Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1884-07-25
GOV. CLEVELAND UNMAsKED.

A fortnight before his nomination
for governor in 1882, Stephen Grover
Cleveland was almost unknown out
side of Erie county. His nomination
then was the work of a skillful Demo-
cratic machine and he was elected
upon an issue regarding which he was
not a leader. That was demonstrated
by the vote for lieutenant governor.
Dave" Hill, well-known member of
the machine, who made no profession |
of being Il retormer, aud whose record |
in the legislature precluded such a |
claim, had larger majority for lieu
tenant governor than Cleveland had |
as the head of the ticket. If the vote
of that wear was any test of the merits
of the two men, Hill and not Cleveland
should have been nominated at Chi
caoo.
Discovered and nominated by ma
| chine, Cleveland has always been true
to it. He has obtained cheap repu-
tation for being independent by APP
proving measures which would weak
| en- the opponents of the machine.
Such was the bill passed by Repubii-
| can legislature 10 take from the alder
men their power TO confirm the
MAYORS nominations. That aimed
blow at Tammany hall. But when
the counterpart of that measure, the
tenure Of Office bill, which struck a
blow at the county Democracy, was
presented to the governor, he quietly
pigpon-holcl i! for month and then
| vetoed it. TIE attempt TO defend
that veto on the ground of imperfcc-
lions In the bill is sheer nonsense. No
defect in the measure Offering any cx-
cuse for the veto has ever been pointed
out. 1t was done. in the interest Of
Twccd's successor, Hubert .. Thomp-
son. who is The most powerful mem-
Der of the state machine. and its rep
resentativc on the Democratic national
committee.
In the interest of Sheriff Davidson,
. another member of that machine the
Governor approved a bill passed by
the Democratic legislature Of 1888,
transferring prisoners from the Tombs
: Where they were maintained at an
expense 10 she city Of thirty cents per
dav-io Ludlow street Jail, where the
4 city had To pay the sheriff seventy-five
, cents day for each prisoner, with eX-
ira allowances The scandalous char
: actcr of that bill was pointed out by
r the Tribune at the time. When the
9 Roscyei committee investigated the
t matter. public Indignation was arous-
: cd TO such pitch that the governor
c did not dane Withhold his approval OF
0 an aci passed by The Republicans re-
, peainr the shameful Democratic
r measure of the previous year which
= he had signed. Not only lad the sher'
: if profitcd TO a large extent by that
G act. but i; was irretulab Y shown by
e the Roosevelt committee that he had
f Illegally. bv means OF false
= vouchers. ken Il la :; sum from
h the city treasury. AMI one or two
t minor POINTS. which did not concern
>. the revelations Of the "A sembly com
y nittre. the sheriff wa inl cted by TIN
J. yrand jury, acting unirr the advice
e of di,tric, attorney appointed 10y tho
r governor. On the trial iHc prosecu
Il ton. conducted personally by tina
V district attorney, of course broke
Il doNn. Determined not TO be baflict
Il hv such proceed .ng, The assembl!
Il committee laid is evidence before thu
h governor. and ciar2e5 were formal,
: pr, scented TO h.tn against the sheriff
: They were pigeon ho!cd. The sheriff
: OF rou 80. carried his organization
: over to the . vcraar, and took gan.
o of men. manv al ion were hi per
- sonal ,ubordina -. 10 Chicago f
= work FOR Cleveland.
/: The Roosevelt committee also pre-
:, senied TO The governor the evidenc
= showing that n number OF other Dem
u ocralic county officials had Illegal,
A. withheld from The cit, treasury lare
Il sums of pubic money. Hubert q
: Thompson, Is appeared by that cvi
dence. pockcted nearly $4,000 in fec
belonging To the city in the short tiun
he served as county clerk by appoint
ment of I.ucius Robinson. William
% \. Butler and Pat" Keenan, wer
u shown to b, indebted TO the city III
al similar way, ouiy III larger sums; an
n others were also implicated. There
N q special statute which makes ii III
duty of the governor TO see that leg;
~ measures arc taken TO recover tia
Il money. Ills attention was called I
al the matter. but the persons duplicate
IN were adherents Of the machine, an
IA the HpNtTipF NupIoi 'ciH W. "
~, presidency Hence. he Ignored I'll
:, entire matter. and the city Is lar2
"a loser in con cqucnce.
~ These are n few of the facts wine
> show how stephen Grover Clevcan
- came to hc the candidate of power
tul machine tia WAS able to force hi
nomination ut Chicago, If elected, i
~, could not conduct the executive oiiit
- of the nitcd States without acting !
the mouthpiece and instrument OF II
- machine that placed him there. WIS
- that machine stands for is well know
|. here TO place it in control OF IL
80 government would be a national di
grace. New York Tribune.
"A