The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-05-05

was the first adroit step in his new
plan Of campaign; that every day of
his life in that fine efeminate Italian
hand, he will write from two to fifty
letters, addressed 10 persons in every
part of the country; that posing IS a
retired statesman and philosopher. and
playing upon the credulity of the SIM
pie minded and easily fattered, he
will leave no string untouched for
stimulating the activity of the expect.
ant; and day and night this Reform
club, having in charge the circulation
of Democratic literature, will be 81.
lently, surely working to the one end
which he, and they, have before them
his nomination in 1900.
"If Mr.. Cleveland vera possessed of
the faculty for couceiving any public
affair apart from his own interest
even if he had any real sense of per.
sonal dignity-he would rid the great
questions at issue from the embarrass-
ment of a presence which is not a
help, but hinderance. Instead Of
playing the part of philosopher and
statesman, while exhausting every
artifce to regain the presidency, he
would perceive the grandeur of being
such in point of fact, and of enjoying
like statesman and philosopher, the
repose of his old age and his honors,
but he would not be himself if he con-
sidered anything else than his own
desire and will. The executive office
represents both. He likes the power,
The emoluments and the employ ment.
He hss a talent for industry. He is
dominant and experienced.
TO lin the Pr esidency has become,
what he indeed made it while he had
it-a personal affair, held regardless
of party obligations. Destitute of
imae ination and Of sympathy, he
subjected everything and every body to
his un bounded and unquenchable egot-
ism. this egotism indeed, became so sin.
cere that he grew at last to believe that
he did actually know something of the
questions of his time and had some
policy OTTER than the qualification of
his love of power and display. 1t is
Just as we'll that Democrats who seek
the rehabilitation Of the party on
sound political lines of action and
thought should know, TO begin with,
what lies across their path, and that
they should begin to cast about them
how 10 shake from their shoulders
this veritable Old Man of the Noun
tains. He is with US only for what it
will bring him. Nothing could have
induced him to appear in public ex.
cept to keep himself before the public,
and there is not q word uttered by
him 10 depre ciate the idea of another
candidacy.
"All his life an officeseeker and an
oHcehoIder, he differs from the riff.
raft of hi. class only by his high pre-.
tensions and profound duplieity. He
hopes in the hurly- -burly of affairs to
force himself upon the country as the
representative of clean politics and the
public order. He represents neither.
He represents only his own lust for
Office. A great an noble principle
must not be thus desecrated. A pos.
sible party rehabilitation of the greatest
moment must not be obstructed by
such deaths head at the feast.
IF Mr.. Cleveland has not the wis.
dom to see his duty and the grace to step
down and out, he should be compelled
by the opinion of decent people 10 step
down and out, for the elimination of
his ambitions is indispensable to any
progress in the direction of reform,
which, while he stood as its official
chief, ercounted nothing but obloquy
and defeat"