The Washington critic., 1888-05-09
WASHINGTON, MAY ., 1888.
MIR. CLEvELAND's CANDIDACY.

land will be renominated for the
Presidency.
Whatever his views may be as to
the propriety of accepting the candi-
dacy of his party for a second term
or as to the expediency Of adopting q
constitutional amendment, making
the Chief Magistrate ineligible for
reelection, he will consider the unan-
imous call of National Convention
as peremptory and obligatory.
If he had looked upon the proposed
amendment to the Constitution as an
urgent public necessity. he would
long before this have made it the sub
ject of a special recommendation to
Congress. If his opposition to n sec
ond term had been n deeply-rooted
conviction he would have so signi6ed
in time for the party to have made
some other choice.
The truth of the matter is that Mr..
Cleveland, though possessing many
characteristics peculiar to himself, is,
like other public men, ambitious of
distinction, and there is no political
honor more worthy Of mans ambi-
tion than to be the official head of a
great Government by the choice of the
people.
In the present case, however, even
if the President were personally
averse to taking a denomination, he
could not decline it without doing un-
grateful and possibly fatal violence to
the interests of the party which
elected him and which demands that
he again become their standard
bearer.
Even granting that there is no
great amount of love lost between
the President and his party, as we are
sometimes led to infer by Democratic
criticism of the Administration and
by the self-opinionated course of the
Executive, the relations of the two
are such that the Democracy could
safely make no other nomination if it
would, and Mr.. Cleveland could not
consistently or honorably decline the
nomination were he so disposed.
These conditions might not have
arisen had the Democrats revolted
against the Administration of their
own choosing in the first flush of
their disappointment, but they have
become inexorable.
Mr.. Cleveland has made in the
main good President. He has given
the country O clean. and honest ad-
ministration. His couhge may have
at times assumed the likeness OF OBJ.
stinacy, but the evidence of sincere
and patriotic motives is easily dis
cernible through his whole course;
and none of his mistakes are trace
able to impulses or inspirations that
will not bear the full light of day.
What is more, he has brought his
party up to the threshold of another
nominating convention in shape and
discipline that would seem TO indicate
him as one born to command; and we
can assure our Democratic friends that
in all their history they have never
been more fortunate, than they are
now by the very force of circum-
stances that leave them but one course
TO pursue, and make that course SO
plain that it cannot be mistaken.
With Mr.. Cleveland as their candi-
date, and an intelligent recognition of
the necessity that makes him their
candidate, they have the odds in their
favor for November. With any other
man, the odds would be against them.
Mr.. BLAINE's health and his as
pirations are similar in this, that
neither is declining as much as is re-
ported,
Mr.. VOORHEES, had so long and in
yariably borne himself with marked
dignity in the Senate, that it was bu
natural he should regret recent de
parture from his own strict rule o.
conduct and make due acknowledg
ment of its vioaltion. This he di.
yesterday in a manly and handsome
apology to the Senate for havin,
allowed his temper to overcome hi
judgment under eXasperating provo
cation, on occasion of his recent con
troversy with Mr.. ingalls,. His trans
pession of parliamentary rules i
thus atoned for, with no sacrifice o
principle or self-respect, and tn
Indiana Senator stands all the bette
before the country.
w. @. GRESHAM is set forth as tn
favorite son of Illinois, but if we re
member correctly il was the prodiga
son who scooped in the fatted calf.
EDIToR Critic: In a beautiful poem b
Will H. Herman in Tue CRTIo yesterday
find the word "boomland." Is II not a type
graphical error for "bloomlandf" A. ID. IL.
We cannot say whether it is that
or whether it is a reference to Indian
or Illinois as "boom land" for can
didates ON the National ticket.-[ En-
CRITlc.
IF THE SENATE should chang up
the nomination of Mr. Fuller as Chic
Justice, it will only be exercising it
constitutional prerogative of failing t
''advise and consent" to the Presi
dents appointment. President Cleye
land has so frequently interposed hi
constitutional privilege by vetoing tn
acts Of the legislative branch of tn