Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1888-11-23
.CLEyELAND,s LUCK ,,


|
hnp. All coufeaa that no public man in
onr day, moi even Lincoln, has shown such
readiness to
"Grnsp the skirts ~ happy chance
And breast the blowsuf circumstnnce,''
A good many such opportunities have
been offered him since lie began his ofci |
career in Buffalo srven years pgc. This
might bc called luck. But not ono has
he failed TO turn 10 account; not one
office has he obtained without billing 1t in
snol n manner ne 10 produce, on his own
party at least. the imrrrsrion that he was
n man Of ability. THIS IL not luck, lu'
capacity. In TACT, no one car have gone
very far IN lille without doubting whether
anv man Of renl talent has ever lived anil
died obscnrely for want OF what is called
~ chance" II would probably be found
that on an average, in the early part Of
mems career nj all events, the opportun-
tiles of achieving distinction offer them
selves to the able and the feeble about
equally. We hear afterwards good deal
Of the opportunities Of those who succeed'
but nothing Mt all Of the perhaps equally
failed. II President Cleveland had not
made his mark at the outset In some de-
gree or other, luck would have deserted
HIM. Fortune IL lannon's for her fickleness,
hut 1t is generally the incapable who have
most reason TO complain Of II.
In nothing has President Cleveland's
luck been more conspicuous than in the
result OF the attempts to depreciate his in
iellectual powers. There hnve been a
great many such attempts since the comic
offer OF the editor OF the Tribune to "di"
miss with n smile" his first message. They
| have of course, been easily disposed OF by
the mere march Of events and the daily
display OF energy and sound Judgement in
despatch OF business. IL is not these which
have apparently put him in peril 30 much
as the attempts TO prove his inconsistency
or insincerity, or, in familiar language. 20
corner" him. The way in which all this
class Of Efforts 10 injure have turned TO
his advantage, Ia a most striking ilustra-
tion Of the way Fortune stands by a strong
man. The first was the demand Of the
Republican Senators for the "papers" con-
cerning removals and appointments sub
milted TO them for confirmation in the
first year of his Administration, The OH
ject OF the demand was to show that his
motives for making removals were not
worthy Of his profession as reformer, or
in other words, that lie was a hypocrite'
Not only did this demand not njure him,
but his refusal to comply with il, and the
absence OF any remedy for refusal, gave
him reputation for frmness and courage
which he did not previously possesa, and
planted the Republican Senators in the
very "hole" they had prepared for him.
The position OF man who calls for some
thing very iercely, and, when it is denied
him, coniesses that he cannot help himself
ia always a little absured; and this wa
the position of the Senatorial majority.
But tins was not all, nor the worst. The
debates on "the papers" revealed the fact
that the Republican Senators cared notlI-
ing about the goodness or badness Of the
Presidents nominations, 80 long as he did
not profess to make them on reform
y. grounds. They were ready to confirm
r Satan as n collector OF customs II the
Presiient would only admit that lie ap'
pointed him as n good Democrat.
; A similar result followed the Fisherie
Treaty. The action of the Senate on il
which WAS intended to irjnre him, actually
played into his hands. II the Republican
4 Senators had confirmed The Treaty unde
n protest, as a bitter cup presented TO them
by bad man, they might have used it n
: material for much effective campaign vitu-
n psration, and tile retaliation messag
;, W ,uld never have seen the light. The,
>, rejected il in preparation for the presen
u canvass and thus gave HIM the opporiun
iiy to produce the retaliation message.
Il man Of less per-picacity or industry woul,
have let tins chance pass away from him
but Prcsident Cleveland watched for it
y pounced upon it with his cuslomary Wig.
Hence, and forthwith was again master q
h the situation, and put the Republican,
II again in the ludicrous plight OF being pnr
y sned with what they asked for, and airai
d to touch 1t.
IL This wretched Sackville trouble has heel
! an equally happy stroke of fortune. Iia
E the Sackville letter been produced with
!, two or three days of the election, there
n no telling the mischief it might have done
il because the Administration could rot Isv
: taken action on il before election; bnI
rs with that extraordinary fatuity Of whic
A. the Republicans have displayed so much /
m this canvass, IL was brought ont in ampl
time TO enable the Presulen: to take III
Il step witt, regard 10 il which they though
J. he would not dare to take, 40 thst b
a, election day 1t had actually become
W feather In his cap. and TO them an ensig
y Of woe and lsmanta,ion.
l. Wa have reserved TO The last that great
al eat Of His exploits. the tariff nips.ag
n When il appeared. il was the opinion oi Il
ID Republicans that the Lord had nj last de
y, livered Cleyeland Into their hands the
'e made every preparation for return
power. Not few Democrats AMI indie
l. pendenis, too, thought that he had fatal
d injured his prospects-thnt the ine-sas
IT was magnificent. Int not politics, and III,
e the old idols would now he Aei mp ag' in
,r all the high places, and that Blsir
m would come home and with his myrnlid
l. ons waste our substance in Iiotous livin:
M But this impression did not last man
ir weeks. II soon began to be discovere
ID that, blow high, blow low. the Democrat
~ boat carried t'e'ar and his fortunes. II
message was soon recognized m a siron
: man's ca to battle. The very folly Of !
We m 1t frat appeared, has since been conver
/. ell into the highest wisdom. The me
ie bol,lnesa Of it haS touched the imSginatio
T. of some, and the apparent seli-sacrifce
it Of tens OF thousands more. lie con
D. have done nothing which would mai
n such an impression OF his sincerity; NJ
N the discussion which the message has ain,
ny provoked is a phenomenon ruch m nothii
IN in history save the touch Of master liar
IL has ever produced.