The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-24
SEATTLE. FRIDAY. JUNE ~.
WHY CLEVELAND?

Cleveland IS the nrst president that, de-
feated for reelection, has successfully
sought the nomination a third time. He
owed his nomination TO the fact that he
was the logical Democratic candidate; he
stood for "free trade" as opposed to pro-
lection: the party was disposed to renomi-
nate him rather than repudiate the record
of the first Democratic administration that
has befallen the country since that of
James Buchanan; the Democratic party
has made no other record of capacity TO
govern the country save that of Cleveland
in the thirty-one years that have elapsed
since James Buchanan sided down the
steps of the White House and sneaked
home to sit in the sackcloth of statesman
ship and the cold ashes of his burnt-out
fame.
The Democracy could not very well re-
pudiate Cleveland without treating him
and his record as a bank officer does
spurious bill, by stamping him as incur
rent or counterfeit. David B. Hills NOM
ination was out of the question; it was
too immoral suggestion to be entertained
by the respectable statesmen who con-
trolled the convention. Illinois was di-
yided between Palmer and Morrison; In
diana was not solid for Gray, who was
like Palmer Republican in 1872; Boies.
of Iowa, was Republican as late as 1884;
Campbell, of Ohio, was Republican in
1880; no Southern man could be taken,
and under all these circumstances Cleve-
land, with his hold on the Eastern Mug
wump free traders of Republican antece-
dents. was the inevitable candidate. The
difficult part of his record was his hostil-
ity to free silver. for which the Demo-
cratic party in congress has voted by a
large majority at every opportunity.
Cleveland. it is true, maintained his posi-
ton in favor of the suppression of silver
coinage and mono-metallic currency as
late as February, 1891, in his famous letter
to Eliery Anderson, of New York city,
but in an interview published in New
York April 81, 1891, Mr.. Cleveland, in an
swer to Mr.. Lon v. Stevens, of Missouri,
who asked whether he would veto free
coinage bill in case he was elected "Presi-
dent in 1892 and Democratic congress
should pass such bill. shrewdly declined
to put himself on record. He said:
III should be elected president in 1892 such
bill would not reach me until 1894, as congress
would not meet until December, 1873. SO that
II Is a bridge we had better not attempt to cross
until we come to It. What would be bad for
the country at the present time might be ne
cessity Ia 1894. As the volume Of business in
cresses IL is necessary TO increase the currency.
The amount of the present per capita should be
Increased but changes should be made
gradually. When the law was passed
providing for the coinage of 100000 per
month, / feared the result, for | thought IL
woald prove an injury TO the business Interests
OF the country, for the time at least However,
the law proved benefit, for contrary to my
opinion. the country was ready for the change.
This attitude would probably satisfy the
Stree coinage" Democracy. unless they
suspect that Cleveland may ultimately re-
pudIate the platform of 1892 on the subject
of the currency. even as he did the plat
form of 1854 on the subject of the tariff
The regular Democracy support Cleveland
because a Democratic rhinoceros eating
hay at the public crib is to them less
offensive sight than a Republican states
man smiling from the windows of the
White House. The Mugwumps will nearly
all support Cleveland because they are free
traders or because they rolled so long in
the mud with their wooden idol that they
come at last to rather enjov Democratic