Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-07-13
CLEVELAND'S BROKEN PLEDGES
Prom the Toledo Blade.

When Mr.. Cleveland was Off
cially notified of his nomination for
the Presidency by the Democratic
national convention, through the
medium of the notification commit
tee, be told the gentlemen cOmprls-
inc that body :"The message which
you bring awakens within me the
liveliest sense ofpersOnal gratitude
and satisfaction" and expressed
himself to the effect that he was so
well pleased that "there will be no
room for any other sentiment" 1t
is ouly charitable to assume that
this OverweeDing delight rendered
HIM forgetful that four short years
ago he declared that there is grave
danger to the public service in al
lowing a President to seek a sec
ond term, and thus by implication
promised that he would, if elected,
content himself with a single term.
His pleasure over the formal an
nouncement of his denomination
seems TO have been so much like
that Of q how over a coveted play
thing, that Mr.. Cleveland's memo
~ was utterly obliviOus to a mum
Der of things that we'll might have
been RECALLED at that interesting
iuncture. He said the scene re-
minded him most wildly of a SINH
lar one four years ago, when he
was the recipient of like message
from his party; but 1t seems to
have recalled nothing further.
1t might well have reminded him
Of his broken pledges to the people
of the United States-nOt to his
party alone, for had he but polled
his party'S strength he would not
have been elected. 1t might well
have recalled his solemn pledge to
carry ont the principle Of civil ser
vice reform-a pledge that be adj
hered to only long enough to cast
suspicion of grave derelictiOn of du'
ty upon honest and capable officials,
removed to give Democrats a
chance at the spOils, and which
pledge was then disregarded as ut
terly and completely as it was pos
sible to do.
Neither did the scene recall to
the Presidents memory, though II
might well have done so, his own
promise that the Officeholders
should not be allowed to interfere
with the people in their selection OF
partv candidates-a promise most
flagrantly broken by himself in his
successful efforts to control the
state conventions OF his own party
in New York, Pennsylvania, Indi-
ana and other states, through the
labors of federal officials, and thus
to control the National convention
at st. Louis in his own interests.
II might have reminded him of his
own pronouncement against "of-
fensive partisanshlp," for the ex-
tremely offensive work OF his own
partisans has been so recent and
and so extensive, in stuffing the
conventions aforesaid, that the sub
iect could not have required much
effort to recall wildly.
Nor does the occasion seem to
have reminded him of his pledge to
execute the duties of his position in
the interests of the whole country
which pledge he failed to fulfill in
bestowlng all the official favors pos
sible upon the representatives of a
sections; and in forcing upon his
party the adoption Of an economic
policy, which, if carried into effect,
will deal a deadly blow at the In
terests of all America producers of
raw materials, and at the manufac'
turing interests of the states which
are Republican, while protecting
those interests 10 states which are
solidly Democratic. The only thing
which it did recall to his mind, il
his words are trustworthy, was the
personal triumph which he achiev'
ed.
Mr.. Cleveland's memory may be
short as regards the matters refer
red to above, but the people can be
trusted to remember them. They
will not forget his long list OF brok-
en- pledges, his utter indifference,
in his selfsufliciency, to promises
that secured to him the narrow mar
Gin of votes through which he
achieved success. Mr.. Cleveland
can never again hOOdwink the peo'
pie with worthless pledges. This
year he will be judged by the stand
ard ofhis performance, not by the
promises he makes.
ARTFUL D0DGING.
From the Index Appeal.
\ clean campaign should also b'