Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-06-15
GROVER CLEVELAND.

TO mean muCQ TO CQo AMERICAN people. Lie
very selection of the man who bore it, in
1884. was significant Of the mind Of the
Nation having changed it's direction with
regard to the administration Of its affairs.
He was not widely known to the people
outside Of his own State; it was his record
within that State that pointed him oat.
The National mind was growing anxious
for change and change in the direction
of reform-a new plane of civil service, a
higher plane of administration. Not only
was more political honesty wanted but
more bold political honestY--an honesty,
the possessor of which was not trimmer
who sailed with the wind when it was an
honest wind, but with the wind whatever
1t was; man who was not afraid of
the wind and who had faith that any
breeze that was honest would carry the
ship of State to safe harbor. Here was
the man to fill that want. He had made
many enemies by bis straightforward
course as Governor Of New York-power-
full enemies. So obnoxious was he in one
direction, that that great political power
in New York, "Tammany," had its dele
cations before every State delegation at
the Democratic National Convention of
'84. threatening if Cleveland was chosen.
The Democratic party had the situation
| put plainly before it-a neutral-tinted
candidate under whom If they were sue
! cessful the government would 60 in the
old style, one who had made no enemies-or
Grover Cleveland, whose road to success
would be thorny and at best doubtful, but
! who if elected would give the country "a
new heaven and a new earth'' as far as a
political administration was concerned.
The Democratic party to its undying cred
] it chose the latter. It was situation
/, trying to the virtue of a party that had
been out Of power for twenty-four years;
a party assured by the words and acts of
its candidate in advance that if successful
with him there would bs no reward system
of official spoils; party that heard from
that candidates own State-the pivotal
State of the struggle-warnings and
threats from powerful organizations
against his nomination. And yet with a
! courage that should never be forgotten, it
decided to risk defeat for the chance of
getting the best man. Its dependence
on the virtue of the American people was
well founded, and after success the man
it had nominated did not deceive it.
From the day he was inaugurated al
Washington, Grover Cleveland has honest.
| Ir, hoJ6Iu ,1ncoIHohIu nd =
slightest regard to the effect upon his own
political future, striTen to give the people
of the whole Union an honest government
and government of the people. If he has
made errors. he has had thai highest char.
acter Of courage-the courage to acknowl
edge and correct them. But in the path
of right he has never looked back from the
plow. He has trimmed in nothing. Nc
holder steps, if we consider the mans poll
tical future, we're ever taken than his We
toes of the INDECENT pension bill and Of
the Texas relief blinded in the his
tory of this government no President has
ever taken one so bold. In the matter Of
The civil service of the government, he ha.
had to stand the pelting Of the spoilsmer
of bis own party-the professional ant
machine politicians of whom an Execu.
tive so often, and not without reason
stands in fear. In his recognition of tb'
whole country, North and South, as Git ant
entitled to its share in the government, b.
has been as fearless as he has been just
and for the first time in quarter of a cen
fury he has exhibited to the world an I'm
divided country.
To him the Southern States owe deb
of gratitude which they can never repay
To them he restored the feeling that the,
were equal States of the American Union
To them be opened the avenue of trad
and capital. To them he has been Oblivion
that there was civil war quarter of
Gently ago, and to them he has brought tn
only olive branch that was ever tendere'
them not accompanied by the condition o
political apostacy. To them he has opsne,
foreign lands and broken down the section
al wall that had been erected by sec
tlonal party. His name will live in histor,
as the first and only one of six Pres
idents since the civil war, that brough
real, lasting, solid peace and fraternity t.
his country. His name will live in tn
memory of the Southern people as the frs
President after the war who had the coul
age to treat them as American citizens
equal with himself in all things. and tn
first to give to the memorable words
LET US have peace" real life-givin
fruit bearing Interpretation.
OF independent thought, he has not al
ways been at one with his own party o.
public questions. He has not agreed will
it, nor it with him, on the silver question
on the tariff question, and perhaps o.
other public questions that have not ye
come before him, but he has never inter
posed the heavy hand of his Office in tn
shape CT veto on any act of congress
which commended itself to the people o
the country. His suggestions have beel
frank and candid. but he has fully recog
nized that the voice of the people must
the voice of the government.
His record has been made in full sigh
of the people Of the Union for the las
three years. Every act in it has been scru
tinized by friends and opponents. His owl
party has just testified its approval b.
nominating him by reclamation for re
election. 1t now only remains for tn
whole people to record their verdict.