The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-02-20
CLEVELAND'S COURAGE.

I From the Globe Democrat.
/ We hear a great deal about the courage
. displayed bv Mr.. Cleveland in writing
! bis recent letter against the free coinage
/ Of silver. Only man of strong anu I'M
selfish convictions, we are told, could
have taken such step under the existing
circumstances; and there is even pretty
/ little romance 10 the effect that he ex-
pected it TO ruin his chances for the nom
lnation of 1892, and yet bravely per-
formed the deed. This all sounds we'll,
but it will hardly bear practical inspec-
ton. To begin with, he did not make
any new departure at all; he merely
reiterated an opinion that he has always
entertained and frequently expressed.
| 1t surely does not require much courage
for a man to say that he still thinks to-
day what he thought Yesterday, and
that he would rather be consistent than
inconsistent. Men are constantly doing
this without looking 10 be called heroes
for it, Society expects them to behave
in that manner as a matter Of simple and
ordinary duty. Mr. Cleveland was
hostile 70 free coinage when he first
appeared upon the stage of national
politics; he maintained that attitude
dent; and he now gives the country TO
understand that his views remain what
they have been from the start That is
all. He has had the courage, so-calied,
TO say that he has not been playing an
insincere part; in other words, he has
been brave enough not to confess himself
fraud. and that is the most that can be
said OF it.
The simple truth is, that his letter is
another bid for the presidency, and was
manlfestly written with the belief that
it would promote his interests in that re-
latiOn. He realizes that no Democrat can
be nominated for the presidency or cleo
ed to that office in 1892 without the sup
port of New York: and New York is well
known to be opposed to free coinage.
The south. to be sure, Is equally as es-
sentIal to Democratic success, and her
people are in favor of free coinage; but
experience has demonstrated that the
south does not allow a thing of this
kind 10 interfere with her desire for
the election OF q Demo. ratio president,
and sne will accept any man who
can carry the necessary states
in the north. Mr.. Cleveland really
incurs no risk, therefore, by announcing
his continued adherence to the anti-sil-
yer doctrine. On the contrary, his letter
is calculated to strengthen his cause i'll
New York, as well as in Connecticut
and New jersey. 1t will lessen his pop
ularlty in the west, but he cares moth
ing about the west so long as he can
count upon New York and the south.
SO when the matter is considered in the
light of political maneuvering. it is easy
to see that he has only done as any
OthOr cunning candidate would have
done under like conditions. His Letter
is not one of the lofty and self-sacrific-
ing courage, that is to say, but of expe-
diencv and careful consideration of his
own welfare. Pray let us have no more
nonsense about the alleged courage of an
act that was so plainly intended to serve
a personal purpose, and to gain a polit-
ical advantage. The letter would never
have been written if the author had not
believed that it would be a benefit to
him in his eager ambition for the presi |
dency. That is its unquestiOnable mean /
ing and any other Interpretation of it |
must be rejected as a ridiculous perver- |
sion