Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-11-26
Stauntotl $pfftator.
WEDNESDAY,. NOVEMBER 2e. 1890.
In What Cleveland's Popular Strength
Consists.

1t is evident from all the Indications that
the great mass of the people in all sections
of the country have given that Cleveland
stands prinaus inter primes among all those
who aspire to the chief maglstracy of this
great Republic. els acknowledged to be
a man OF great intellect, as all that he has
written or said on any important occasion
clearly testiies; he is bold and fearless
man who has ''the courage of his convic.
tions"; he is patriot whose greatest de-
sire is the good of his country; he is unself-
ishly devoted to what he believes to be for
the best interests Of the country; he is in
the highest and truest sense of the term a
Democrat, in that he labors for the rights,
liberties, and interests of the great mass OF
the people; he is political philosopher
and statesman, in that he understands and
maintains the true principles of our govern
ment; but though all these eminent qualif-
cations commend him to the good sense
and patriotism of the people, yet they are
not what constitutes his main popularity
with the masses of the people, for that is
his well.known and clearly demonstrated
integrity which is as firm and mistaken
as the "rock-ribbed mountains" 1t is
that feature of his character which most
commends him to the honest masses of the
people, for they know that they can trust
him implicitly, and feel that, under bis ad-
ministration, the rights and interests Of all,
without regard to party, are safe. Though
he possesses the high qualities and qualifi-
cations we have mentioned, yet there are
some who do not favor his nomination for
the Presidency, and their chief objection to
him is, that he is not what they call a
''practical politician''-he does not know
anything about "machine politics '-and
does not recognize to sufficient degree the
maxim of the spoils-seekers,-that ito the
victors belong the spoiIs'-in word, that
he is too much of a:patriot and too little of
aparty man in it's most restricted and worse
sense. In reference to such DIRECTORS, the
Baltimore Sun says
"Looking upon politics as trade to live
by or game to be played to win, with no
principles themselves which they are not
ready to barter at any time for power and
place, these men have no appreciation of a
man who is capable of sacrificing personal
ambition and the prospects of success for
the sake of principle. Destitute of any
love of principles themselves, they cannot
understand the existence of such feeling
in others. Familiar only and accustomed
TO deal with the baser and more sordld
traits of human nature, they take low views
of political expediency and what they call
availability. Here is where they fail to un-
derstand the American people or to COM
prehend the significance of such popular
movement as has taken place this fall.
They think only of riding into power and
place on the top of the popular wave. The
people who are thinking of their rights and
their interests and are sincerely DESTROYS of
seeing those reforms inaugurated in our
government, national, State and munich
pal, which will bring honesty and purity
in administration, economy in expenditure
and moderation in taxation, are looking for
leaders who are men of principle, not of
political expedients and chicane, for states
men-not managers or bosses-and it is
upon this principle that the masses of the
democratic party will select their candidate
and demand his nomination in 1892"