Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1884-07-18
The Democratic Blunder.
baltimore American. j

| announcer 10 INC long llSO Oh DluuucIs
which has impaired public conf
dcnce and closed the doors of the
White House against their party
With q galaxy Of statesmen from
which to choose, they have selected
for their standard-bearer the acci
dent of an accident; a chip tossed
to the surface by temporary con
vulsiOn; a dull, plOdding, negative
nobody, whose only title to con
sideratiOn is that when unrepec
teddy placed in a position where he
might do an infinite deal of harm,
he astOnished his State by doing
less than the public had reason to
expect. His rivals for the nOmina-
ton have qualified themselves by
long and faithful service. Trained
in the school of adversely, they
have gathered about them a fol
lowing whose devotion is measured
by bitter disappOintments in the
past and exaggerated hopes OF the
future. To imagine that these
loyal servitOrS will not resent such
ingratitude is to divest them Of the
ordinary failings Of human nature,
and place them on a plane which
politicians seldom reach.
Two years ago Cleveland was un-
known outside of his own town.
He had severved term as Mayor
and had won the support of the
local politicians. Nominated for
Governor of New York at a time
when his party had but little hope
of carrying the State, luck served
him better than brains or popu-
larity. One Of those cyclones which
occur now and again in politics,
arrayeG two factions of the Re-
publican party against each other,
and while a hundred thousand Re-
publicanS sulked in their tents he
glided into the Office without even
the full vote of his own party.
Great men only need an Oppor-
tunity, and never was one more
APPLY fitted to a dawning states
mans hand. To advance the
perstige of his own party, throw
CONSERVATION into the ranks Of his
opponents already weakened by
dissensions, and commend himself
to honest and true men of all shades
of political sentiment, required but
the exercise Of discretion, coupled
with a moderate amount of eXecu-
tive ability. How thoroughly he
appreciated the position in which
he was probably astOnished to find
himself may be gathered from the
acts Of Assembly which met his ap-
proval, and those which he prompt
lv condemned. He has made him
self unpopular with the masses OF
the people in his State. 1t is con
ceded even by his friends that he
will not poll the full vote Of his
own party in New York, and that
Independent Republican recruits
must be dependent upon to make
good this detection. Two measures
were introduced into the New York
Legislature at its last session fol
the benefit Of the working classes
the one reduced the hours that
the ill-paid conductors were forced
to work, while the other reduced
from ten to five cents the fares that
the struggling poor in going to and
returning from work were COMPEL
ed to pay for dividends on tho
watelcd stock Of the elevated rail
roads. With inimitable impair
TALLY, Governor Cleveland vetoed
them both. The people will nevel
admit that it was a friend of the
working man who defeated this
legislation.
The salutary check placed in the
hands of the alderman against the
unwise or selfish appointments of a
dishonest mayor was not thought
worth retaining in New York, and
a bill was approved by Governor
Cleveland lodging in the hands Of
that official the absolute power OF
appointment or removal, thus plac
ing the interests of the greatest
city in American at the mercy Of a
single individual. Affecting to
despise the methods and influence
Of Tammany, he cOndeScended
secretly to coQuet with John
Kelly and advise with him as to
which of his followers would make
the most presentable appearance
at Albany.
No wonder Kelly detests him,
wOrkingmen decline to support
him, and Ominous threats appear
in religious papers. If the Demo
cratic party can bring forth nothing
better than this political abortion
after a whole week of labor and
travail, Republicans have little to
fear beyond the ordinary accidents
Of a dull campaign.