Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1884-12-13

WHAT Is NE?

WHAI is sHE2
The more we read and hear Of Grover
Cleveland the more of q cotnundrum he
becomes. He is either possessed Of a
very superior quality of knowledge or
else he knows but, little more than the
average man, having a perplexing fac
ulty for keeping that little to himself.
Thus far his brightest trait is silence.
In his letter of acceptance he did not
say much-and this was the common
dable feature of it. He said something
about constitutional government" but
we foundthe same thing, more strongly
expressed, in Blaine's letter. He wrote
a few sentences on the subject of De-
mocracy, just enough to remind us that
he was the Democratic nominee, but he
wat quite economical, where his party
predecessors have been very extrava-
giant, in "enunciating the undying prin.
ciples Of the great and glorious party of
REFORM" He said nothing about "Dem-
oeratic principles" and was generally
careful to avoid reference to things in
tangible. There was wisdom in what he
did not say; and it was disappointment
among extreme p%artisans over the un-
said things in Cleveland's letter that led
to the movement a month before cleo
tion'to have him withdraw. There was
not enough Hendricksism in his utter
ances, and the strange attachment Of
former pronounced Republicans 10 his
candidacy alarmed the Bourbon wing
of the Democracy. The old party lead
ers were mystified. They couldn't de-
termine in their own minds if Cleye-
lands election would be in reality a
Democratic victory. They were not
certain on the point of whether his NOM
ination wasn't a trick. They felt like
dupes, and metaphorically pinched
themselves to see if they we're really
Democrats.
Since his election Cleveland has main
tanned comparative silence, and there is
nothing in his general public acts and
expressions that can be regarded in the
light of assurance that he intends to
have a set policy, OF that he will attempt
to be guided by the policy Of the party
that claims him. 1t is certainly true
that he owes his election to Republican
factions-to men who never trained with
the Democratic party; to men who,
ven now, while they rejoice over his
success, denounce the extreme methods
and language of those Democrats who
furnished over two-thirds Of the cleo
toral votes that made Cleveland presi-
dent.
Hence, Cleveland's election is not a
v%indication of "the undying principles"
of the party that nominated him, no
nor than the defeat of Gen. Hancock
was confirmation of. the existence of
those "principles." The clamor for
office that will go up from the Demo-
Gratis when Cleveland takes his seat as
president will thoroughly Test the met
tie that he is made of. If he resists
Bourbon pressure and maintains a CRATE
full regard for the men who really made
him president, the 'urfdying principles"
will be in a fair way of perishing, and
Cleveland's administration will go down
in histery-way down-among the po-
litical anomalies: If, on the other hand,
he serves the party that gave him the
nomination, regardless of the combina-
tions and circumstances that really gave
him the presidency, his name will be
transcribed in imperishable letters upon
the monument of Democracy immedi-
ately beneath that of the immortal
jackson.
No word of his yet spoken would in
dictate that Cleveland is an "undying"
Democrat; no utterance to which he has
given expression would contradict the
theory that he is an Independent. We
do not believe his acts, after the 4th Of
March, will justify the claim that he will
be either one or the other, and the coun-
try at large may continue to inquire,
What is he?