Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-04-01
FRIDAY MORNING. APRIL /. 1892

FRIDAY MORNING. APRIL |. 1892
LET THE FRIENDS OF GROVER
CLEVELAND BE ACTIVE.
The assertions Of this paper that ninety
nine Democrats out OF hundred in Vir-
ginia, outside of the large cities, are in
favor of Cleveland, was fully confirmed,
as to this county, by the temper of the
immense throng Of Augusta people
who were here court-day. Gentlemen who
made it their business to conduct sort of
conversational canvass among the two
thousand Democrats in the thrOng, found
it difficult to discover any but Cleveland
men. In fact as one of them remarked
ssThe Augusta Democrats don't seem to
know anybody but Cleveland" This is
equally true of this Valley from Botetourt
down to Frederick, as far as we have been
able to learn from correspondence and con-
versation, and we presume that it is approx
imately correct of the whole State outside
countryman's fight, and he is init en- masse
for Cleveland. In view Of this fact, the
following extract from Richmond letter
in the Baltimore Sun regarding the recent
meeting of the Democratic State Commit
tee there, is very significant:
"The most ultra anti-Cleveland men on
the State committee cOncede that the EXPIRES
ident is among the farmers the strongest can
didate named. The politicians, however,
hope to overcome this by thorough organiza-
ton. By this means they hope to get enough
delegates opposed to Cleveland to control the
convention"
The very ground work and corner stone
of living political organization is the
agreement that the people shall be repre-
semted. The people of Virginia cannot be
represented if men known to be opposed to
Cleveland are by any manipulation OF wire
working sent to Chicago. They will sim
ply be misrepresented. The talk about
sending men in high position simply because
they are in high position in the party, has
the mouldy and m1lldewed scent of an
effete Bourbonism which the stalwart
Tariff Reform Democracy of to-day will
not tolerate. Two U. S. Senators opposed
to Cleveland, sent to head the delegation to
represent the Democratic masses Of Vir-
ginia who favor Cleveland, would be piece
of jugglery that those Democratic masses
would not tolerate in silence after it was
perpetrated. The day may have been in
Virginia when select political circles
might have the audacity to foist this
sort of thing on the Democrats of Virgin
ia, but the school houses and the news
papers have been too close to the farm
houses for many years to permit its
repetition. If the mass Of the Virginia
Democrats are opposed to Cleveland then
we want and they want and ought to have
anti Cleveland delegates sent to Chicago.
If they are for Cleveland, then We want
and they want and ought to have Cleveland
delegates sent to Chicago. Does any man
know Of good reason to the contrary? If
you want to continue the existence of the
Democratic party these things must be left
to the people. They have intelligence and
virtue ard know what they want, and the
assumption that they don It know, and that
some men Of prominence opposed to their
wishes can represent them better than they
can represent themselves. is piece of Bour-
bon arrogance they will not permit to go
unchallenged.
There is some debate in timid minds
about the expediency Of nominating Cleve-
land. # the Democratic patty which car
ried this cSuntry like an avalanche two
years ago on Grover Clevelands platform,
wants further success it must stick to its
principles. Those Democrats to whom is
clinging the moss Of other days; who cannot
understand that the political world is NOV
ing on, and who pick up an atlas with
which to discuss the States the party can
carry, should remember that the advance
of an idea, the rush Of a principle runs
over geographical lines and tramples them
out. Those Democrats have great faith in
practical politicians and their housing
calculations. How many practical polite
ians foresaw the great rout Of November,
1880; how many could explain it? When the
People Tend their Leads for rush the prac-
tical politicians had DIS we drop ther slate
and pei Gil and eave the field of figure mon
gering. The people have to-day Grover Cleve-
land S Tariff Reform idea in their heads
and Grover Clevelands name in their
hearts, and who shall withstand them
None can if they will organize. Let Cleve-
land men organize clubs everywhere before
the delegates to the State convention are
chosen. and let every Cleveland man in each
county see that he votes for no delegate to
the convention who does not represent his
sentiments. Let him ask his man and
get clear, unmistakable answer before he
votes for him.