Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-12-01


election of Grover Cleveland and what
the American people meant to teach by |
Shat election. OF course tariff reform
was the main issue, but another truth |
emphatically dwelt upon is the dispose
Jon of the people at large to inculcate
that "public office is public trust" Mr..
Cleveland will go into office, free, in All
unprecedented degree, to serve the
country according to the dictates of his
conscience and good sense and entirely
unembarrassed by any sort of private
obligation. He did not owe his nomina-
ton to the practical politicians, but
to the overwhelming pressure of public
sentiment. 1t is not forgotten, though
Harper's fails to recall this, that on the
eve of the assembling Of the Democratic
national convention, Mr.. Cleveland ad-
dressed his countrymen-either by an
open letter or an authorized interview
in an appeal to the state conventions to
go slow on instructing delegates for him
and request to them to elect unin-
structed delegations who should be per-
fectly free to combine on the best candi.
date, be he who he may. In this letter
Mr.. Cleveland said, in substance, that
should the choice of the convention fall
upon some worthier or more available
man, it would bring no disappointment
to him, and he frankly requested that
personal consideration for himself
should not be allowed to stand in the
way of an untrammeled selection Of the
nominee. 1t was q grand, aself-denyiug,
a patriotic stand to take, and this very
expression Of concern for the good Of
the country, this subordination of per
sonal ambition to the common welfare,
so uncommon in our politics, only
served 10 convince the people Mt large
the more strongly that Mr. Cleveland
was the man above all others whom
they wanted for the next President Of
the United States.
Within the past week Mr.. Cleveland
has done another thing that has strength
ened his hold on the respect and atrcc-
ton Of the American people, and has
done it in way peculiarly his own, in
giving aspirants for office distinctly to
understand that he will not consider
their applications in advance of his entry
upon the Presidency, This was some
thing that, we believe, no President
elect before him has had the nerve to do,
but since Mr.. Cleveland has done it pub.
lie opinion has recognized the eminent
propriety Of his position and wondered
that the same thing had not been done
before And the same public opinion
that supports him SO generally in talk
ing this stand will stay by him in his
earnest endeayors to carry out TO the
best of his ability and knowledge OF
men and their environment his owr
high maxim: "Public office is public
trust"
eve are very far from wishing t.
helittle the services rendered by any ont
in the struggle" says Harpcrs in Thu
editorial to which we have referred
"The Democratic party managers con
Quoted the campaign with excellen
Judgment, energy and dignity. Eloqucn
speakers and able writers are entitled t
much praise for their persuasive argu
ments and stirring appeals. Tamman,
Hall even deserves credit for faithful
redeeminE its promise to support MI
Cleveland in the election after hayin
opposed his nomination, and the sam
credit is due to the politicians Of til
same way Of thinking Throughout
the country, who, although dis
liking Mr.. Cleveland, loyalty pei
formed what they considered the
duty as party men. But, While all Til
is true, noncof these persons Or classc
can justly pretend that Mr.. Cleyelan
owes his election 70 thcm in the scu.
that withou. their especial aid he woul
not have succeeded. Lis majority i
large that he would have been elected
Tammany Hall and the state Of Ne
York had gone against him, He migl
have lost several southern states ~
still been elected. The campaign MAJ
ayers might have done their work ~
50 blunGerinely, and VET the Owe
whelming popular current wou
have carried him through. There
no one orator and no newspaper writ
whose efforts mi-ht not have BET
spared without tie slightest danger
MIR. Clcgeland's chances y T
L.. IT, 1. i H.. a &. : H. !. Il IS