The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1889-08-15
CLEVELAND DIDN'T WANT IT.
He Ran for President to Serve His Conn
try,
from the New York Star.

From the y eW L Ofk Quar-.
ALBANY, August "A most in
teresting piece of history was divulged
to ME tonight by a member of the
State committee in regard to Cleve-
land and his denomination 1t has
never been printed, and probably it
has never got around at all, except in
the immediate circle of MIR. Cleveland's
political friends. Early in the year
1883 it became known that a deter
mined effort would be made in New
York State to prevent the renomlna-
ton of Mr.. Cleveland, and number
ofhis friends throughout the State held
small convention of their own on the
subject to discover what was best to be
done. It was unanimously agreed
that Mr.. Cleveland should be- told tie
circumstances, and warned that he
should take steps to prevent 1t by
doing something more for his friends.
The member who tells he this was des-
ignated to 60 to Washington, as a
close friend of Mr. Cleveland, and state
the case. He did SO. He arrived at
the White House while there was a
very elaborate diplomatic didner in
progress and was requested to wait,
the card saying, 1.-THE President would
see him as soon as the dinner was
ended" Promptly after the diplomats
had filed out President Cleveland ap-
peared, shook hands heartily with h:s
friend, and listened, without a question
or a demurrer, to the indictment. In
reply he said, after little scraping Of
his chin in consideration
"Let me tell you something. I do
not want the Presidency again, !
have had it now for three years, and
it is an absolute burden l do not
know why anybody wantssuch place,
except, as becomes every man, that he
is pleased to be honored by his fellows.
In my,case, however, elected as a DEM
ocrat to succeed successive generations
of Republicans, / ain expected by my
friends to do too much. 1 had hope
that a thoroughly impartial and hon
est administration would relieve the
country Of the carefully cultivated SEN
timent that the Democrats were unfit
to govern. 1 have appointed various
Southern men with the hope that that
would believe that it lis once more
restored fully to the Union. 1 have
appointed the best material at my hand
in the North with view especially to
show that the Democratic Administra-
ton was neither despoiler
nor a raveger of the rights of the
people. Yet 1 have been assailed by
close friends as being ungrateful, as not
recognizing their claims, as not exalt-
.1iatpg the Democratic standard to the ex-
clusion Of everything else. am tired
of the whole business, and will know
no greater joy than when retire from
it."
According to the story of my frienG,
it was impossible for him to get any
statement from the President as to
what should be doneto hold his friends
in New York city, and as they parted
long after midnight the President, in
bidding him goodbye, said simply:
understand, I do not care for re-
nomination. 1t can only be by strong
unanimous declaration in my favor
that would consent to run again, and
that would he only because the De-
mocracy needed me-"
The gentleman who tells ME this
came home, and the whole influence
of his side of the party was set at work
to achieve what proved to be the unap-
imous nomination at st. Louis.