Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-25
WILL CLEVELAND RUN?
HIS OSCILLATIONS, ARE NOT
REGARDED AS FINAL.
Considerations Of Personal and Politi-
cal Popular1ty-His Attitude
Toward Others.
To the Editor of The Evening Star:

To the Editor of The Evening STAR
There could be no stronger recognition of
the exceptional position which Mr.. Cleve-
land occupies than the constant mention Of
his name and the lively discussion Of his
character and his public acts by politicians
and the press. Mr.. Cleveland retired from
tho field Of politics seven years ago; he has
several times formally and positively an
nounced' his resolve not to re-enter public
life. and his refusal under any circum-
stances to be considered again as presi-
Dental candidate: Notwithstanding. his
friends continue to insist upon him as a
possibility, If not a probability and his
party enemies apparently coincide in this
view, for otherwise they would scarcely
regard 1t as worth while to waste their
time in bitter denunciation. AS political
indications are usually interpreted, the re-
cent action of the New York democratic
convention Is by many accepted as settling
the nomination in favor of Judge Parker.
But there are many others who do not
concede this. and it Is quite apparent all
the intrigue and f1nesse of a very powerful
and adroit element of the democratic party
will be exerted up to the moment of the
nomination on that line. No friends Of
Mr.. Cleveland are In any such movement.
for, of course. he would not permit it. Those
who insist on believing him to be still IN
the ring hold the view that in the event Of
anything like protracted contest over the
nomination there might be a contingency
when Mr.. Cleveland's name could be
brought forward with every prospect OF
success 1t is contended that nomina-
ton coming in this manner could not be
refused 1t would not be human to decline
such an honor. I throw no doubt upon
the sincerity of Mr.. Cleveland. but I can
never forget my own personal experience
mill Nv pnth In, AVID tyn
the great mass of the democratic party
thought 1t was due to Mr.. Tilden to give
him the nomination. AS the representative
OF the Baltimore Sun 1 had a personal in
terview with Mr.. Tilden In his own house
r. New York city. He talked at length
and freely. and said he did not wish a
nomination and would not have his name
go before the convention. The convention
took him at his word, but 1 understood
afterward from authority which 1 could
not question that he was disappointed, and
/ remember most distinctly that when l
left his presence / could not shake off the
impression there was a pretty stout string
tied to his refusal.
AS to Mr.. Cleveland, there is no gainsay-
ing that numbers of astute men in both
the parties are firm In the belief he would
be the strongest candidate the democrats
could put up. There is no failure to take
into consideration his unpopularity with
democratic leaders in all sections of the
country, and by the way, Mr.. Cleveland is
Gratis than among silver democrats. In
fact, no man with such nature as his
could have personal popularity with politi-
cal leaders. 1t is the extraordinary in
divtduality of the man, his wonderful bal
ance Of judgment, his faculty of impressing
upon the public mind his absolute political
integrity, and his imperious domination of
will which made him strong before the
country. Therefore, the people are more
with him than the politicians. Every time
he has run. for President he has had a
big sprinkling of republican votes. If by
any peradventure he should run for Presi-
dent this year he would get shower of
them, much more than enough to offset
any democratic detection. But you do not
imagine the stout heart of President Roose-
welt would quail at the prospect. What
strikes me SO forcibly is not the point of the
prospect of any further political honors for
Mr.. Cleveland, but the fact which stands
out as bright as day. that, while he may
forever remain private citizen, he will
never be in obscurfty, and any expression
Of opinion from him will always be received
with eager appetite. No more unique per-
sonality has ever figured in high American
politics. Every one has respect for him.
No man has affection for him. There has
been much inquiry as to why Mr.. Cleve-
land should be SO distasteful to southern
senators and representatives, and l saw
in the Baltimore Sun of Wednesday long
list OF southern appointments to Office made
by Mr.. Cleveland as reason why the south
should be friendly to him.
This Is ridiculous. The southern men
wanted something more than offices from
Mr. Cleveland. If you are going to look at
things that way, they did not get nearly
so much as their due, for they furnished
him with the bulk Of his electoral votes.
What they wanted from Mr.. Cleveland, and
what they did not by any means get al
ways. was some measure Of courtesy and
quent intimation Of obligation, for while
he had the distribution OF the offices, they
were not his personal property, but be-
longed to the party. Why were the south
ern senator's and representatives so at
tached to President Mckinley, and why did
they frequent the White House five times
more than during the Cleveland administra-
ton? Well, because they were never made
to feel they were intruding they always
got a smile and a warm shake of the hand
and If Mr.. Mckinley did not do everything
they asked. he let them down so easy they
came away perfectly satisfied. Mr. Cleve-
land was constantly complaining Of the an
noyances and opportunities to which he
was subjected by Office seekers when he
had been pretty good office seeker and
office holder himself OF late he has been
very strenuous in denying any real or ap-
parent aff1liation with negroes. Every one
who was here at the time knows Fred
Douglas was at White House reception
by invitation, and every one knows Mr..
Cleveland insisted upon ramming down the
throat of the Senate a negro recorder Of
deeds for this District, after nearly the
whole democratic SlQe OF the senate naQ
appealed to him not to do It.
Mr. Cleveland was never seen on the streets
in Washington, a custom common to all
the other Presidents. II he was going out OF
the city he would drive two or three blocks
below the station to get on where he would
not be seen. At st. Louis, last spring, he
was invited to a banquet given to the Grid
iron Club. He made speech which was
not reported in the St. Louis newspapers,
in which he, in half serious, half jocular
vein, accused the Washington newspaper
men Of criticsing him unjustly and taking
unfair means to obtain information. as
serting II they had only come directly to
him he would have given them all the In
formation he had. This was strange talk
to men who knew that during the whole
eight years he was in the White House 1t
was his practice to put obstacles in the way
of the newspapers. Mr.. Cleveland invarta-
bly, treated his cabinet officers more as
clerks than as advisers Rarely did he
consult them upon any matter of import.
ance, most generally contenting himself
with simply telling them what he had de-
termined to do. Indeed. 1t was not fnfre-
uuent for the President to take Important
action with reference to a department with
| out even advising the head of 1t in advance.
/ remember distinctly in the first Cleve-
land term one of the most important cabl-
I A>sV