Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-09-14
Cleycland's Letter.

Cleveland's Letter.
Mr.. Cleveland's letter of acceptance is
the weakest of the documents which he
has given to the public. 1t is inaccurate,
illogical, ef-contradictory, partisan, and
withal, though labored in the extreme, it
is bungling in expression. Take its first
sentence, upon which he doubtless eX
pended no little time and perspiration;
Gentlemen: In addressing to vou my
rormnl acce ptance of the nomination TO
tie presidency of the United States, my
thodghts persistently dwell upon the i'm
pressiye relation of such action to the
American people, whose ortCence Is thus
invited and to the political party tn which
| belong, just entering upon contest Tor
continued supremacy.
Here the use of the definite article he
fore nomination, without anything follow
ing the noun to show what is thus defined,
invites the inquiry phdt nomination? OF
course he means the nomination which
was rendered to him, or rather which he
rendered to himself at st. Louis;
but it would have been better not to leave
his meaning to inference.
Passing on to the second clause, we
are left in doubt what faction" he
refers to- The action mentioned in the
preceding clause is his addrc sing his ac-
ceptance to the committee. Has such adj
dressing any impressive relation to the
American people? Or does Mr.. Cleve-
land mean to suggest that his acceptance
of the nomination of his party has such
an impressive relation? Or is it the NOM
ination itself which is so impressive
"Whose confidence is thus invited" HOU
invited Is it invited by addressing his
acceptance to the committee or by the
persistent dwelling of his thoughts upon
the impressive relation of some unde
scribed "action"? Nothing that goes be-
fore this clause answers these questions.
But as by accepting the nomination Mr.
Cleveland does invite the confidence of the
people, it is fair to 2ssume that his accept
ance is the action he refers to. Without
asking or attempting to answer the ques-
lions naturally arising in regard to the
meaning of the rest of the sentence, it
may be recast in clearer language, AS fol-
lows;
Gentlemen In addressing to you my
formal acce ptance of the nomination to
the presidency of the United States which
rendered to myself three months ago,
my thoughts persistently dwell upon how
this letter of mine, which l want to have
very impressive, is going to strike the
American people, and especially how it
will strike the party to which l who am
just entering upon contest for con
tinued supremacy, belong.
This would not have made a very ele-
CANT opening sentence, but it would have
at least been ineligible.
Reading on we find more evidence of
muddiness of brain and similar inaptitude
of expression in almost every paragraph,
Thus, in what the writer evidently
thought was very fine sentence, he al
ludes to "the turmoil and strife which
attend the selection of it's Incumbent
that is, the incumbent of the office of pres
ident. This sentence is ruined by the use
of the word incumbent, which means the
man who now holds the office. The cleo
ton of 4 president is not always the Sc
lection of the incumbent of the Office
and in the present case it is becoming
daily more apparent that the election will
be the selection of statesman who is not
the incumbe mt.
Next to its clumsy English, the thing
which most strikes the careful and intel
ligent reader OF the letter, is the second
hand quality of its statements and sug
gestions. Having evidently read the re,
publican platform, and some of the criti
cisms of his tariff message, Mr.. Cleve
land is able to make very good sum
mary of more important measures which
the condition of the treasury, of the public
service, and of the country at large, de
mand. When he proceeds to the asser
ton that these objects have been furtheret
by his administration and in general by
democratic control of The government, h,
flies in the face of all the facts. The sur
plus exists because he has refused to us
it to pay the national debt; his claim o
''strict and steadfast adherence to tn
principles of civil service reform" is so ia
from the truth as to be ridiculous; tn
economy which he asserts to have beel
practlced in every department is dlsprove,
by the facts that expenses in every depar,
ment have heavily Increased, and that hi
, administration has expended, in thre
- years, hundred millions more than tn
previous republican administration en-
pended in four years.
Mr.. Cleveland, having evidently bee
seriously labored with in regard to tn
4 damaging effect of his tariff message III
> on the prospects of his party, tries to ella,
OIL by repeating many excellent propos
4 tons, most of which may be found bette
expressed in republican speeches an
= essays-intended to break the force of hi
famous tree-trade document. But afte
; all he comes back to the tundaments
L tallacy on which his MESSAGE and tn
> mass of .ree trade arguments general
i are based, that ''all" tariff duties are nee
= essarlly aud wholly added TO the price {
>, the articles on which they are levied, an
T are thus wholly q tax on the consume
= The facts which refute this assertion, Al
Z too familiar to most Intelligent readers
: need rt-statemeut.
Il On the whole this letter shows itself
L. be the production Of a man whose mept,
u calihre is just about adapted to the ufiic
{ of sheriff of Buffalo county, New Yorb
II and who ought never to have been eleva
u ed above that position.