New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-25
CERTAIN CHANGES.

New York, New-Jersey and Connecticut will
make the next President. it is admitted. Presi-
dent Cleveland's slender pluralities, 1000 IN
New York, 200 in Connecticut and 4,OOO IN
New Jersey, were obtained upon certain pre-
fences which cannot now deceive. When men
talk Of the difficulty of carrying these states
for this or that Republican candidate, they
are apt to forget vital facts. The chances
for the future can sbe measured only by gong
back to the situation in 1884.
Does any reasonable man doubt that Mr..
Cleveland would have been defeated in 1884
if his platform then had been the message he
sent to Congress last December? Let all
possible allowance be made for the tremendous
power of party discipline and party feeling
and for the adrotness with which the indus
trial import of that message can be msrepre-
sented; let it be granted that larger number
of free traders would in that case have been
hot in his favor. Is it not the fact that, IN
all probability, at least 90, 600 votes which he
then received in these three States would have
been given to his opponents? Does any
reasonable man doubt that belief in Mr.. Cleye-
land as a genuine Civil Service Reformer in
huenced larger number of votes in 1884
than turned the scale in these three States
Then it was his formal pledge that officials
should not be removed except for cause. Now
he has turned out 10000 or more for no other
cause than that they were Republicans. Then
he publicly declared that it was an intolerable
abuse to have parties controlled and elections
influenced by public servants at the beck OF
the appointing power Now his hired servants,
selected to beat down the will Of the people
and TO impose his own will upon his party,
swarm at every Democratic convention,
slaughter Democratic Congressman who respect
the will of constituents rather than Mr. Cleve-
lands will, and write the platforms Of the
party.
What would have been the result in 1884
had IL been known that President Cleveland
in these vital respects was deliberately decelv-
ing the people? Would there not have been
tremendous revulsion OF public opinion
against tho candidate who was then represent
cd as straightforward blunt, honest and
practical reformer? What would have been
the result had it been known that Mr.. Tilden
would be snubbed, his friends driven out Of
place, his financial cOulsels treated with con-
tempt the currency expanded $150OOOO0
and more prohigate appropriations made and
approved than had ever been made by the
worst of Republican Congresses? How many
Union veterans would have supported Mr.
Cleveland in 1884 if they had forescen his
choice of Confederates and cOpperheads for
high honors, his order TO surrender rebel flags,
and his insulting vetoes of pension bills? lie
was candidate without record, and men sus-
pected that one who had done nothing for the
Union in time of war could hardly be citizen
of passionate loyalty. But what welcome
would he have received at loyal hands if all
had then been known which is known now?
Had Samuel J. Tilden, Horatio Seymour
Daniel Manning, been dead in 1884, had Mr..
Randall and Senator Mcpherson been ostra-
cized by their party as disloyal to its chief,
what would have been the result? These arc
exceedingly practical questions for Republicans
TO consider when they talk Of the prospects for
1888. Do they really think that Mr. Cleve-
lands course has made him stronger in the
doubtful States?