Middletown transcript., 1894-02-24

he agreed that silence was best and MS
friends have no cause of complaints
against him for that. They did not
believe the Tammany version of the
Victoria Hotel dinner, and they do not
now.
When the campaign was over, how
ever, a change was expected. Mr..
Cleveland was elected by an enormous
majority. 1t was proved beyond
doubt that the machine had been
treacherous. Although Mr.. Harrity
was the nominal head of the National
Committee, the campaign had been
conducted in accordance with Mr..
Whitney's notions. That 'superb"
master of political stratagem ran
course through the summer OF 1892
that ought to have convinced his most
ardent admirer that he is not all that
perfervid fancy has painted him. The
most popular thing that Mr.. Cleveland
did during the campaign was to refuse
to 90 to the opening ofthe Worlds Fair
while Mr.. Harrison lay ill and the
President could not 60. He did this
against WhitneY's advice. TheNational
Committee poured contributions into
the Golfers of the state Committee, and
Whitney found when it was too late
that money intended to help Mr..
Cleveland's election had been expended
to elect legislators pledged to vote for
Edward Murphy, Jr., as United States
Senator. This is the astute politician
of the administrdtion-the man who
wears the decorations stolen from
Fairchild, the simple child in the hand
of "Blue-eyed Billy" Sheehan.
The time was ripe for organization in
December, 1892, and in January, 1893.
Mr.. Cleveland was President for the
last time. So far as the people could
win it the contest for tariff reform had
been won. He at last could do nothing
further in that direction. He had the
silver problem to settle, but in the
months of which I speak its gravity
and immediate Importance had not
been revealed. What talk there was
of an extraordinary session of Congress
was due the desirability of getting the
Ways and Means Committee organized
as soon as possible for work on tariff
bill. Mr.. Cleveland was not only
President, but be was the head of the
Democratic party. He really believed
in its principles, and that their triumph
was essential to the welfare Of the
country. He knew that under the lead
of the Hills, the Murphys, the Sheehans,
and the Crokers these essential principle
not only could not win a lasting
triumph, but were liable to defeat;
that the Democratic machine of New
York was more dangerous enemy of
true Democracy than the Republican
party.
He should have taken the leadership
of his party. Those who fought for
his nomination and won confidently
believe that if he had he might have
revolutionized the organization of his
party, and made it truly representative
of its promises and of the principles
which had trumphed in his election.
But he did nothing of the sort. He
told murphy and Croker that the
selection of the former withhut
consulting him was an outrage. He
knew, for he was consulted and advised
with, that the men who had made the
anti-snapper movement success were
ready to make contest against Muir
ply. He was urged to make a con-
test against Murphy. He was urged to
take the lead and to make an issue,
not in his own behalf, but for his
principles. Some of the men to whom
he owed most pointed out his duty to
him. 1t is fair to him to say that at
first he was inclined to heed their
counsels. He more than half promised to
drive the crew of bosses out of politics.
But here once more the malign influence
of Whitney came in, and this time he
was seconded by Secretary Lamont.
There was a time when Murphy
might have been defeated. Mr.. Cleve-
land asked Whitney to make contest
for the seat. He was told plainly that
the anti-snappers preferred Murphy,
the man who was frankly bad, to the
man who wore mask; the man who
fought in the open, to the man who
drove the knife between his brothers.
ribs from behind. Whitney declined the
honor and the labor although I am told,
on authority whose right to speak
would not be questioned by any one,
that even with the declination on his
lips he intimated to Croker that he
would like to be the candidate of the
machine instead of Murphy. When
Mr.. Cleveland finally made his declar-
alton of opposition to Murphy it was too
late, and Whitney was right, perhaps,
in thinking the publication a blunder.
A person unusual activity must some
times be right.
The Murphy incident passed, Mr..
Cleveland became petulant and
intolerant. He did not consult with
his friends. He seemed to regard their
advice with suspicion. He intimated
on one occasion to several of them that
they were presuming on the sacrifices
they had made for him, and was
bluntly told by one of them in reply
that they had made no sacrifice for
him, but for the cause which they had
supposed that he represented. When
he made up his cabinet there was
| further disappointment. and when he