Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-06-28
MoRIsuNp DEMOCRACY.
A Queer Combination of Mugwumpery.
Mossbaekism and Free-Trade.

Gr0yer Cleveland Is again the candl-
date for President. with the aged and
infirm Allen e.. Thurman. of Ohio, as
the candidate for Vice-President. In
1884. when Mr.. Cleveland was first a
candidate for President, Thomas A.
Hendricks. then sixty-fve years old,
was his associate on the ticket. Mr..
Hendricks died the year after he was
elected. Mr.. Thurman is seventy-five
years old. and there could be little
hope or expectation that he would live
! through the next Presidential term il
| he should be elected. II is a prepOs-
ferrous association of names, as to the
age of the candidates. and would be as
to their abilities, if Mr.. Thurman had
not seriously deteiorated in both mind
and body as the result of his advanced
age. 1t is said that Cleveland was
nominated to catch the mugwumps and
Thurman to catch the mossbacks. y"
The difficulty with this policy is that
the mugwumps and mossbacks consti-
tute but small proportion OF the vOt-
ing masses of the country.
That Grover Cleveland is a most re-
markable man is not to be denied. His
force of character is prodigious. This
proceeds from his colossal egotism, in
which self-confidence, a sense of power.
strong passions, contempt for weaker
men, and an absolute disregard of
opposite opinions are elements. He
rules his Cabinet and the Democratic
members of Congress with the iron rod
of despotism; or, rather, he nothing
cares for their opinions, sets up his
own standard. gives his orders. and
expects their submissive obedience.
He is law unto himself and to the
party he represents. Toward inferior
is contemptuous. He wants nobody 5
advice nor the trouble of asking for it.
He is strong, aggressive, truculent, OBJ
stinate and domineering, with an un-
bending will, stubborn pertinacity
and an imperious selfishness, that
form something's combination or
an equipment almost deserving
the name of genius. He is rug
gedly and boorishly honest, so far as
every thing but his own interest and
Announcements is concerned. To graft
fly himself, his desires, his aspirations,
or his grudges, he will adopt any in
consistency, make any effort or violate
any promise. His pledge to accept but
a single term he has swept aside with
out an excuse, or breaking his silence
regarding it. He would, in a moment,
if the occasion should arise, as COM
placently and with the same arrogant
disregard of his own former opinion or
promise, and of the opinions of others,
shatter the unwritten two-term law of
the Republic were it in his power. He
should not be reelected, even if it were
not the fact that he belongs to party
with which the National destiny can
not safely be iEtrusted. His defeat is
a high, patriotic duty, to which every
man who loves his country and desires
its prosperity should contribute all that
it is possible for him to do.
What reason existed for the nominal
ton of ex-senator Thurman for Vice
President is inexplainable. If he had
been a much younger and equally emil
nent man-if he had been the Allen G.
Thurman of 1872 or 1876. or even of
1880. his nomination by the Democrats
for President might have been ac-
counted for; but they never in any year
evinced disposition to confer this
honor upon him. He comes from a
State which has not cast Democratic
electoral vote since 1852. When he
was a candidate for Governor of Ohio,
in 1867, he was defeated. He was
elected to seat on the Supreme Bench
OF Ohio almost forty years ago, when "a
.voung man. He has never since seen
the dag when he could carry the State
of Ohio on the popular vote. He was
twice elected United States Senator
from that State, but when the Dem
ocrats last had majority in the Ohio
Legislature they elected another man.
He has fallen out of Democratic favor
in Ohio, and is the last man that Ohio
Democrats would have nominated for
any Office. He is a decayed political
fossil. and will inspire feeble en-
thusiasm in other decayed Demo-
cratic fossils. But they are only |
few in number. and would vote |
the Democratic ticket under any
He is unknown, except |
by name, as Samuel j. Tilden. Lewis |
James Buchanan are known, to the |
present generation of active Demo
Gratis. He is memory only. shadow |
and Renaissance OF the prO-slavery, |
and negotiating. anti
war. States rights, Bourbon. re-
dictionary Democracy of thirty-fve
years ago. If the kansas-NebraSka
bill of 1854 were an issue in the present
he would be a fit representa-
i've of the cause. As candidate now the
only effect of his temperance in pol
tiles will be to resurrect the campaign
and principles of the times
when Henry S. Foote fiourished his pis-
.ols in Thomas HI. Benton's face and
Brooks bludgeoned Charles Sumner on
he door OF the Senate chamber. On
modern issues h. has
'een Systematically wrong. He was a
= fiat money man, an advocate of
. the Ohio idee " of fifteen years ago,
which meant the substitution for money
If something that was not money for
Ise in the business, exchanges and
,redits of the country. He opposed re-