The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1897-01-22
The Case Of Grover Cleveland.
BY ALFRED HENRY LEWIS.
From The New York Journal.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3.-YOu of
the country who have witnessed the
triumph of Mckinley over Bryan
should not in any retrospect of such
history forget Cleveland as one who
contributed most potently to that
result. Elected by the Democracy
in 1884, and again by that same
Democracy in 1892, in his narrow
avarice and money-truckling he
has been Willingly and willing the
lever of his party's overthrow.
Treason is unpleasant, yet it is
none the less instructive, and even
a traitor may point moral and
adorn a tale. 1t is, therefore, with
out apology 1 write of Cleveland.
1t is the more reasonable, too,
that one knows much of him; for
even as / write, between gusts Of
secret aid to Spain, he is planning
in a foggy fashion his own exalta-
tation to a fourth candidacy and a
third Presidency in 1900; holding
himself as that one of ones to whom
the whole country must then turn.
There has ever been error in ac-
counts of Cleveland. They were
either rotten with the f1attery
of some fulsome place-yearning
cuckoo, or wrong as the assault
of a foe who attacked by any
method. What follows will be
the thrice pruned truth.
1t is pity that the American pub
lie can't come to Washington and
remain three months in twelve. 1t
would be worth the nations while
to give itself a point blank look at
Government and the watchmen on
the walls thereof.
What an excellent enlightenment
would flow from the world coming
to Washington three months in a
year, where it could feel and see
and hear and sniff greatness hand
to hand, eye to eye, ear to mouth,
nose to nose. The experience would
betray the sawdust in many doll.
The world, however, cannot come
to Washington. And standing afar
off it will hear only the lies of cour-
tiers, see only the mirage which
distance lends to greatness and
never get down to the truth.
1t has been; it will be that you
may take the commonest clod, let
it be vicious, as vile and as low in
its instincts as black in its past, and
the moment you elect it to Pres
idency its apotheosis will begin. Its
halo will come with its inauguration
oath, and ever thereafter that cloC
will be not the earth it is, but the
precious gold it ought to be. Fol
all of which weakness of public
sight and judgment, a weakness t.
grow with population, it is wortl
Mhile to sit coldly down and reat
about ones ruler.
Cleveland, a Jerseyman, was borl
in March, 1887. He will be sixt,
when his term expires. He wa
forty-eight when he came first t
Washington dozen years ago.
Cleveland represents in his sue
cesses the victory of accident. III
has had, what cropping men, feelin
Tor a solution in the dark, ca
"luck." Like Napoleon, Cleve
land calls it "destiny." Let tina
go. It's not of much moment wha
one calls it, so that it is perfect,
understood.
Cleveland as youth drank spar
ingly at Learning's fountain. H
was taught little of book sort. II
knows little to-day. He could no
name you twenty authors; has no
read a dozen books; doesn't know
Robin Hood from Thomas, poet o
that ilk, and wots little of polite
letters.
AT seventeen, after performing
briefly, his biography says, as
"teacher" in a blind asylum-anG
he might teach the blind-Cleve
land went to Buffalo. This was il
1855.
BY the goodness of an uncle he
lived and studied law. He was
admitted in 1859. Later he held a
slight Office for three years, and
was defeated in his attempt to reach