The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-11-27
President cIeveIand's statesmanship

studies it with candid mind can fail
TO ind in it evidence of statesman
ship of the very sort that is emphatical-
ly demanded in the Presidency. A great
part of this evidence relates to the sim
pie, direct, honest discharge of duty,
but the principles upon which he has
acted in that discharge of duty are rad
zeal and essential, and he has expressed
with them a decision and clearness
which leave no doubt of his intellectual
capacity and his moral strength. His
letters and speeches, his messages as
Mayor and as Governor, are all char
acterized by the same forcible perspic-
uity; no one can be under any doubt as
to their meaning; they do not admit of
two interpretations. When Mr. Cleve-
land was called upon to reform the
municipality of Buffalo he made short
speech in accepting the nomination
which struck the Keynote of his SER
vice. When" he said, 1--WE consider
that public officials are the trustees of
the people and hold their places and
exercise their powers for the benefit of
the people, there should need no higher
inducement to faithful and honest dis
charge of public duty" These are
very old truths" he added. but he be-
lieved that the people wanted them,
sincerely and without mental reserva-
ton, adopted as rule of conduct"
When he addressed his inaugural mes
sage to the Common Council he knew
that there were those in that body who
were not converted to such a rule of
conduct. and he admonished them in
terms similar to those he has lately used
in reference to National affairs. The
money of the people must not be di-
verified to other purposes than their pro-
lection and interest, there must not be
greater sum used in any municipal
! purpose than is necessary; lit sometimes
appears" he warned them. that 1.-The
office-hOlder assumes that different rule
of fidelity prevails between him and the
taxpayer than that which should regu-
late his conduct when as en- individual
he holds the money of his neighbor. "
The iobbers in the Common Council got
to work as if Mayor Cleveland words
had meant nothing in particular, but
they were undeceived when his notable
veto of the STRENGTHENING contract
award came. The Council had given
the contract of cleaning the streets of
Buffalo for five years for 1922, 800, more
than 100000 higher than that of an
other perfectly responsible party, and
$4,000 more than the successful con-
tractor had himself offered to do it for
few weeks before. His indignant veto
message is a revelation of rooted hon.
esty of nature:
This is time for plain speech, and my OBJ
lection to the action of your honorable EOdy
now under consideration shall be plainly
stated. withhold my assent from the same
because 1 regard it the elimination of a
most baTefaccd, impudent and shameless
scheme to betray the interests of the people |
and worse than squander the public money.
/ will not be misunderstood in this matter. |
There are those whose votes were given for
this resolution whom can not and will not |
suspect of a willful neglect of the interests
they are sworn to protect; but it has been |
fully demonstrated that there are influences |
both in and about your honorable body which |
it behooves every honest man to watch and !
avoid with the greatest care. Clumsy |
appeals to prejudice or passion; insinuatiOns |
with kind of low. cheap cunning, to the |
motives and purposes of others; and the mock !
herOiSm of braZen effrontery which openly de- |
clare that wholesome public sentiment is to |
be set mt naught, sometimes deceives and |
OF schemes which if exposed they would look |
upon with adherence. We are fast |
gaining positions in the grades of public stew |
ardship. There is middle ground. Those |
who are not for the people, either in or out OF |
your honorable body, are against them, and |
should be q Gated accordingly.
There is healthy ring in those SEN
fences that left no doubt as to Cleve-
lands quality. The message made |
known 20 the Democracy of New York,
as one says, that "a leader had arisen |
with the courage and ability to perpet-
'uate the reforms which Governor Tilden |
had instituted into the State;'' but it |
made that known to the country as well. |
We need not repeat the story of how he
saved Buffalo within six months mil
lion dollars by veto messages, which, as
a Republican paper said, ''have become
municipal classics" and by careful per-
sonal administration of affairs. He for
the first time in the history of the city
made it imperative that the Auditor
should really audit, by thorough ex-
animation of the city accounts, instead
of q mere formal certificatiOn of totals.
He substituted competition for work
that had been used for political patron
age. Everywhere he saw that the peo-
pie got the full value of their money.
He was not deferred b. the danger of
miscOnStruction from following his con-
victiOnS; he vetoed resolutions apDro-
priating money for 4 firemen's benevo-
lent association and for the Decoration
Day ObServanceS, on constitutional and
legal grounds, just as afterward when
he was Governor, he vetoed the five
cent fare bill and the Catholic Protec-
tory bill. His practice of civil reform
in the affairs of Buffalo was re-
called last year when he vetoed
the reconstruction of the Buffalo Fire
Department, a Democratic measure,
economical and efficient administration
of an important department ina large
city is to be destroyed, upon partisan
grounds or to satisfy personal animcsi-
ties, in order that the places and pa
trOnage attached thereto may be used
for party advancement. l believe" he
added, lin an open and sturdy parti-
sanship which secures the legiti-
mate advantages of party suprem-
acy, bit parties t0ere made for the peo-
pie, and | am unwilling to give my as
sent to measures purely partisan, which
will sacrifice or endanger their inter-
ests." That is an admirable sentiment
and worthy of statesman. Cleveland
has repeatedly expressed the soundest
principles on this matter. In accepting
the nomination for Governor. he said:
''Subordinates in public place should be
and retained for their efficiency,
and not because they may be used to ac-
partisan ends" Again: The ;
system of levying assessments orpartisan
purposes on those holding office or place