New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-06-16
would DO in the Executive Chamber at "aSn-


CLEYELANDS STRENGTH AND WEAh ,,.:,
1t would be an amusing turn OF the poln'io"'
Kaleidoscope that would make Grover GieNo
land the Democratic candidate Tor inc Ires'-
dencv. II is not many months since that aoie
exnonent of Democracy, The Sun, was apologL-
inc under the caption of honest but Ignorant ,
For q the defects ard crudities" OF Governor
Cleveland's inaugural message. The same Jour
mol spogested that before the Democrats nolhl-
mated another candidate for Governor, ne hlsV
he made to 'undergo a pass examination I'D tle
political history of the State and the lud mehIS
of nolitical economy" When at the beg lning
of Mr.. Cleveands administration II WIS as
serted, on apparently good authority thae
Daniel Manning and Hubert o. Thompson we're
grooming the Governor for the Presidency i nc
Sun replied that the Democratic candidate
would not owe his nomination TO the lgno-
rance of the people respecting him." But, after
all. il is not impossible that under the leader
ship of Barnum, Manning and thompson no
Sun may be obliged to support Grover CleVe-
land 1t will be an interesting task 1or IL 10
demonstrate how few months apprenticeship
at Albany will furnish an honest but Ignorant
man. with the requisite ability to fill the CHAIR
of the Nations Chief Magistrate.
No one can point to any reforms inaugurated
by Grover Cleveland. His messages as stated
by Democratic newspapers, have been "cruoe
and ill-considered." They do not suggest even
knowledge of National affairs and show MOTH
ing original in regard to State questions. All
the partisan measures rushed through the
scandalous Democratic Legislature of So3 were
approved by the Governor. He nominated Tor
the responsible office of Commissioner OF
Emigration well-knOwn political tool OF Boss
Mclaughlin and tried to force on the merchants
of this city lot of bankrupt Democratic poll
ticians as harbor masters and port wardens. lie
approved such partisan measures as that TO put
money in the Sheriff. pocket by transferring, at
great expense to the city, prisoners from the
Tombs 70 Ludlow Street Jail-a measure de-
nounced by the Roosevelt Committee. Ana al
though the Sheriff and other Democratic county
officers were shown months ago to nave lilegally
withheld large sums of the public money the
| Governor has taken no steps to recover u or 10
remove them, though it is by statute MADE MS
special business to do so. In his selections Tor
Office he has shown careful regard for his party
| Under his appointment not even lab0rer was
allowed to work on the Capitol building unless
he got a ticket from a Democratic local boss OF
| Albany-a miserable tool Of Dan Manning.
But the Governor has done fairly we'll
that is in a partisan sense only. He has won
| public regard by following in the foot
stems of Governor Cornell in making liberal
use of his veto power; and he has gained credi'
for approving some of the splendid reform
measures passed by the last Republican Leglsla-
ture. But for originating and pushing forward
| those measures Governor Cleveland is entitled To
| no credit He showed more sense than his parry
which fought all those reforms in the Leglslat-
ure but he is entitled to no credit for their
massage and his failure to act on the testimony
| deyeloped by the Legislative committees Is
positively discreditable to him, while his veto
of the Tenure of Office bill is direct insult to
every honest man in New-YOrk. The truth Is
that Governor Cleveland's availability as a
Democratic candidate rests wholly on the fact
that he has little knowledge of National ques-
tons and no record concerning them, and that
he was elected Governor by a large majority
A fortnight before his nomination he was almost
unknown outside of Erie County. He was
elected upop an issue regarding which he was
not a leader No Republican believed that he
was an ADLER or better man than Secretary
Folger; but many believed the latter was nom
| mated by unfair means Notwithstanding an
increase of % ZOO in the voting population, Mr.
Cleveland pOled only S07 more votes than
| Hancock, and 2O226 less than Garfield. ThC
100000 Republicans who stayed away from
the polls that year will come out and vote
this year. The $4,000 who voted for Cleve
land, aided last year in securing Republican
Legislature, and in electing the head OF TIT
ticket by $4,000 majority. Where Folger wa
the weakest-in being thought not fairly nomi
nated-Blaine is the strongest. He haseXcep
tiona sources of strength and there is hardly ;
doubt that he would carry New-YOrk State, il
a contest on National issues with Grover CleYe
land. If the Democrats can afford to pass d.
their natural leaders, such men as Carlisle, Me
Donald and Bayard, to take up Cleveland, n'
| friend of James G.. Blaine will regret the choice
THE GOVERNOR AND THE TARIFF