New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-11
MR. CLEVELAND And FREE CANALS.

Ever since MS nomination HIS lfleEuS Hd'o
been representing Mr.. Cleveland as plain,
blunt man a simple, direct man a bold, in
dependent man q man with the courage of his
convictions q man whom one knew where to
find every time Mr. Cleveland has now
spoken for himself. His outlines stand
revealed in his letter of acceptance. And we
regret to say that his portrait as thus painted
by himself does not quite correspond to the
likeness which had preceded it. The letter Is
emphatically the letter of shrewd and cunning
politician who regards language as medium
for .concealing thoughts. 1t is for the most
part reiteration of positions as bold as the
assertion that two and two make four. Had he
confined himself to a repetition Of the binomial
theorem he could scarcely have been more non
committa.
Notice, for instance, how he treats the free
canalhmcndment AS Buiaonjan, a resident at
one of the great terminal points in this pivotal
wear in the history of the canals, it was natu-
rally to be expected that, whatever might be
the letters shortcomings in other respects, it
would be strong and positive in its expression of
views on the amendment. His fellow -townsmen
who have figured prominently in the public life
of the State have invariably been close stu
dents of the canal problem in all its various
phases, recognizing that the prosperity of New
York was largely conditioned upon the adop-
ton of wise canal policy. But Slr. Cleveland
dismisses the canal question in few sentences
that signify nothing. Listen to him. We quote
from his letter of acceptance: "Certain
"amendmcnts to the Constitution of our State
"involvIng the management OF our canals are
8" to be passed upon at the coming election.
This subject affects diverse interests, and, OF
"course, gives rise to opposite opinions. 1t is
in the hands of the sovereign people tor final
settlement, and as the question is thus re-
showed from State legislation any statement
aof my opinion in regard to it at this time
"would, | think, be out of place" Nothing of
the plain, blunt man. the simple, direct man,
the bold, independent man, the man with the
courage of his convictions about that utterancel
The Democratic candidate for Governor merely
succeeds in saying ditto to the carefully pre-
pared evasion of the Democratic platform In
regard to the free canal amendment. This is
what the platform said awe approve the
"submission to the vote OF the people of the
Constitutional amendment in favor OF free
"canals, and we have full confidence chat they
"will dispose of it in such manner as to pro-
"mote all the great interests of the State, agri-
"cultural, manufacturing and commercial"
The Rochester Union, whose editor is one of the
most sagacious of the leaders of Democracy,
was terribly mortified at this piece of artful
lodging, and, we have already pointed out,
made haste to explain that the canal plank that
appears in the platform was passed by mistake,
and that the plank agreed upon by the Com
mittee Oh Resolutions recommended the adOp
ton of the free canal amendment by the people
OF the State. We wonder what The Union will
think of Mr.. Cleveland's views on the amend
ment7 AS likely as not it will conjecture that
his letter of acceptance was submitted to a syn
dictate OF the old party hacks before being given
to the press, and that the syndicate revised il
by eliminating from it anything that meant
something in particular. The letter certainly
reads as if it had been carefully sandpapered.
Let Mr.. Cleveland look to it. The popular
conception of him is that of statesman who
does not understand the arts of the politician.
He has only to write few more such letters, or
make few speeches in the same vein, to recall
the Acknowledged Celestial who Solemnly pro
tested to William Nye that he did not under
stand the intIicaces of the game called euchre.