Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1890-05-13
Mr.. Cleveland and the Democracy.
WASHINGTON, D. Q, Hay 10. IS

WASHINGTON, ID. y Eiay III. 1871
To the Editor of tie AlerandriG Gazette:
The absulu;ism Of Speaker Reed, the ad-
mission by The HOUSE cf Representatives ss
members OF mea whom the voters OF The die
trcts in which they live refused TO elect, the
proposed federal election laws, The outrage
Gus conduct CT United States officers IN
Florida in which they are supported by the
President, axe matters Of recent occurrence
! that fill the people Of the South with dread
and apprehension as to the tniure. They
see large minority In Congress without the
power 10 defeat the vicious lesislatjon .he
small majority has determined TO enact tc
| further Ire design 10 peTpetuate i.s power
and 70 retain control OF the government by
the intimidation Of yotets or the nanipula-
| ton of returns by federal officials. They
fear the return OF tee days when waite car
pct -baggegs and ignorant Eeeroes--a union
| Of the corrupt end incapable bgnkEnpted
counties. cities, end 6!atea left nothing but
! odious records and enormous debts. Bs-
hiod all they see, 10 the background, :he
race problem, alarming, threatening, io.-
tending evil. s year aSc peaceful and
hopeful they looked forward, without spp.e-
hension, to tha future noW thog are ct
tho mercy of their political opponents
/ Why are they 10 snoh sad plight2 an ex-
animation Of tha election returns of 1888
shows that all the democratic Congress-
men elected from New York were
formed from districts which, with
one exception, were from the counties
of New York, Kinss, Queens, Rich
monG, Suffolk, Westohester and Albany.
The democratic candidates in said counties
received mejoritisa of 81 600 wni!e the dem
ooratio candidate for President received only
| 73, 1855 majority. Wiley, democrat. Who rep
presents district composed Of certain as
sembly districts il Erie county and the
| county Of Niegars, carried the latter e0unty
| by Dlsjority OK 1872 while Cleveland lest il
| by 457. Not one Of tbs congressional osndi-
dates developed any unusual popularity
among the people sonc Wars weak and IN
| known men but their aggregate msjorlties
must be taken es indicating the normal ma
! iority for our party'5 candidates. The fai:-
nre of the presidential candidate 20 receive
as large majorities in the pivotal counties
| of the pivotal State as were given TO the
! other candidates OF his party, Lost New Yo!k
| and the election. That Clevelan0's uOaVei!.
ability as g candidate wes not confined 20
| the counties above referred 20 !s Shown by
the fact that the democratic candidates
fo- offices of the State Of New York
were sill elected Ia 1883; and ihet the SAFE
| Is democratic Wss shown ia 1889 VIXEN Gil
the democratic candidates on tho . ate
ticket we're elected by large msjoiities. Ii
| follows, therefore, that Cieye!snd lie inne-
| Gently responsible for the ipquietuGe IN the
| South aud fcr the transfer Of executive and
legislative power from the friends TO the
enemies OF that secticp. His nnpopu!sgity
may be uumerlted but its existeuce must
be recognized 1t forces itself upon the et-
tention OF ci,izeus who now stand, helpless,
| and in fear OF federal control Of their local
affairs. Behind the federal election law
gieam the bnyouets of the federal army.
| The party that has once stolen the presiden-
cy has no character TO lose by stealing 1t
again.
MIR. Cleveland and his personal following
may attempt, perhaps with success, to prove
that his unpopularity as candidate was
not deserved; that in drawing aloof from
| the party and its leaders he was not actuated
| by desire to win the appreciation of the
| insignificant number of mugWumps who
supported him but to lift the party from the
depths of their ignorance to the high level
of his own superior intelligence; that his
proclamation, before inauguration, taking 8
stand upon the silver question in antagon!sm
to the present wishes and pact history of his
party was due not to the iDfiue1ce of the
monev power but to mistaken sense of his
duty &c tell members OF Congress how they
should vote; that the operstlons OF the gov
ernment Gre SO multifarious that IL is not
fair to charge him with the mistakes made
by his Cabinet officers particularly Mr.. Bay
ards surrender of the rights of American
citizens in the fisheries treaty. All these
matters will no doubt be discussed by The
writer of the rise and fall OF Grover Cieve-
land, but they do not concern the party as
large except as reminders of the disastrous
results to which they led The party eks
success, not excuses for failure. Politicians
come and go leaders rise and fall; there i5
a constant, ever changing succession of men
on the political stage; the democratic party
goes on forever its principles ere eternal,
| its fortunes ara not linked with thoge OF any
man. and in lis very essence it is opposed TO
personal government. the domination of one
will, the despotism of one man. Whoever
blocks its way to euCcess Gust be thsuet
aside. If the reckless partisaos who nov
control the government lesya to the citizsn
the free excise of the elective franchise. the
democratic party, under the leadership OF
some man who can command the party vote,
who will be the representative and not the
salf.willed and arbitrary master ofthe party,
will again achieve power. When it shall
succeed. reduction of tbs oppressive taxa
tiou now in force may be expected. He is
dangerous leader who, TO crafty his own
idosyncracy, sacrifices the party that eie-
yated him to office. OBSERVER
Rueklcn's ArnIcss Salye