Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-02-27
Why Hit the Head of Cleveland &?

the great parade of the business men of
the metropolis in honor of Grover
Cleveland, then making his first cam
paign for the Presidency.
What day that was! A Saturday.
rainy, cold, dismal skyed-nevertheleSs
we all turned out at o'clock and stood
in the mud of Cedar street awaiting our
turn to join the procession, which had
started from the Battery at noon. All
the Exchanges, the Stock, Gold, Coffee,
Produce, Cotton and others, passed to
the music of numerous bands and shouts
and cheers, and swept up Broadway
which was lined with throngs of both
sexes, then the Insurance men came in
followed by the Bank clerks, further
up the street the hardware and dry goods
people tailed on III endless numbers
1t rained in torrents, and the mud was
of the old well approved black Broad
way sort. Our umbrellas were soon
voted a nuisance and discarded, and
decked with bandannas, medals, rib
bons and other insignia of our Demo
cratic faith we moved on, cheering on
the slightest provocation.
Truly our procession was unique
great merchants, bankers and men
worth millions marched longside their
clerks and statesmen in true Democratic
fashion.
BY the time our water soaked array
debouched into Union Square, the rain
had increased and there ahead we saw
rough platform, hastely constructed of
planks, with number of notables upon
it, and, in front OF all, bareheaded in
the rain, Grover Cleveland, smiling and
bowling to the shouting throng. Our
file leader was Lewellyn Jones, whose
father was General in the regular
army, and, as I was next to him, | had
good, and my first view of Cleveland.
No picture that 1 have ever seen con-
veys a true impression of that remarka-
BILE face, SO thoroughly marked with
force, energy of will and that indefna-
bic something that marks the leader of
men.
We deployed, as best we knew how,
and Lewellyn Ia West Pointer and full
Of contempt for our bad marching) led
off with his stentorian lungs in the cry:
What's the matter with Grover Cleve-
land ?" From thousands upon thou
sands came the response in thunder
Gus acelamation "Oh he's all right -
And so he is
Somehow all this incident flashed into
my mind as L read the tag of my friend
Mr.. E. d. Shoots letter in the last is
sure of your paper. Why this eternal
hitting head when you see it ? and
why always the head of Cleveland p
How can man be good Democrat,
who assails the chef and leader of his
party?
BY all means start Bimettallic Club
in the Richards and like ones at every
country store in the county, and get
honest teachers to expound the finan-
cial condition, so that justice be done
to the 6rmness, honesty and patriotism
of the President, at the same time
showing the supineness and wind Ca
paclty Of Congress, a body supposed to
pass laws for the President to enforce.
Let these lecturers tell all the truth,
also, about the way in which the Adj
ministration, in face of unheard of
difficulties, has just lately shown how to
vindicate the Nations financial honor.
was approached lately by worthy
mountaineer on Big Sewell, who in
formed me that he never " intended to
vote for Cleveland nor no Democrat no
more," because, as he said, he had Just
heard the President had declared war
against England. He said that during
the Z" late unpleasantness, "the Yankees
had burnt up nearly all his fence
rails, and the Confederates had taken a
good heifer calf, for which they neg
lected to pay him, and these things had
convinced him Of the horrors of war,
so that he was man of peace for all
time. He Furthermore said that he
didn't know where this war would be,
but hoped he wouldn't lose any more
stock and fences. In his mind, hay as
to geographical distinctions, he had
mixed up the Shomburgk line with the
lower end Of Fayette county.
l tried, with but indifferent success.
to re-assure my farmer. He was "agin
Grover" he said. and could not be
awakened to the grandeur OF the mortal
defiance hurled like glove into an old
time spear running of the lists by
Cleveland. a naughty assertion of right
and might to the proudest monarchy on
earth. He could only see his vanished
fence rails and heifer calf So it is with
them all. What Mr.. Smoot sees l do
not presume to guess, but they are al
alike.
lastly tried to arouse the ghost
of my farmers patriotism with the
stirring lines now in vogue:
II hain't forgot my raisin',
Nor how, in '62
Or thereabouts, with battle shouts.
charged the Boys in Blue;
And say fought with Stonewall
And blazed the way with Lee,
But, if Grover Cleveland's
Out to fight,
Make one more gun for me-"
1t was boomerang" "allowed''
the lines were 'tolerable," but said /
had understood 'em wrong. Why
that Teller sez he's going to fight Grover
hisself -
Truly. it needs the Roentgen process
to lay bare the inner consciousness of
these Democrats (p) who revile the
honestest. flrmest President since Wash.