Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-07
Mr.. Cleveland and Duty.

William c. Hudson writes from BuzZardS
Bay to the Brooklyn Eagle to say that
Grover Cleveland will accept the presiden-
tial nomination If shown that this Is MS
duty to his country and his party. AS
Buzzards Bay Is the summer home of Mr..
Cleveland and the Brooklyn Eagle Is urg-
ing him for the nomination, this deliverance
is probably of Importance.
Mr.. Hudson then proceeds at some length
to explain why Mr.. Cleveland should con-
tinue to preserve silence on the subject. and
with other things says:
Were Mr.. Cleveland to follow his incli-
nation and, at this time, declare that he
would not accept a nomination and yet IN
the final development of the situation
should be called upon to forego his prefer
ence and obey the call of duty. ne then
might find himself the subject of criticism
in that he was not sincere in his utterances.
and. indeed he might be charged WIN
being treacherous to the ambitions OF
others which had been In operation In the
belief that he was not candidate. ana
which. not put to the final test. 1t might
be claimed would have been successful had
not his towering and overshadowfng per-
sOnality been interpoSed.
Criticism of the kind suggested would not
embarrass Mr.. Cleveland. On former oc-
cason he provoked it, received it in guam
titles. and treated 1t good humoredly. He
letter accepting his first presidential nomi-
nation Mr.. Cleveland said:
when we consider the patronage of this
great office. the allurements of power. the
temptations to retain public place once
gained and. more than all, the availability
a party finds in an incumbent whom a
horde of office holders, with zeal born OF
benefits received and fostered by the hope
of favors yet to come. stand ready to aid
with money and trained political service.
we recognize in the eligibility OF the Presi-
dent for reelection most serious danger
to that calm. deliberate and Intelligent po-
ltical action which must characterize a
government by the people"
At the time this solemn sentence was
penned Mr.. Cleveland was anxious about
the future. He had defeated for the nomi-
nation the old leaders of his party. and
some of them were a little grumpy at hav-
ing been set aside for him. He wanted
their support at the polls. and so in sub
stance said to them: Give me one term.
gentlemen. and l shall be in no mans way
four years from now" The bid for sup
port was effective. The old leaders. with
Mr.. German at their head. turned In and
worked with will. and Mr.. Cleveland won
in an eye-lash finish. We all know what
followed The second nomination was
easily secured. the third was vigorously
fought for. and no amount of persuasion
in 1895 could induce Mr.. Cleveland to de-
clare that he did not want fourth. The
one-term declaration thus became, by Its
authors own performances, a sort of joke.
Mr.. Clevelands present position is pretty
we'll understood. He wants next year s
nomination, and there is strongly organ
ICED movement on foot to secure 1t for him.
Politicians of experience and shrewdness
are enlisted in the cause. Mr.. Cleveland
Is not. of course. expected to make any
definite sign at this time. His role is that
of the statesman who. having done his duty
once. can be induced to do it again. Duty
to country and party is the watchword.
Mr. Hudson is evidently on the inside.