The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-29
GROVER CLEVELAND
 WAS A PARTY MAN
Personal Memories of Parti-
 Sanship and Independence
FAMOUS VICTORIA DINNER
CleveIand's Own Word for the Asser- ton That No Person Could Dis approve His Part in Confer
 ence on That Occasion.

D
 lands Reelection and Second Admin
 istration," in the September Century
 MT. Cleveland was decidedly party man. He believed that every man should be active in politics, and he practiced this doctrine from early manhood. After his retirement we had a talk about this, In which he spoke as having had letter from young man asking his advice con cerning party affiliations. He said he told him of his own experience how he had early gone into local party work, stand ing all day at the polls MT. Cleveland added 'I never had anything to do with anything that was shady or corrupt"
 l sometimes had an amused suspicion that although he admired and was grate- ful to the independents who came to his support more than once, and although he felt keen moral sympathy with them, and gave some of them his intimate friendship, the fact that they had been republicans, and might easily become re- publicans again, was just a slight re- gret in his mind. When, off on some in land fishing expedition, he fell in with an old-time democratic farmer. especially one who was faithful to what the President considered 'sound democratic doctrine,' he warmed up to the old fellow amaz- ingly
 I do not believe he ever voted for a candidate outside of his party. He might have been willing to do so in certain campaigns in his later years, possibly owing to what he looked upon as un- democratic platforms and candidates-if he had not possessed an ever-present sense of obligation because of the great honors and Responsibilities his party had bestowed upon him. He doubtless voted at times for democrats not on the reg u1ar ticket" but a feeling of propriety kept him from vehemently opposing a candidate of his party, even if such a candidate, in his opinion, might be leading the party into strange and unfortunate paths.
 Yet inside of his regularity" he mani- fested always a singular independence. and at times even detachment. I have mentioned with what nonchalance he held the Tammany leaders at a distance at time when he and they might easily have fallen into some sort of friendly relations.
 Incidents connected with the famous dinner at the. Victoria, which MT. Whit ney urged him to attend during the cam- paign of 1892 were dramatically charac- teristic. was told at the time by a. prominent member of the national com mittee that MT. Whitney became alarmed at Tammany's lack of interest in the can vass MT. Cleveland was shrewdly cling ing to the protective isolation of his sum mer home at Gray Gables, when MT. Whitney let him know that it was impor- tant that he should put something into writing by way of peace proposition, or pledge, which would so far satisfy tho Tammany leaders as to get them to work for the candidate.
 To this, so I am informed, MT. C1eve- lands reply was that if the national com- mittee regarded such written pledge from the candidate as a necessity, they, being we'll acquainted with the circum- stances. must be right; and, therefore, he would gladly step aside so that they could obtain candidate who would make the required pledge!
 As the resignation of the nominee was thing not to be thought of, he was then asked If he would meet some of the Tam many leaders at dinner. Mir Cleveland replied that he would meet any persons that the committee thought it desirable for the candidate to meet He thereupon came to New York and met at table his leading committeeman, with MT. Croker and members of the democratic machine. The next day one of the papers announced that at that dinner he had given entirely satisfactory assurances to Tammany Hall.
 As 1t happened I was walking down Broadway that evening with a friend the Kentucky poet, Robert Burns Wilson, and thought I would drop in and introduce him to the ex-President. Seeing his pri- vate secretary, MT. Robert Lincoln OBrien in the hall at the top of the stairway, I told him my errand, and asked what was going on When he informed me who were in council I said that I was sure I was not wanted but he in- sisted upon announcing my name, when out came Mir Cleveland to spend some time in genial talk with the young Ken tuckian. So when. next morning, I read the news of his surrender to Tammany Hall, I could not believe 1t, not only be- cause he was, when saw him. far from having the air of man who was doing something against his will and judg- ment
 MT. Cleveland never told me just what happened; but I was told by one who was there that when certain politician made the demand of written pledge. MT Cleveland famed up, and bringing his fist down on the table with crash. declared that rather than do what was asked of him he would suffer damnationi At this one of MT. Cleveland's leading supporters turned pale" thinking that if was "all up." After this unmistakable declaration of independence, MT Cleye- land calmed down somewhat, and subse- quently said that if he ever were Presi- dent again he would not divide the party into personal friends and personal ene- mics, but would regard all alike and without partiality. It was this last statement to which the Tammany repre- sentatives clung, getting what comfort out of 1t they could The course of events. in the ensuing administration it may be added, showed that no embarrassing the candidate.
 Now let ms go forward to the eve of Mr. Clevelands second election. won der If 1t ever happened with a candidate before, in our time, thas such an evening should be passed without the presence of l single political associate in the undis- | turbed privacy of home
 Dr. Joseph D. Bryant, his devoted friend and physician and myself were alone with him in his home on Fifty-first | street We sat while chatting In MT. | Cleveland's library, till Dr. Bryant moved | to go, when MT Cleveland suggested | that we walk. down to the doctors | house, then on Thirty-sixth street. with | him. On the way down MT. Cleveland | said little. When we turned to walk | back to Fifty-first street, I found him in | a very solemn mood. I do not know how | it happened, but we fell to talking about |