The Evening critic., 1885-05-02
rcnnna rrnm ChIcnro.

Near the close of long, hot day last
year swelterlug crowd of Democratic
delegates sat in national convention in
Chicago. They mad listened with some
degree of patience to a recital Of the
manly deeds and heroic careers Of such
men as Thomas Francis Bayard, Allen G.
Thurman, John G. Carlisle, Samuel j.
Randall and other leaders of the party.
They had received, with few evidences of
enthusiasm, all that the orators of tho
convention had to present in favor of
men who had led the Democratic hosts
upon hundreds of battle fields; men, who
for half century, more or less, had
borne the heat and burden of tho day and
spent their lives in the service of De-
mocracy.
On front bench in the convention sat
Senator Eustis and all the Louisiana politi-
cal dudes. When Senator Wade Hampton
and General Hooker appealed to their
"straight.out" Democratic friends to vote
for Thomas Francis Bayard the Louisiana
delegation sat silent as statues. Finally
tho name of Grover Cleveland was men,
toned, and whirlwind of applause broke
from the assembled thousands. Heading
the howlers were Senator Eustis and Major
Bnrke.
But when the applause subsided Senator
Grady of New York marched quietly and
solemnly to the chairman's desk and re-
quested the privilege of addressing the
multitude. He spoke calmly and earnestly.
He reviewed the political career Of Grover
Cleveland in dispassionate manner,
plainly demonstrating that while Mr..
Cleveland was of Democratic antecedents
and proclivities, he was not, strictly speak
ing, party man, and if nominated and
elected would unduestionably ignore poll
tics in the distribution of patronage. SEN
tor Grady called attention to the fact that,
as Governor of New York. Mr.. Cleveland
had distributed the offices among friends
and foes alike, aud that in the matter of
appointments party service had found no
consideration With him.
A storm of Kisses greeted this speech.
Hooted, yelled at and howled down, Senator
Grady gave way, and General Bragg
reached the stand in time to reply. ave
love him for the enemies he has made"
shrieked Bragg, as be shook his finger in
the face Of Grady. Whereat the Louisiana
delegation stood on the benches and yelled.
The issue was then and there distinctly
made. There was no deception, no misrep-
resentation whatever. The Democratic
party thoroughly understood that Grover
Cleveland represented the spirit of nom
partisanship which the public seemed to
demand. They accepted him, with his
peculiar ideas of business administra-
tion, and heroically sacrificed the offices to
what they conceived to be Democratic ma
tional principles. What right has the
Democratic party to complain If Mr.. Cleve-
land took 1t at its word2 lie certainly
understood that his nomination and cleo
tion meant new era ofpolitical reform
that tho victor need not necessarily
monopolize the spoils. Uponthis princi-
pie be was certainly nominated, and SEN
ator Eustis threw his hat the highest when
General Bragg said so.
Who is the more consistent-President
Cleveland or his enemies? In the Chicago
Convention the Louisiana delegation helped
to ''loVe him for the enemies he had made"
when it was thoroughly known that those
enemies were the spoilsmen. Either the
Louisiana delegation played the hypocrlte
when it howled Senator Grady down at
Chicago, or else 1t is doing something worse
now