New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-12
THE INDEPENDENTS AND MIR. CLEVELAND

THE INDEPENDENTS AND MIR. CLEVELAND
Democratic newspapers just now are engaged
in earnestly wooing the Mrgwumps to support
Mr.. Cleveland for reelection. Here are some
of the cogent reasons which will operate to pre-
vent genuine and clear-sighted Independents
from accepting the brazen invitation:
1. MIR. Cleveland has betrayed the very
cause which the Independents, as class, have
most at heart. That cause is Civil Service re-
form. II is safe to say that the controlling
reason which induced the majority OF their
number in 1884 to give him their votes was
his professed and much-trumpeted devotion 10
that reform They conceded that he was not
statesman but maintained that he was
truly good man and strong enough to resist
the spoilsmen of his party. The course OF MI
Cleveland's Administration has convinced the
Independents that they were grossly deceived
in this estimate of him. They have found that
Civil Service reform is not IN Cleveland
Mr.. Curtis confesses that the President has
yielded to party pressure, and The Evening
Postn only few days ago, used this emphatic
language: "The painful truth is that we douDt
if a single independent in this State OF the
thousands who supported President Cleveland
in 1884, any longer attaches any Importance
to the utterances of the members OF the Al
ministration On the subject of Civil Service
reformo In other words, no Independent can
any longer support Mr. Cleveland on the sup
position that he is a Civil Service refOrmer.
2. Ms. Cleveland has repudiated his pub
licly expressed conviction on matter OF great
public Importance, and that. too, in order to
serve his own selfish ends In 1884 he in
L. that n
eligibility of the President for reelection "a
most serious danger to the common veal.
To-day. in the face of that unequivocal ex-
preston, he is running for another term. The
long and short of it is that his greed for office
has stifed his sense of patriotic duty. An In
dependent who is worthy of the name takes no
stock in that sort of person. Mr. Cleveland
has written himself down as not a man of his
word.
8. The Democrats are endeavoring to carry
this State for Cleveland by pretending to be
for Cleveland and reform and at the same time
for Hill and anti-reform. This nice little two
pronged arrangement was inaugurated at the
Democratic State Convention One resolu-
ton Endorsed Mr.. Cleveland and another in
dorsed Mr.. Hill. "The World'' turns from
commencing the denomination Of Cleveland
and advocates in its issue Of yesterday the re-
nomination of Iill-Hill who vetoed the High
License and Ballot Reform bills. Other lead
J ing Democratic newspapers have also favored
Hills denomination. What do level-headed
Independents think of the moral significance
of this attempt to run a Hill annex in connec-
ton with the Cleveland canvass in the Presi-
dents own State? Is it not an additional
proof of the hollowness Of the Presidents claims
upon their confidence?
We can understand how Mugwump organs
can bring themselves to advocate Mr.. Cleve-
land for reelection. They can do so because
they are organs. They shut their eyes and
90 ahead. They have too much pride Of in
tellect to back down and give him up. But
the rank and file of the Independents labor
under no such duress. President Cleveland
has no right to count upon their votes