The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1892-11-24
CLEVELAND'S BACKBONE.
A Man Thinks he Weighs About %,
Tons

The following is a speech made by
Thomas G. Shearman at Single Tax
Club dinner in New York on the even
ing of the 10th, as reported in the
New York Sun:
Mr.. Cleveland, Mr.. Whitney, Mr..
Dickinson, Mr.. Richard Croker, our
able Lieutenant-GovernO Mr.. Shee-
han, and that distinguished gentle
man who on account of his brain and
eminent fitness has been mentioned
as our next Senator, Mr.. Edward Muir
ply, Jr. You know our Lieutenant
Governor has an ardent nature as well
| as an ardent head. Now Mr.. Sheehan
didn't wait for the dinner to progress
very far.
HE wanted certain matters settled
at once. So, very shortly after they
sat down, he began to speak to Mr..
Cleveland with that impetuousity for
which he is noted. He told Mr..
Cleveland that he thought it was
time for him to show his good feeling
toward the regular party organization,
that pledges should be given, that the
regular machine should be recognized,
"Mr. Cleveland listened to him
closely and with such a bland and
agreeable smile that the Lieutenant
Governor felt encouraged to go on.
lie did go on to map out a plan for
Mr.. Cleveland to pledge himself to
have no affiliations whatever with
anti-snappers, to pledge himself to
give the offices to the machine. Mr..
Cleveland looked so meek and so sub
dued tnat Mr. Sheehan said, II think
we are entitled to distinct pledges,
and then stopped for breath.
''There was silence for moment,
during which all eyes were turned up.
| on Mr.. Cleveland, still calm and com
posed. said, and you may rest assured
that this reply is authentic:
- Mr.. Sheehan, l have listened
with the utmost attention. [ have
followed you very carefully, and
think | understand you. In reply
| wish to say that I'll be damned if
III give any men any such pledges, and
I'll be d0ubly damned if I'll give you
the pledges you ask for
THAT was what Mr.. Cleveland said,
and, as Sunday school superintend-
ant, / must say | disapprove of the
profanity. but | rather think it was
excusable under the circumstances.
After Mr.. Cleveland had made this
emphatic reply there was a silence, a
painful silence, a long silence. 1t
ker said: Il most heartily approve of
what the President has said.'''
Mr.. Sherman went on to say that
earlier IN the campaign some friends
| of Mr.. Cleveland went on to urge him
| to write pacifying letter to the reg
ular machine in New York. They
said, You cannot be elected, Mr..
Cleveland, unless you do"
'Mr. Cleveland made a most aston
lsfinS answer" continued Mr.. Shear
man. ..He said that he knew these
gentlemen were his friends, were Civ
ing him their best Judgment, and
must know what they were talking
about when they said lie could not be
elected except by making these
| pledges. He said that he could not
make those pledges, and that, if they
insisted, he would write a letter with
drawing as the Democrotic nominee,
and that they could substitute for
HIM upon the ticket some man who
| could and would make the necessary
| pledges. That's the sort of a man MI
| Cleveland is.
| 81 heard a man say once that he had
| heard Mr.. Cleveland called good sort
| Of a man, who wore siXteen-inch col
lar and weighed $50 pounds, and that
he thought good many people who
had tried to move him from position
| he had occupied, believed rather thai
he weighed $50 tons"
MURPHY DENIES.
Edward Murphy, Jr., has since de
MED the statements made by Mr.
Shearman.