The Evening critic., 1884-08-23
Party ana Candidate wcri.,ra,ched.


For weeks tho Democratic party and their
dependent allies have been looking 10 oleye.
land as the only man in the country who could
aSnder aner posSp ,bnS Hs mg9s a
rally his supporters, unto aud Inspire them,
give them decent object and au aim which
would not be utterly contemplate. True, he
had never In his life spoken one such word OF
slight and leading" but he might. He had
never contributed an atom to tho stock OF hu-
man thought or human knowledge, but tho
great emergency might inspire him. II there
was In him anything so excuse his selection,
over all the honored Democratic statesmen of
the country, surely 1t would como out.
II Ire could offer plan as 20 the tariff, such
that Morrison and Randall could heartily work
together for H. surely he would. II ho could
propose definite Civil Service measures, salts.
factory alike to George William Curtis and
Hubert o. Thompson, obviously he would.
The brightest and the sngeet mon OF his party
wero at hand to advise him. II, among four
millions OF Democrats, any one could utter
the master.thought which could lift great
party TO one united and heroic effort, II was
certain that II would be impaired TO the can
didate In his emergency. So, II there was any
thing In the man or anything In the party, this
was tho time for II to be revealed,
Governor Cleveland eGid nothing. He said
nothing, obviously, because he had nothing TO
"Was IT for ntS We set aside Thurman and
Bayard, Randall and Carlislo?" Democrats are
asking. "Was II for MtS we put ourselves u
open shame, by protesting thugs we do not
believe, and things contrary to the record OF
our whole lives? Was II for MiS we 'nled our
Minds bringing disgrace upon ourselves aud
our country by tho selection Of n moral leper
as q pattern saintf'
Yes, men ana brethren, for this. Democracy
was aeked 10 show what II could offer to cOun-
terbalance the shameful folly OF the last ses-
sion, and TO give assurance OF Its practical
fitness to govern; TO illustrate It's purity and
It's wisdom; to manifest itself In the flesh, In
short. In reply, IL nominated man weighing
236 pounds, and six inches across the back OF
the heck.
Heis typical. His party has neither great
thoughts nor high aims. 1t has simply appe-
titeP, ana 30 has Mr.. Cleveland. In the terri
bly, truthful words OF Mr.. Curtis, tho party Is
very hungry, and very thirsty Governor
Cleveland is Its appropriate candidate.
Before the meeting OF the so.called "Inde-
pendents," Mr.. Curtis was confronted with
proof that Governor Cleveland was an utterly
unfit candidate. He answered, In substance:
sour course has been marked out, and we
must take It," The economic dishonesty of the
Democratic Convention, the moral degrada-
tion OF accepting the candidate put up by cor
rupt officials OF New York as reward for
shielding them, the personal disgrace OF as
sociatipg with inc Morcy forgers- these things
had not disturbed him, and why should any
other thing conceivable?
The Democrats are right. lie who begS an
invitation TO dinner must not nnd iault with
the victuaIs. II men did not want tho DemO-
cratic party for associates why did they knock
| at tho door? And II man eau stand Tho
Democratic party, such as 1t is, why should he
not stand Cleveland, snch as he IS? AT any
| rate, the so-called Independents" cannot
afford 10 be squeRmish; thoy picked the man.
| II he is not in all respects pattern OF holi.
ness, what were the "Holier than though"
| people doing when they proposed him TO a
Democratic convention.
Governor Cleveland takes as his own the dis
| honest trick OF the convention on the tariff,
| just as he took the nomination at the hands OF
| indicted onlcials. These are his great slns. 1t
| Is not his fault that he knows nothing, aud
| can no more guide his party in sore straits
| than tat porker can calculate au eclipse.