The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1884-10-30
IN. Y. independent
The Cleveland Candidacy.

| tesque and, IN some respects, revolving
spectacle than that now presented to
the American people by the candidacy
of Mr.. Cleveland. What adds to its
singlarity is the fact that those who
figure conspicuously in the scene do
not seem to appreciate either its real
character or their own position, or, IT
they do, evince power OF conceal
ment as rare and marvellous as the
scene itself.
Grover Cleveland, who, less than four
years ago, was merely commonplace
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 gubernatorial term is about half
completed, we find him before the
people as the Democratic cannidate
for President of the United States.
Such a combination of circumstances
was ever before seen in the history OF
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 a candidate for this high office.
He happened to become the Mayor OF
Buffalo, then he happened, under pc
culiar circumstances, to be nominated
and elected as the Governor of this
state; and then, when the Democratic
Party wanted a candidate for Presi-
dent, he happened to be the man who,
as the nominating convention thought.
would be most certain to carry the
State Of New York, especially 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, ex-
plain 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 inferior.
The grand rallying cry with which
the people were to be carried by storm,
and Mr.. Cleveland was to be shouted
into the Presidency, we have in the
two words, purity and reform. These
words were to do the business. Per-
sonal purity was to take the lead as
the guaranty of reform. Mr.. Cleve-
land was to be paraded before the
people as the very paragon Of the
idea, and through him, and especially
through his clean and unsullied purity,
the Democratic Party, SO often reject
ed by the people, was at last to win
the long-coveted prize. The consci-
ence of the people would be satisfied
with the purity Of the candidate; the
Independent Republicans would come
to his help, and Christian voters could
for once at least, vote as they pray
and pray as they vote. The campaign n
would be mainly one of personal
character, and for the purpose of such
contest Mr.. Cleveland's stainless re-
cord left nothing to be desired.
Alas! Alas! for human calculations
and hopes! The campaign had not
fairly opened when it became known
to the general public that this pure
man, whose personal character was to
be the charm Of his candidacy and the
pledge Of his success, was himself
soiled with a gross and disgusting
immortality, uniting him to be Presi
dent, or to fill any other Office in the
gift of the people. The facts were
not and are not denied either by him
self or his friends; and there is no
evidence before the people that the
admitted facts are not specimen facts
in the private history of this man.
Such facts do not usually go alone.
They live in serial groups, and have a
way of repeating themselves. The
strong presumption from one group
is that there are other undiscovered
groups Of the same kind.
The Independent, the moment the
disguise was thrown off and the real
character of Mr.. Cleveland was dis
closed, took the position which it
maintains to-day, and will maintain to
the end Of the canvass. That position
is that the facts, as known and admit
ed on all hands. utterly and absolutely
unfit Mr.. Cleveland to be candidate
for the Presidency Of this great nation.
Common decency, to say nothing
about Christianity, demanded that his
name SHOULD at once have been with
drawn, and some one put in his place,
whose candidacy would not be an
insult to the people, and whose election
would not be disgrace to the country.
We should deplore, more than we can
express, his political success. We call
upon the ministry Of the land to teach
their people that partisanship cannot
obliterate the Seventh Commandment
from the law OF God: that the family,
environed by the sacred mofalities
which alike define its function and
guard it's purity and honor, is the unit
IF the state and the sheet anchor of
he social system; and that the man
Who. TO crafty his base passions, be-
comes the betfayer and corrupter of
is not to be honored or
rusted in any sphere of life. We call
lpon the religious press to give loud
cho to such teaching; and we ask
very voter, who thinks of voting for
Cleveland, and who, with the light
low before him, cannot do so ignor-
ntly, to consider well what he is pro-
'osing to do. and what woIld be the
moral effect of knowingly electing
uch a man to the Presidency.
1t would be useless to waste words
n those thick-and-thin Democrats,
7ho, when they go to the ballot-box. {
cave their conscience at home, and
lways vote the party ticket, asking
o questions as to the character Of
he candidate. There are, however,
lany Democrats who mean to keep a
ood conscience toward God and man;