The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-12-10
THE MANY-sIpEp GROVER.

more than an eight-square pump. He
has all the six, inside and out, right and
left sides that belongs to the ordinary
mortal; then he has Democratic side
and a Mugwump side, which makes him
equal in number of the pump; then
again he has the newspaper hating side
extra. And We might with equal pro-
priety add the foolish side, which is the
most prominent side of all, and make
him just Notwithstanding new, orig
inal and decidedly unique, not TO say lu-
dicrous, in the Presidential history of
the United States.
For two years Cleveland has been do
ing his level best to carry water on both
shoulders between the Mugwump and
Democratic camps. He has at various
times Stopped over"-mostly from the
Mugwump bucket-till he has finally
thrown their vessel completely over
board, and proceeds to give a new and
original Cleveland definition of his
meaning of "civil service REFORM" and
offensive craftsmanship" He illustrates
his peculiar views of so-called civil SER
vice reform quite plainIy-more plainly
indeed than could be done in the
"rogue's picture gallery" in any of our
Democratic contemporaries, by his pue
rile action in the Benton and Stone cases
The former, the Democratic District
Attorney in Missouri, went into the late
campaign in violation of Cleveland's ia
nous order, and made speeches for the
Democracy. Col. Stone, a Republican
District-Attorney in Pennsylvania, APP
pointed by President Arthur, whose
term had not expired, and who An def
erence to the wishes of the Mugwumps
had been suffered TO hold his position,
did the same thing for the Republican
ticket, and Mr.. Cleveland forthwith re-
moved the two. Benton, the Democrat,
restiye under the smarting blow caused
by his sudden decapitation, proceeds to
write the President II very touching let
ter, assuring him that he had neglected
no official duty, and neglected no oppor-
tunity 10 defend the administ ration of
his Royal Highness, and his Royal High
ness immediately repents of his RASH
hess toward Jacksonian Democrat and
writes letter of Reinstatement, in
which he give the people to understand
that officials making speeches III favor of
MY" administration with big NJ are
guilty of no offensive partisanship or vi
olation of "My" orders with another
big M or civil service regulations; but
the making of speeches by Republican
officials is crime winch hath no forgive
ness in this one-man administration.
thus establishing one rule for the guild
ance of Democrats and another for Re-
publicans. But let us see which of these
two men was most guilty of "offensiv e
craftsmanship. A Missouri editor, with
"ghoulish glee" no doubt, forwards to
Col. Stone copy of the speech which
Benton made at Galiatin, Oct. 18th,
1856, in which his 'loyalty to the ad-
ministration" is recorded after the fol-
lowing fashion:
Il don't agree with President Cleve-
land in every thing. don't believe IN
his civil-servlce humbuggery. |
don't agree with Mr.. Cleveland on the
silver question. He was raised east of
the Allegheny Mountains, and he gets
his ideas from that region. He never
has been west of Buffalo, and has not
any more idea of the great West and its
vast material resources than the mere
schooIboy who learns it from STUDYING
geography. He gets his ideas on finan-
ces from the gold bugs of Wall street,
who once demonetized silver and had it
the administration from the coinage
act clandestinely and without the con-
sent of the people. He learns his tinan-
cial theories from Wall street, the leech-
es that suck the blood of the honest
yeomanry of the West like vampires.
That's where Mr.. Cleveland gets his
ideas of finance. When he wrote his
gratuitous letter on the subject of silver
coinage, even before he was inaugurated
as President, he illustrated where he got
his ideas, and he struck blow at the
West in the interest of the bond hoiders
and money sharks, and felt like sink
ing down in my boots; but when Reagan
of Texas and others stood up in their
dignified manhood and wrote to him
that he was the Executive and not the
law-making power, and l saw these
Democrats battling for their rights and
the rights of the people against his as
symptoms, l rejoiced again that was a
| Democrat"
Now after Cleveland reads this if there
is spark of honesty left within his "re-
form" heart he will forthwith reinstate
Col. Stone and discharge Benton, for il
comes to light that the Democrat severe
ly criticised the action of his President,
while the Republican made only two
speeches during the campaign, did not
attack the administration in any partic-
ular, but simply confined himself to the
tariff and Prohibition. But there is no
sincerity in his professions, and this
humbug who sits in the chair so honor
ably filled by ex-President Arthur, will
keep right on making himself appear RI
diculous to the world. The newspapers
throughout the country are giving con-
siderable attention to the powerful
weakness" Of the egotistical Grover, and
among the more important journals, the
New York Sun casts a glance at his silly
blunders in this brief query: "In few
months may We not expect to see Presi-
dent Cleveland removing federal Office
holders for peTnicious inactivity i'm poll
ticsp''
In single daily published in the West
we find extracts published from thirteen
prominent papers-Eastern and South
ern-about half of which, like the San,
New York World. and New Orleans
Times, are Democratic, making similar
comments on the Presidents ludicrous
actions. In fact there is scarcely re-
spectacle newspaper in the whole coun-
try that is not treating Cleveland with
contempt. Even our old fogy Demo-
cratic neighbor has long since ceased to
sing peans of praise to the overgrown
monstrosity of the White House.
Ii is unnecessary to mention the re-
tenllon of Garland, stepped in the dregs
of Pan Electric swindle; Villas, who dis
regards not only the laws of Congress,
but the Presidents orders as we'll, and
leaves his responsible duties to a clerk
while he rushes home to engage in DO
litical campaign in his own interest;
Bragg and Sparks, who are first-class
nuisances in their respective depart
ments, to show the hollowness of Cleye-
lands pretentious reform" administra-
ton, or his devotion tn any of the prin-
ciples OF civil service. Evidence is not
wanting in any particular to show this,
without recalling instances which Grover
doubtless imagines have passed into OBJ
livion, or what is more, "inocuous disue-
tude." And there is no possible way in
which he could 80 fOrcible and conyinc-
ingly illustrate the vast disproportion of
brains TO the coarsest adipose matter
combined In the makeup of this stupid