National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-12-27
CnlI n ConNentIon.

ho uoAhVSAoNAN Phibys NhhpNkh WV ~
experience of Mr. Cleveland and the pro-
viousness of its eminent statesman in
thrusting advice upon him, Is fast max
ing itself ridiculous in the matter Of
cabinet selections. There are countless
rumors afloat as TO its probable compost
ton. The leaders of the party have been
ruthlessly pulled from their shelves Of
retirement aud been pushed into promi-
hence to be as uncircumspectly showed
back into obscurity in single day. Tho
oppressive silence Of Mr.. Cleveland has
lett in doubt not only the individuality
Of his family advisers but its sectional
division. The absence OF any indication
on his part of preference for any par
tioular class of counselors or any
special order Of talent has envelopod
the anxious ones with fear and covered
tho willing ones with shame. BAyard,
the ominently respectable guide OF the
democracy, has been to Albany and given
his advice as professional statesman,
and returned duly impressed with the
wisdom of the selection of tho democratic
party in its presidential candidate and
his willingness to be- steer ed by the
superior wisdom of the Delaware senator
But Cleveland denies that he invited Mr..
Bsyard to sit at his counsel board, and
now the latter has no alternative but to
refuse what was never offered. Mr..
Hendricks has met the sphynx Of tho
democracy, but the elasticity of spirits
that cheered his onward journey
to New York did not remain to
comfort him on his return. Gar
land, the essence OF southern wisdom
and conso rvstism, also was called,
but not even ho was chosen. Mclean,
whose fealty to the party could not stand
in the way of his scent for news, goes to
Mecca, and rumor has it that he, too, was
discarded. State electors and state dele.
| cations have sent on their recommends
tions of worthy sons Of their fair common
wealths only to have them carefully
filed away with the more importunate
applications Of individual offce.seekers.
And the democracy, in the midst of it,
victory and its reviving glory, Fl nds itself
halted on the doorsill Of its fathers
house by quaking fear that it will not
duly impress itself upon the instrument
of its creation. And the cry is, What
shall be done?
The inexperience of the president-elcct
is universally admitted. lie has neither
built cabinets himself nor has he lived
in the atmosphere where they are built.
For this matter the party, from lack of
opportunity, has also lost its cunning.
The present generation has not seen q
democratic cabinet, and knows of such
things only through the traditions Of its
elders. The patrisrchs ore either rusty
in such work or have become superan.
nuated for responsible service, and
through ignorance and lack Of cxpe.
rience, the party seems likely to be
wrecked ere it is fairly started on its
long anticip ated cruise for the surplus.
In view of these facts something ur.
gent is demanded. The national com
mittee should assemble and by weight o.
its patriarchal position assert itself and
bring the party out of its dilemma o.
the convention that nominated Mr.. Cleve
land, and of which Mr.. Hendricks was
so prominent figure, should reassembl,
and by force of its multitudinous wisdom
parcel out the chief offices among tn,
faithful. But better still, because tn,
convention that nominated Cleveland
had no idea Of the accident of his Gle
ton, q new convention should BIO called
in which would DO gathered tho wiseacre
of the party. This body Of men
selected for peculiar duty, represent
ing all factions and all classes
would DO able to select for MI
Cleveland cabinet unprejudiced by tn
age sex, or previous condition of servi
tude of. the many applicants. 1t would
adjust its geographical lines, it would be
able to distinguish aud define bou rbonism
1t would be untrammoled by the delicat
, ties Of honor that now bind Mr.. Clovelau
so closely to the mugwumps, for no mug
wump would be there, and it would voic
the opinion of 100000 of democrats i
their representative capacity and not q
individual minds. By all means let
convention be called and end the doubt
and fears of ambitious democratic statei
E men at once.