Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-10-20
THE CLEVELAND CANDIDACY

It is difficult to think of more
grotesque and, in some respects, re-
voting spectacle than that now pre-
sented to the American people by |
the candidacy of Mr. Cleveland. |
What adds to its singularity is the
fact that those who figure consncn- |
ously in the scene do not seem to APP |
preciate either its real character or |
their own position, or, if they do, |
evince q power of concealment us
rare and marvellous as the scene It. |
self.
Grover Cleveland, who, less than
four years ago, was merely Il com
monplace lawyer in Buffalo, about
forty-three years OF age, suddenly
jumped into the mayoralty of that
city, and then, by another jump,
mounted to the chief magistracy Of
this state; and when his gubernato-
rial term is about half completed, we
find him before the people as the
democratic candidate for president Of
the United States. Such a combin-
alton Of circumstances was never be-
fore seen in the history of a small
man. If the age of miracles has
passed, that of political accidents
has not. -Four years ago no one saw
anything in the antecedent record
of Mr.. Cleveland fitting him for the
presidency, or giving the remotest
hint that any party would select him
as candidate for this high office.
He happened to become the mayor of
Buffalo; then he happened, under
peculiar circumstances, to be nomi-
mated and elected as the governor of
this state; and then, when the dem
ocratic party wanted a candidate for
president, he happened to be the man
who, as the nominating convention
thought, would be most certain to
carry the state of New York, espe-
cially in view of the objections of
many republicans to the nomination
of Mr.. Blaine. These streaks of
sheer good luck, and not the abilities
: of the candidate, and not anything in
his public record, explain why the
Bayards, the Thurmans, and the
Randalls, of the democratic party, are
invited to play second fiddle to man
in all respects immensely their infe-
rior.
The grand rallying cry with which
the people were to be carried by
II storm, and Mr.. Cleveland was to be
Ii shouted into the presidency, we have
j in the two words, purity and reform
These words were to do the business
y Personal purity was to take the leaC
as the guaranty of reform. Mr.
y Cleveland was to be paraded befor,
the people as the very paragon of thu
> idea, and through him, and especial
ly through his clean and unsullied pu
> rity, the democratic party. so Otter
rejected by the people, was at last t.
win the long coveted prize. The con
science of the people would be salts
~ fed with the purity of the candidate
- the independent republicans wonl
come to his help, and Christian vot
- ers could, for once at least, vote a
~ they pray and pray as they vote
;" The campaign would be mainly on
of personal character, and for th
- purpose of such contest Mr.. Cleye
. lands stainless record left nothin
" to be desired.
40 Alas Alas for human calculation
and hopes! The campaign had ne
" fairly opened when it became know
~ to the general public that this pun
man, whose personal character We
= to be The charm of his candidacy an
'0 the pledge of his success, was hin
- self soiled with gross and DISCUS
40 ing immortality, uniting him to
''' president, or to fill any other office
the gift of the people. The fac
were not and are not denied eitherl
~ himself or his friends; and there
no evidence before the people til
- the admitted facts are not specim,
nv facts in the private history Of I'll
NJ man. Such facts do not usually
alone. They live in serial group
and have way of repeating thel
selves. The strong presumpti
lost from one group is that there are OF
ger er undiscovered groups of the sal
Who kind.
us The Independent, the moment /
the
in disguise was thrown off and the II
that character of MIR. Cleveland was d
sem closed, took the position which
maintains to-day, and will maint
ting to the end of the canvass. That
e'a sition is that the facts, as known 4
IT,. admitted on all hands, utterly 4
Y of absolutely unfit Mr.. Cleveland to
nor candidate for the presidency
OF this great nation. Common decen
~ to say nothing about Christian
:. demanded that his name should
their once have been Withdrawn. and SC
stan one put in his place, whose candi
The CIV would not be an insult to the q
hef pie, and whose election would not
- disgrace to the country. We sho
mon deplore, more than we can expr,
his political success. We call u
,port the ministry of the land to teach t
saily people that partisanship cannot
= y literate Seventh Commandment f
! tho the law of God that the family,
,st of vironed by the sacred morali