Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-06-01
Fiue Minutes A Day
With Our Presidents
A Bride and Groom In the White
unnlo
by JAMES MORGAN.


As the Democrats had lost power
under a bachelor President,
James Buchanan. they regaineo
it after a quarter of a century under
another bachelor president. That
strange coincidence was brought to
an end by Cleveland's marriage in
the second year of his administration.
Rose Elizabeth Cleveland. a spinster
sister, had faithfully held her place
In tho White Hous by the side of
! her bachelor brother. But Miss
Cleveland's tastes were more literary
than social. By her own confession
she relieved the boredom of at least
one function by conjugatlng a Greek
verb behind her company smile.
From the day Cleveland entered
the Executive Mansion at Albany,
gossip busily made matches for him
with n after another of the
eligible women who appeared at
his receptions. A special favorite
of those persistent rumors was
the pretty widow of one of his old
law partners. Oscar Folsom, whose
home was one of the few homes in
| Buffalo where this unsocial person
had been in the habit of visiting. 1t
was not suspected that all along his
own choice had been the daughter
rather than the mother.
Antn she was IL littit girl EfdIlttS
Folsom used to climb up in h lap
of Uncle Cleve," who became her
guardian at her fathers death and
finally her be~trothed. This change
in her relationship to him took place
so gradually that 1t was unseen even
by h spying eyes of her sister
students at Wells College. They ems
We'd her the beautiful flowers with
which the thoughtful Governor and
President remembered special occa-
sions in her school life. But they
did not dream that h was to have
the distinction of being the first col
lege-bred mistress of the White
House.
Mrs. Folsom and her daughter
were guests of the President and Miss
| Cleveland in their first month at the
White House. Even the wiseacres
of Washington did not guess that the
beautiful young girl who was present
at a reception-all in white-would
In another year be the bride of her
host.
Miss Folsom had graduated ana
was travelling in Europe when the
country was set in a flutter by the
announcement of her engagement.
She returned home to meet such an
ordeal as no other American girl OF
22 ever has faced. Her name was
on every tongue in America: her
portrait was in every paper and the
press boats crowded about her ship
from which she was struggled aboard
a revenue cutter to avoid the curious
crowd at the New York dock. While
she watched from behind the curtains
of her hotel window the President
reviewing a Memorial Day parade in
the square below: The marching
bands played love tunes.
There had been only one marriage
| 80 - DVorflOnt md Holm TVlAr was n
widower, which took some of the
romance out of the occasion. For
the first time a President was to
marry in the White House. AS Miss
Folsom's mother had given up her
home and a her grandfather's house
was in mourning for his recent death.
like the af1ianced of a sovereign she
went to her husbands home to be
married.
The wedding in the Blue Room was
extremely simple. the only guests
being a few relatives of the bride and
groom and the members of the Cab
met. After the cake had been cut
in the State Dining Room, the bridal
pair succeeded In stealing out the
back door under V Of darkness
to a waiting train in a switch yard.
They had eluded the curious crowds
gathered in front of the White House
and at the station. but not tho
ubiquitous press. whose locomotive
was under steam n in readiness to
pursue them, with q trainload of re-
porters, to their honeymoon retreat
in the Maryland mountains.
Cleveland, who never had known
the comfort of n house of his own,
disliked the publicity of the White
House and had bought a suburban
dwelling in what was then a remote
and inaccessible corner of the Dis
- - al, ~ Afn No IbrnSfInnf nynI
has been quite so jealous of Ink
privacy and none has suffered more
from Its invasion.
The continued attention of a vigil
liant press wherever the Presidential
couple went was Indignantly resenteC
by the bridegroom, who holly de
nounced the "ghoulish elee" witt
cussed. More malicious. more crue
We're the imprinted tales which were
persistently circulated as long as h'
remained in public life. His relations
as a. husband and even his children
were made the subjects of all manner
OF atrocious stories. invented by
/ malignant opponents, and which III
~prejudiced and the credulous spread
in whispers over the country
Such attacks were too low to b'
met and parried. A President hardl,
can protest that he is not a crue
{ husband or the begetter OF children
! blighted at birth. Cleveland wa
obliged 70 endure the torture II
} silence something worse than assas
/, sination as he declared IN q circle o.
friends.
Mrs. Cleveland Is said on one occa'
, sion TO have given q pathetic hint O
what the strokes aimed at h Presi
dent through her little ones meann'
Ito q mother. With childlike bash
fulness & daughter was holding bacl
'bfrom the greetings Of > small cop'