The National tribune., 1909-05-13
PRESIDENT CLEVELAND.
His opinion Of Public Men.

McClure'S for May contains an inter-
esting article by George F. Parker, CIV
ing Mr.. Cleveland's estimate of his pre-
decessors, successor and other public
men. He regarded James G. Blaine as
dangerous to the best interests of the
country, and that his own election was
a providential thing. He entertained
the highest respect for President Ar
thurs ability and honesty, and could
never speak with too great enthusiasm
about Arthur'S firmness of purpose and
thoro. patriotism. He thought that ii
was exceedingly foolish in the Repub-
| licans to deny him the nomination in
1854.
Mr.. Cleveland criticized Presiden,
| Harrison for his attitude on the silver
question, and never forgaye him for
permitting the surplus to be dissipated
| in pension laws and extravagant appro-
priations. Otherwise he was unstinted
in his praise of Harrison and particu-
larly as to Harrison's care and wisdom
in selecting men for public office, more
than all for his selections for the Fed
eral courts. He did not believe that
Gen. Harrison was a cold man, but only
| shy. His ability was of the highest,
and he was at heart and in every re-
spect gentleman. This was shown by
the care with which he put everything
in order in the White House for his sue
ceSSor.
Tho Cleveland and Mckinley were
wide apart as the poles upon the tariff
] question, which was the main issue of
the day, Cleveland had great admira-
ton for Mckinley, and particularly
sympathized with his efforts to stave
off the Spanish War. His last inter-
view with Mckinley was full of sad
ness on the part of the latter at the
almost certain approach of sanguin-
| ary struggle.
Mr.. Cleveland had high opinion of
John E. Russell, of Massachusetts, Of
| fered him first the Secretaryship of the
Navy and then that of Agriculture and
the mission to Italy. He could get him
| to accept nothing, however, except an
unpaid place on the United States Deep
Waterways Commission. Mr.. Cleveland
was confident that Russell would have
achieved brilliant success in any De-
partment of which he took charge.
1t was not true that there was Il
strong antagonism between Cleveland
and Hill because of Cleyeland's defeat
in New York in 1888. He recognized
that in that defeat there were local
issues to which the dominant one of
the tariff was sacrificed. The brewers
had a powerful organization for pro-
tecting their property and interests, ana
drew many votes from the Republican
Party for their candidate. Hill gave
New York a clean, high-minded admin
When it became necessary to select
| a Private Secretary George Bruce Cor
| telyou, then in the office of the Fourth
Assistant Postmaster-General, was rec
commended for his many abilities, ana
particularly FOR that of keeping his
mouth shut. The Secretaryship was Of
fered Corteiyou, but he was reluctant
to accept it, as he was radical Re-
publican and feared that something
might escape for which he would be
| blamed He said this frankly to Presi-
| dent Cleveland, who answered sharply:
Il don't care a - about your poii-
| tics. All l want is somebody who is
| honest and competent to do my work.
| Cleveland watched Cortelyou's career
with great interest, and was gratihed
by every success which he attained:
Cleveland was first attracted to Will
| liam Jennings Bryan by his speech In
favor OF a low tariff, but he soon came
| to the conclusion that it was all ora
tory and little principle with Bryan.
He frequently said: "Bryans training
and imagination all combine to make
him a Populist pure and simple He
| has not the remotest notion or the
| fundamental principles of Democracy"
Presently he was deeply panied to find
that there was treachery in his own
party on the subject of free silver, and
/ that BRYAN was among the leaders IN
that treachery. He found Bryan WORK
ling hard to get the party into the hands
| of those who were eager to use every
| thing. the business depression. the Chi
cago strike and all other matters of dis
content, to carry the Democrats over to
their Populist program. He did not
believe Bryan sincere in his support OF
Judge Parker, and that Bryan's second
nomination was a wilful waste or an
opportunitv for some good, conservative
| Democrat to win success. As for Bry-
ans third nomination, he would not
hear of it, and rejected the suggestions
| that Bryan be nominated to get rid OF
him as both dishonest and bad politics
He saw the Republican Party torn by
factions and a great chance Tor the sue
| cess of a good. conservative Democrat,
who would lead the party back to the
principles which it had abandoned in
| the Bryan delirium-