New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-07
CLEVELAND AND HILL.
FACTS FOR INDEPENDENTS TO CONSIDER.
RELATING TO TIE MEASURE OF THE PREsI-
DENTS PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR

4
DENTS PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR
THE GOVERNORS PRESENT CANDIDACY.
There are a great many people in this State, be-
evc, who, unfamiliar with the methods OF managing
politicians, are In doubt as to tho measure Of Pres
dent Clcvelands responsibility for the denomination
of David b. Hill. The class OF voters which re-
fer is made up OF Democrats and Independents. They
have been disposed and In most instances probably
| are still disposed, to think we'll Of Mr.. Cleveland
That IS without concevlng him to be a man OF much
intellectual strength, they disposed to believe
In the sincerity and honesty OF his opinions, in the
integrity of his motives and generally speaking, In
the excellence OF his methods. In other words they
think, inclined TO think. him man OF good
purposes and resolute in the carrying out OF them.
At the same time, regardless Of the Hill business
they have steadily grown weaker In this faith FOR
tho past three years. They acknowledge that he has
abandoned the reform of the Civil Service, upon
which issue many Of them gave him their votes.
They conccde at least half of what should claim'
and admit that he has completely reorganlzed the
Civil Service not with Wow to its improvements
but In payment of partisan service and In ooediehco
to partisan demand. vThey admit too, that no cheoh
is put upon the political lab0rs OF oiicc-hoidcrs anu
that they blackmaIled and cocced In the interest
Of Democratic success In the general policy of
Mr. Cleveands Administration they find littc to con-
denim and little to admire. AS to such issues as
the fisheries question they have only scant inior-
nation though other things being equal, they would
stand by the President on all the minor points OF
partisan controversy. Their attitude toward inc
tariff is rathc- mixed. II they were to attempt to
describe It they would probably express approval
of the policy of protection, qualifying that sentiment
however, with the opinion that the tariff laws need
revision and smplifcaton. They would not express
any satisfaction at fhe Democratic frcerade tcnden-
cy, but they inclined to belttle It, At all events
more OF the class 1 speak Of would vote against
Cleveland because of the Mills bill, and to many OF
them tariff reform has attractive sound
This believe, Is fair description OF the mental
condition of many conscientious voters up to certain
point. Their prediction up to that point is In favor
of Cleveland. But they estimate Hill at his exact
value They consider him a disgrace to the State
bad, low, cunning politician who has neither char
acter nor ability to commend him. Ihey
see in him the avOwed representative
of all those elements most hurtfuI to system OF
self government. They are disguised with the Demo-
cratic party for rcnomnating Hill, and logically argue
that its organization must be bad to commit the
offence of putting him forward after his theft OF that
$4,000 and his shameless trucking to the saloons
have been proved. And the vital questions with
them now are these Was 1t with Mr. CleveIands
consent that Hill renomnatedl Could he have
prevented that action had he chosen or dared to 90
500 Is he willing to profit by HIPS rum folowing'
Are they comrades and friends
should not like to hazard a guess as to how large
the class of voters IS whose ballots depend upon the
answers given to these questions between
now and November, but it must be very
large think count at least
hundred Democrats and semi Democrats among my own
acquaintances who have said that If they believed
any responsibility attached TO Cleveland for IlilPs
denomination they should vote for Mr.. Harrison OF
course It would not be possible automatically to
demonstrate the truth. But reasonable men must
draw conclusions from reasonable evidence. They
weigh the facts on both sides and render their
verdict upon the prepondcrance Of evidence. 1t Is
proposed here present this evidence I'm careful and
candid way and all that is asked is a conscientious
consideration Of It.
1t may be admitted at the very outset that there
Is no love lost between President Cleveland and
Governor Hill. Their natures antagonistic.
Cleveands tendencies direct. lie goes straight at
a thing This must not be taken conccdlng his
sincerity. 1t does not follow because a man goes
about a given undertaking in straightforward way
that he is honest in his motive. He may act for
poicy's sake. in the hope Of gaining applause and
votes, and yet he may act with greasplrectness and
vlgor. Cleveland, whatever his motive is usually
direct In method Hill is essentially tricky
Then too in the past their interests have been
conflicting When Cleveland wrote his letter to
George william Curtis. promising to establish Civil
Service Reform, believe he meant TO keep HIS VOID.
He doubtless felt large measure Of virtue at that
fine Only few years before he
had been a sheriff. He had been dssipated man,
too given to the FREQ and frequent qualification
Of his lowest appetites. But possessing uncommon
sefcontrol and aided by a series Of lucky combna-
TONS he had risen to be the Mayor of great city,
the Governor Of Empire State, and he at last
the chosen of sixty millions holding a larger
authority than half the kings Of Europe. 1t Is true
that strictly speaking he Grover Cleveland, particu-
lar identity, had never been elected 10 any of these
Offices. The accurate way of putting 1t is to say that
the other candidate had been beaten. The 100000
majority by which he became Governor was not gwen
to him. 1t given against the forged proxy. The
majority By which he obtained the Presidency was not
given to him. 1t given against the Rum, Roman
Ism and Rebellion" phrase. against the Delmonlco
dinner, against the Mullgan letters, If you like
But, at all events he had profted by those combina
tons of circumstances, and from
sheriff and debauchee he had become
the President of the United States, and he
ranked with the mightiest of the earth. If ever
man had reason his back his bad nature and
give himself completely to the good that was in him.
he was Grover Cleveland In that supreme moment Of
his wonderful cafecri
And take It that he thought thoughts of this kind
and that he went Washington full OF good purposes,
we'll fixed in q rather resOlutc nature. For a time,
too, he seemed to be making honest effort 10 realize
these ends but he found that to persist I'm this
course would leave him without single friend in
either house who was worth the having. lie found
he either abandon all hope Of Signalling his
Administration BY legls alive acts which him seemed
VITAL or he must make friends with his party In Con
gress. A President without party behind him is
rather ptiful object. lie finds himself baked. i'm
peded frustrated at every step He cannot get the
necessary appropriations. He cannot get money for
anything. His messages disregarded. and he Is
almost powerless. far giving effect to any dis
tlnctive administrative work is concerned. Mr. cieve-
land had been President short while before these
facts were made clear TO him. And then he began TO
do those things which prove that his good resolutions
wero not the result OF deeply rooted and sincere con-
vctions but rather of newly generated Virtue which
had under II no substantial foundation OF character
I fully appreciate the tremendous conflict he would
have had TO undertake had he maintained the reform
position against his party IL would have been