Richmond daily palladium., 1889-12-13
Our National eecksnin.

Every State, says the Indianapolis
Journal. II not every community, hAslts
Pecksnifi, but the Republic has but one.
and he holds the position by virtue of
accidents and crimes which onoe made
him President OF the United States. II
Z national Peoksniff ID . necessity, doubt
less another could be found. but not one
who would 20 magnify the position -
Hon. Grover Cleveland. He lets no
opportunity escape to appear in that
role. Indeed. it may be said that he
uses the slightest pretext % an occasion
to extol the political goodness and the
unapproaohable public virtues OF Grover
Cleveland.
ThursdAy night. upon the invitation
of the Merchants Association Of Bos-
ton, which invites retired and alleged
Statesmen to address it in the month of
Decem ber., Mr.. Cleveland delivered .
speech DEVOTED to ballot and civil ser
President in 1884 because three thou
sand electoral votes cast for General
Butler in Brooklyn. N. Y. were counted
for him, and by the suppression OF suit
frage in South Caroline. Florida, Lou
isiana and Mississippi, is not the best
person in the world to champion ballot
reform, unless he appears with . con-
fession OF his own experience in the
character of the awful example.
Equally inconsistent 10 his going to .
State which was the first to adopt .
secret ballot system of unusual strin-
gsRSy, md the only one to apply hon;
two thirds OF its legislatures. and be-
cause it never had An out and out Dem
ooratic legislative body. But his blum
dering impertinenoe surpasses his incon-
sistency when he declares in Massachu
setts. ~ applying to that locality, that
the free political preference Of those
whom fate has made dependent upon
daily toll for hard earned bread 10
and the fear OF loss of employment" A
been hurled at those whose courtesy he
was enjoying, or . viler sspersion cast
upon the manhood of the Thousands of
wage earners in the Bay State.
Mr.. Cleveland undoubtedly feels that
the Hill partisaus sold him out in New
York last fall; but il this is the case,
why does he 60 to . State always noted
tor fair elections to rebuke New York
Democrats? Would it not be much
better for him to devote himself to en-
listing Democrats in the New York
Legislature to vote for the bill for bal
lot reform, which Governor Hill has
twice vetoed? Why does he 60 to Mas
IS husetts to preach repentance to the
Republican righteous when at home |
Democratic sinners are perishins |
The granite of New England is
butter compared with that adsmsntine
Ind boundless cheek which enables
him to denounce crimes against suf-
rage. He knows. if he knows any
hing. that the suffrage of the Consti
tuition. and which is the corner stone
,t popular government. was obliterated ]
.welve years ago in the South by . con
'piracy OF Democratic lesders-that no
'uch thing - tree election and . fair
,ouDt has been known in six Southern
states tor years. because of Democratic l
fraud and outrage. II N
cleveland Is An earnest ballot reformer,
shy does he not make Q tour of the |
his political brethren
openly boast that the votes of Q million |
reemsn shall not be counted-as the |
'vangel of tree suffrage aud honest
That would be honest and |
consistent. but the professional Peck.
uiff Is neither honest nor consistent,
'ut is . posturer and sniveler.