The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-07-15
CLEVELAND BEHIND TUE SCENES.

CLEVELAND BEHIND TUE SCENES
In the self-drawn portraits which he
submits to the public from time to time,
Mr.. Cleveland always represents himself
as plain, blunt, straightforward man,
who knows nothing of tact or policy
but is drawn into public life by urgent
sense of duty, or, as he most delights to
| express it, sense of conservation to
the public good.
Occasionally the veil is blown aside
and the glimpse then caught of the
Yelled Prophet is not altogether sugges-
tive of the simplemindedness and
straightforwardness that goes with con-
secration to any cause.
Thus when notified over his private
wire of his nomination, Mr.. Cleveland
sent the following to his chief manager
in Chicago:
BUzzARD's BAY, June 23d.
w. G. WHITNEY, must say to you,
and through you to those who have
aated with you, that 1 have a grateful
appreciation of the efforts made in my
behalf, and that my admiration is un-
bounded for the prudence, sagacity and
generalship of my friends in Chicago.
GROVER CLEVELAND.
How strangely this hastily joyous mes
sage sounds! Is it possible all this
chuckling and graduation over "pru-
dence" and ''sagacity' and general
ship" on the part of old ofice-holders
struggling in convention to nominate
their chief comes from that same SOL
emn oracle who has so often dilated on
''consecration to duty and obedience to
the mandates of the people ?''
How in the name, not of consistency,
but of common honesty, can Mr.. Cleve-
land now hurry to declare that his lad
miration is unbounded for the prudence,
sagacity and generalship of friends in
Chicago?' 1t is not three months since,
in defending his attitude towards the
Democratic nomination, Mr.. Cleveland
wrote as follows:
LAKEWOOD, Nj, April 9th, 1892.
JAMES II. BIBBLE, Chattanooga, Tenn
i am exceedingly anxious to have our
party do the right thing at the Chicago
convention, and l hope that delegates
will be guided by Judgment, and actu-
ated by true, Democratic spirit and a
single desire to succeed on principle. 1
should not be frank if did not say to
you that often feel l do not deserve the
kind things such friends as you say of
me, and have frequent misgivings as to
the wisdom of again putting me in NOM
nation. l therefore am anxious that
sentiment and unmeasured personal de-
votion should be checked when delegates
to the convention reach the period of de-
liberation. In any event there will be
no disappointment for me in the result.
Very truly yours,
GROVER CLEVELAND.
But how were delegates to be guided
by Judgment and single desire to sue
coed on principle" when Mr.. Cleyeland's
managers were using the arts of ''gener-
alship" on them?
If anxious that sentiment and I'M
measured personal devotion should be
checked" why should Mr.. Cleveland
chuckle so over the prudence, sagacity
and generalship" of his former office
holders in securing his nomination?
In his open letter to Gen. Bragg, pub
lished March 18th, Mr.. Cleveland said
the lawful responsibilities" of the Pres
idency were such as to preclude "a self
seeking CANVASS" for 1.-THE peoples Of
fee" that his personal desires end in
dividual ease and comfort were against
becoming a candidate, yet he now has
tens to telegraph his grateful apprecia-
tom of the nomination and his 'un-
bounded admiration" of the vancouver
liz and generalship by which it was
captured for him.
Mr.. Whitney evidently made a mistake
and gave out the wrong dispatch. But
the people ought to appreciate the fine
view obtained of the Democratic candi-
date behind the scenes.