Omaha daily bee., 1888-06-07

cleveland mas ~.
The first part OF the programme at st.
Louis has been carried out. Grover
Cleveland was yesterday renominated
by reclamation, with all the accessories
OF demonstrative enthusiasm, as If the
convention had done some unexpected
thing of surprising significance. 1t is
somewhat difficult for most people to
become greatly excited over the per-
Torrance OF a purely p~erfunctory task,
but the democratic delegates at st.
Louis seem to have had no trouble in
working themselves up into an ecstasy
of excitement over having done what
they were sent to do. Mr.. Cleveland
was placed in nomination by Mr.. Dan
Dougherty, formerly known to fame as
the Philadelphia orator, butnow, We be-
lieve, a resident of New York. Mr..
Dougherty made some heavy drafts on
his imagination, not the least sug-
gestive Of which was his declaration
that, To-day determines that not of his
choice, but by mandate of his coun-
trymen and with the sanction of heaven,
he shall fill the presidency for four
years more" A great deal may be
pardoned In the utterances OF an ora
tor on an occasion Of this kind, but an
attempt to acquit Grover Cleveland OF
having any choice in the matter of his
candidacy and to involve heaven in the
affair is going beyond the ~pardonable
point. Very likely one would be more
ready than Mr.. Cleveland himself to
relieve heaven of all responsibility,
and to claim what Justly
belongs to him, the full credit
of having brought the democratic party
to his feet and trained it to respond to
his ambition.
Few men in our history worked harder
to secure a denomination than has Grover
Cleveland, or used more freely the great
| power and patronage at the command of
the executive in furtherance of this
purpose. So anxious has he been in
this matter that for months there has
been no restraint upon the political
activity of federal oficeholders, who in
every state of the union have been con-
spicuous in the management of caucuses
and conventions where the interests of
Mr.. Cleveland were involved. He has
himself in the most unprecedented
| manner interfered in the poll
teal affairs of states, nota-
bly, in New York and Massachu-
sets, while a members of his cabinet has
beer operating in Michigan in his in
| terest, and elsewhere his emssaries
have been continually busy. For year
past every move of Mr.. Cleveland has
plainly shown that he wa most anxious
to be renominated, and that all the
political skill and ingenuity of which
he was possessed was being directed to
that End. Give Mr.. Cleveland all the
credit that belongs to him for his sue
cess in subjugatlng the democratic
party to his will, but do not make
heaven an accessory to this business,
which has involved an amount of turpi-
tude and qualification hardly paralleled
In our political history.
The convention adjourned a~fternomi-
mating Cleveland, and it is expected
that to-day's session will develop some
interest. The probabilities strongly
favor the nomination of Thurman for
vice president, but the next thing in
order will be the platform. There is re-
ported to have been some hot and stormy
discussion in the committee Tuesday
night and yesterday, and there is likely
to be a great deal more of this when the
platform is submitted to the convention,
whatever its character may be. The
probability is that the convention will
finally agree to an explicit and unequi-
vocal endorsement of the presidents
tariff policy as presented IN his last
message, and even if nothing be said
in reference to the bill now before con
gress the endorsement Of the presidents
views would be in effect an approval OF
the most unfortunate features of the
bill. 1t would seem that this course is
absolutely necessary to consistency, and
that any compromise or '~'straddle" will
stultify both the candidate and the
party. Undoubtedly the managers for
the president in the convention will in
sist that his position on the tariff be
fully approved, and doubtless they will
be able TO convince the convention that
nothing less than this will be satisfac-
tory to Mr.. Cleveland or wise for the
party.