Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-06-11
CLEVELAND.
What the Great New York 0rgRn OF
Augwrmp Opinion says Ct yr.
ClsvelA nd's denomination.
"a Candidate and q Principle" Inde
pendents CT 1884 VIII Cast Their
Ballots for the Democratic
Candidates"
New York Times.


Oi ths candidate they have already once
recorded favorable Judgment. The
principle Is now first put before them as
the dominant issue Of q national contest
Against the reno mination of Presiden,
Cleveland no dissenting voice has been
raised 8! St. Louis. In Its form and in its
spirit, being made without csll OF states,
by 8 shout Of acclamstion, amid scene OF
extraordinary ent usiasm,s and in response
to demand in which the Democracy Of all
the states have Jined, this denomination
OF Mr.. Cleveland is without precedent In
the history Of the country. He fs exlled
to.4he candidacy by his party speaking
with single voice, and not only mis- own
conspicuous merits and proved strength,
but the traditions Of presidential renomi-
nations lstify the choice and constitute
an sugury Of triumph. OF Presidents
who have been second time put in nomi-
nation, Washington, Jefferson, Madison,
Monroe, Jackson, Lincoln and Grant
were reelected, and only John Quincy
Adams and Martin Van Buren, failed OF
reelection.
The principle which the convention
presents for popular ratif ;ation is the
issSnest conduct OF the public business.
This principle is broader than civil ser
vice ref5rm, it is broader than revenue
reform. 1t includes them both and other
reforms with them. The dishonest con.
duct Of the public business includes the
debasement OF the Federal service through
i spoils-seeking and spols-giviIg equally
with the C1.ction CT war taxes in
time OF peace, not for the benefit
Ct the while people, but for the
enrichment CT tne protected
few. Both hsve been the policy ard the
practice of the Republican psrty, and BY
I both the people are cheated CT the public
rights and their Just private gains.
The public business has been honestly
conducted by Grover Cleveland through
the administration which ia now drawing
to its close, so far as he was free, within
the limits of the executive power
10 conduct 1t upon lines Of
policy laid down by himself. Outside
those limits, within sphere where the
responsibility for well or Ill doing belongs
almos! solely to the National Congress,
lilies that monstreus system Of pillage by
statute which the Republican party has
made it's own and is organized TO main =
tain and defend, and this the President
has attacked with q yigor and courage
which makes him above any other man IN
public or private station the personal en-
bodiment Of the principle of tarif re-
form. Upon the one hsnd and upon the
other hand, heIefore, in respect to ad-
ministrative reforms in the departments
and in the public service, and
in respect to the revision Of the tariff
iaWs, Mr.. Cleveland represents and leads
the popular dem.nd for e just conduct
of the public business. he represents It
80 conspicuously in his own person that
no timid paltering with phrases in the
convention Platform, no words that
speak without heart for things half de-
sired or wholly abhorred, nor silence,
even, upon the one great issue, could
alter tn ) meaning of his candidacy or rob
it Of the reforming purpose his achieve
ments and his convictions give it. In 8
sense never so truly applicable since the
denomination Of Lincoln in 1864, the man
is the platform.
He is man the people know. They
know and trust him where IS yet, though
not without sufficient knowledge, they
do not fully trust his party. No other
Democrat whom the St. Louis conven-
ton could have named could command
the confidence, the support, or the votes
that he commands; and how puny and
impotent now seem all the demonstrs-
tions that have been made to prevent his
denomination, how discredited al ( harm
less even for revenge are the petty and
malicious spirits that have continued
to resist the par:y's choice. Mr..
Clevelsnd's ability to administer with 1T.
ting dignity the great Office of President
Of the United States has been tested. The
record Of his administrator is open to
the people. 1t has been scrutinized by
friends and by foes alike, with minute
attention which has left no defects uncon.
cealed and hss made known many virtues
which even his adyersaries have applaud
ed. Il is a faint praise of him to say that
he has been ecrupulously fsithful to the
laws OF the land, but he has
been much more than this. He has
been vigilant in the performance OF his
duties to protect the individual from the
oppression OF ill-regulated power, cor
porate or otherwise, and to shit Id the
people from an iDiudicious or westeful
exercise OF the legislative function. He
has not at all times chosen or Las not
been able to abide by the Spirit or by the |
terms OF his early ASSURANCE in regard to |
the civil service, and no one has crlticIse d |
his failures in this direction more frankly |
than ourselves. TIE record Cf Mr.. |
devistions from the psth he |
marked out for himself Is before the peo- |
Pile, to be studied and judged by them. 1t
calls for no words Of excuse or palliation.
In the words Of the President himself, SIT
IS condition that confronts Us, not 3
theory" But upon the other hand, NO
President has ever done so much to sd.
vance the reform Of the civil service and
make 1t permanent. Nome has ever con-
.ributed SO much by his words and his
york to give the reform 8 secure footing
n the favor Of the people.
By Mr.. Cleveland's public virtues and
public defects, then, the people must
AXE him and judge him IS q candidetet
'or the Presidency. His courage ~ the
OF abuses Is known. His mes,&
sage on the protective tariff aroused TIT
people IS they were aroused by Llnco59d
irst call for troops. His crest abiIf<Eh
low candidly recognized. His nfkNc,
lonesty and sincerity are no longer
I&estioned save by reckless and malg-
liant partissns. His successes and his
his titles to applause, honor and
aspect, and his acts that have called for