St. Paul daily globe., 1895-09-30
LUCK OR srArEsMANsHrp.

When, in 1890, after the defeat Of
1888, Democrats, undismayed, full OF
the spirit of fight, were looking eager
ly forward to the contest Of 1892, con-
fdent in the rightfulness Of their
cause and of its victory, one of the
most astute of Minnesota'S Demo-
Gratis said, in discussing the probable
nomination of Mr.. Cleveland: 81 am
unable to make up my mind whether
Cleveland is a really great man or
merely one of the most adroit politi-
clans of the day" Now Chauncey
DepeW-who, when all the prominent
politicians in the Democratic party
had declared Mr.. Cleveland out of
the list of possibilities for the nomi-
nation in '92 because of his silver let
ter of 81 eulogized him as ''the typi-
cal American"-pre his nomina-
ton next year, and says of the third
term idea:
''That has no real influence with the
mass of the Democratic party. They
do not regard him as a Caesar, nor
fear CaesariSm from his continued ad-
ministration. 1t was different with
Grant and Jackson, and even with
Washington. They We're strong 1ndl-
viduaI characters. Cleveland has per-
Suaded his party at least that ne Is
only the mouthpiece of the best de-
sires of the people, with no personal
purposes or even personal amDltlonS,
Either he has extraordinary luck in
accidentally doing the right thlng OF
Ct "A L n
fess 1 am not sure in which aspect
regard him.
Thus the shrewd New York politi-
clan is equally at a loss with our
Minnesotan to analyze the source of
the undoubted popularity and
strength of the president, both in his
own party and among the more can
did and less hide-bound men of all
parties. Mr.. Cleveland is puzzle
only to men whose conceptions OF
ponular strength and confidence run
on lines of suavity, pliancy OF con-
yictions, and anxiety to ascertain the
drift of popular opinion, coupled with
abilities that attract the public eye
by their glitter while screening the
defects of character. The popular
man is the adroit fellow, keen of
scent for catching questions, and in
different to their ethics; cautious Of
giving offense to ignorance or preju-
dice; 1.-THE of principle as willow,
willing to teach that the world is
round or fat as the public may wish,
and always docile to party discipline.
He stoutly stands up for his party
policy when that is clear, and is dis
creetly silent when it is not. He
lodges new and perplexing questions
with the skill of an expert fencer un-
til they have been either shelved or
adopted.
To these men Mr.. Cleveland is an
enigma. After 1888 he should have
fallen back into obscurity. He had
given his party an issue and gone to
defeat on it. He had not been tact
full, but had taken the most inop-
perfume of times for its presentation.
He defeated himself and his party
by doing, in 1887, what he should
have done in 1885 or 1886, or have de-
ferred until 1889. But he was not
obscured. He did not lose for mo-
ment the confidence of the rank and
file of the party, though he never
had that of a large section of the
party managers. Himself the most
unobtrusive man in the party in hfs
retirement, he was the one most
thought and talked of. With his
party defeated again in 1894, his
strength is so great, the confidence ir
him so pervasive of parties, that the
Republican papers have thought II
necessary to raise the question of g
third term, charging Mr.. Cleveland
with aspiring to one, thus paying him
unconscious tribute, and thus reveal.
ing their own deep apprehensions
No wonder Depew is lost in his ina.
bility to decide whether this man Is
the favorite of luck or is "really g
great statesman
Gte cause of Mr. Cleveland's pop.