Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1884-07-22
ABOUT CLEveLAND'S HONESTY.

The New York sun. preparatory to
deciding on which side of the fence il
will get down. concludes that James
G.. Blaine Is "a very able statesman. but
is not honest, while Grover Cleveland
l. not Il competent statesman, has new
er sat in legislative body. and has
had nothing 10 do with the affairs of
national government, but is honest.
We call pereinptorily for the proof
that MIR. Cleveland is honest. How
has that fact been discovered! When
was he tempted. and what did he de
cline. and bow much was it worth?
The sun could consider how much
the claim OF entire and immaculate
honesty on the part of Cleveland i'm
plies. Ii implies that a man who We
toes railroad bills in which Jay Gould
has the leading interest In favor of Il
veto, and the working poor have the
leading interest against the veto, hon
estly believes that Jay Gould need,
the extra tive cents Of fare more than
the working class do. ID implies tina,
the man who yetoes bill for shorten
ing the hours of labor of city railway
the number of hours day car driver
works the better it is for himself. his
family and society.
Abraham Lincoln was nominated on
his honesty. Because instances in which
he had sacrificed his apparent inter
ests Ia his convictions were always
with the iowlv. But when did Mr.
Stephen G.. Cleveland ever sacrifice
anything to his convictions, or appear
as the champion of the lowly? lie
ha- been a railroad and corporation
attorney, and has aimed to enlist on
his side the capital with which he
came in contact. We can see shrewd-
ness in this, but wherein does il de-
velop honesty?
1t is honesty that secures TO a Dem
ocrat the enthusiastic support of the
Standard Oil gang in Ohio?
Does the fact that LAWYER leaves
the bar aud accepts the shrieyaltv of a
populous county, and with II the ,intv
of hanging his fellow creatures, be-
cause the fees of the Office are consid-
cradle, indicate that he is MARTYR for
principle! Or does il show that lac is
willing TO descend to extremely dirty
and mean work il he thereby can OBJ
tain pclf? Can any one imagine Abra-
ham Lincoln conscenting to become a
hangman. merely because the fees Of
the oflic OF sheriff were larger than he
could obtain Mt his profession ? Wheu
Lincoln was very poor. SO poor that he
informed one Of his friends that he
dared not trust himself TO carry II
pock ct knife lest the deep despoudency
into which he was often plunged by
his financial straits. might lead him TO
commit suicide. lie was offered Il fee
of 5000 by the Hon. Jesse r Du
Bots, state auditor of Illinois, Ia de-
fcnd a certain case on behalf of the
state. and he declined it because he
thought the state 10 be in the wrong
Scores of facts like these. made famil-
lar wears before Lincoln's nomination.
procured for him the sobriquet OF
Honest Abe. But pray, tell us what
fees this Stephen Cleveland, of Buffalo.
ever declined. His acceptance Of an
Office freighted with hangnan'>
knot. after be had become
LAWYER. shows that he was not
at all squeamish as 10 the
means by which he should make
his money. Great rs are the ncces,i-
ties of many of the struggling mem
bers OF the bar al the country. very
few of them desire 10 exc ont the prot
its of their profession bv accepting an
Office which from lis nature compels |
its incumbent to act as an official !
u hos -
when once he has consented TO be e,cc- |
ted Ia that office should shrink from 4
the duty. But we do affirm that it (
has not been the usage 10 select meu /
tor the office of sheriff from among /
the learned professions, aud that die 4
lawyer who accepts such an office and /
oihciatcs at the hanging of a fellow I
rresture. sets an estimate upon his
in which few members of /
the bar can agree with him. But he
udelibly stamps himself a. a shifty.
thrifty, self-seeker who i ready TO
perform HE meanest ot all uman Of
ices for money. Gentlemen who part
heir hair in the middle MAY seek to
ind in this haugman their hero aud
deal. Bun We must inform them that
such are the instincts Of seii-r spect-
ng men and women not only of
America, bnt Of Europe. ntl not
nei ely IN this aye but IN n agc-. that 7
he doors of reputable homes aud so
ial circles stand preemptofialy closed
gainst any man who for money has
personality descended to the act of
hanaman. But notwithstanding the
trictly mercensry character OF ali OF
)leve'-nd's associations AID ambitions.
Notwithstanding he, has. ne.es stood
ienIifiedwith ideas Of All, Kind, has
ever proposed "r ina sgsraied any
eform whatever but the rrirsy poll
ician's rretensa of cutting down n.il-
icipas expenses. "a pre'emse which al
iu>i invariably make a pol tics'i ,
Ne arr i.l,l that Mr.. ~'.- 3
ham g tlrNeand i siili I % ro'ir Io