petulant and violent in
his sxprsssions against Cleveland. and
eaid that he had decided to support Gen.
erAl Butler.
aver developed by American journalism.
Horace Greeley was more pungsnt and
telling In his political articles, and Henry
Watt erson is moro brilliant, bus Charles
A. Dana was the strongest editorial
writer this country has ever produced.
'It was not until ! met Cleveland at
Albany, soon after his election, that i
learned the cause Of the estranesment
between Cleveland and Dana, and the
statement given by MIR. Cleveland was
subsequently, confirmed BY Mr.. Dana.
Dana had verge arm sstly supported Cleve'
lands nomination and election for Gov
ernor In 1852, and after the election he
wrote personal letter to Cleveland ask
ing the appointment Of q friend tn the
position OF fAdjutant-General. Cleveland
received that letter as he resolved thous.
ands of other letters recommending ap-
poIntments, instead or recognizing the
olhim MIR. Dana had upop him for tire
candidate for the same position, and
Cleveland gave It to Besohsr's man with
out any explanation whatever to Dana.
who felt that he had besn discourteously
treated by Cleveland.
"Mr. Dana gave no sign Of his disap-
pointmsnt, but some time after Cleve-
lands Inauguration. when 10 became
known that Dana felt grieved at the
Governor, some mutual friend interviewed
aud proposed to Cleveland that he should
invite Dana to join with some aoluatnt-
anoes to dine at the Executive Aansion,
fnA
was Informed that Cleveland would ten
der such an Invitation II i5 would be
accepted, and he promptly assented.
Cleveland then became involved IN the
pressing duties Of the Legislature and
allowed the session to close without ex-
tending the promises and expected invit-
alton to Dana. MIR. Cleveland told ms
that he was entirely to blame for neglect
In both instances, as Dana would doubt
less have been satisfied IL he had courte-
ously informed him OF his convictions
which required him to appoint another
for AdJutant-isneral; and he had no ex.
cuse to otIer but that of neglect for not
Inviting Dana to dinner.
"Dana naturally assumed that Clevs-
land had given him deliberate atfront,
and Cleveland could make no satisfactory
explanation. As Governor and az Presi-
dent he was first of all devoted 10 bis
official duties, which he discharged with
Edto uucAlsyS Abu no SoN. A'e".@ s
to the common courtssies which most
Governors and Presidents would recog-
nize as justly belonging to their trends
Efforts were made to conciliate Di a
but he never weuld discuss the question.
When Cleveland's election was announced
and the Republicans were disposed to
dispute the vote Of New York Dana came
out boldly and declared that cleveland
IVES elected and that no violsnt meas ure
should be tolerated to deprive him OF
the honor conferred upon him."