The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1897-01-22

Sheriff and kept the Jail; and next,
having, we assume, made an excel
lent record, losing none of his keys
or his captives, he is seized on,
made Mayor, and instead of the
county cells, keeps the City Hall.
1t was old John Kelley who made
Cleveland Governor, and if there be
a purgatory for sinners of politics
he suffered for the sin. 1t was a
war-Tammany against anti-Tam-
many; city against the country.
"Let's take this fellow from Buff
falo, who's been Mayor there" said
old John Kelly. "Let's nominate
him for Governor. He doesn't
belong to either side.'
They did as old John Kelly said,
and then Conkling fought Garfield
and the whole Republican party
stayed at home on election day,
and Cleveland won over Folger by
a shadow short of 100000.
This was luck, but ii was likewise
excellent advertisement. The De-
mocracy-until Bryan's time-for
thirty years has never named any
body but a New Yorker for the
Presidency. The Republicans have
had more sense and ergo more sue
cess. But the Democracy never
until Bryan went beyond New York.
Following Cleveland's Governor
ship, he was selected for the Pres
idential race. German elected him,
landing him winner by throat
latch, and was barred from the
White House for it within month
after the Inauguration.
Thus we behold the growing of
Cleveland from Sheriff to President.
This story is much quoted by some
as illustrative of the sterling worth
of Americas free institutions.
With the thoughtful, however, its
Iilluminatiye value in that behalf is
uncertain.
III.
Jones, of Nevada, once told me
that of all whom he had met in
high place Cleveland was the most
widely ignorant and abundantly
dark. When he came to be Pres
ident he had but the yaguest notion
of government. He had never read
the constitution of the country. He
hasn't yet. Still, as he is at liberty
to choose his authors, as well as his
literature, one may not, perhaps,
complain.
AS he stood to take his first oath
as President there were few in the
thousands who listened and looked
on who had not better, fuller knowl.
edge of this Government than had
Cleveland.
But there were two matters APP
2 purtenant to the White House o.
which Cleveland had heard; two
c powers to which he willing turned
D These were the veto and the patron
age.
Within a year from March 4
1885, his first inaugural, Cleveland
had vetoed more bills than all o
n the Presidents who preceded him
v What study in egotism is this
S what misconception of duty! Tn
O broad Washington, the scholarl,
Jefferson, men who had rocked tn
: cradle of the Constitution; the start
e Jackson, who neither men nor god
o might bind; Lincoln, with all hi
Il care, and the silent Grant, who hat
= lived in the red front of war Will
+ Cleveland's address was Buffalo ant
t safety-the veto example of thes
V was no guide to him. They hat
fought and founded, and tough
;. again and refunded the Govern
e ment. They had alternated pei
e with sword, given wisdom an(
t valor and blood and brains to thu
t upbringing and defence of tn,
v country. Cleveland had don,
f neither. Yet in one year, playing
c with this tremendous power of veto
like child with rattle, he had
, dealt death to more measures than
5 all these heroes in the hundred
years which went before.
To understand Cleveland as he
was and is-for he has changed
nightly, and those who knew him
, a score of years ago wouldn't know
, him nOW-One mnSt remember the