The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1903-05-09
q is CLEVELAND A CANDIDATE?

ing through Maryland last week on
his way to st. Louis, and meeting with
the old refrain, -four years more Of
Grover" at that very moment the
Brooklyn Eagle, IN influential Demo
cratic paper of the Independent order,
was strongly urging him as the only
person who could defeat President
Roosevelt in 1904. While in st. Louis,
every possible opportunity was seized
upon by the large number Of reporters
and correspondents present to keep
him prominently before the public at
tention. 1t begins to look as though
Mr.. Cleveland is really candidate
again for the presidency. His present
attitude is exactly the same as it was
during the two years preceding the
presidential campaign Of 1892. While
David r. Hill was swinging around
the country and taking every possible
precaution to preserve his hold upon
the Democratic organization in New
York, Mr.. Cleveland was simply say
ing that he was not in politics. When
the time for the national convention
came around in the summer Of 1892,
Mr.. Hill found himself in control Of
the delegation from the state of New
York, while Cleveland had the delega-
lions from the remainder Of the states.
Can it be possible that Cleveland is
pursuing the same policy now, that he
pursued during the period preceding
the 1892 campaign? Will he allow
himself to be drawn away from his
dignlfied retirement into the stress and
turmoil of active politics? Mr.. Cleve-
lands position today is an enviable
one. Scarcely any of his enemies will
now deny that he made a good presi-
dent Full Of honors and years, but
still active and enjoying good health,
he lives retired life in the shadows
Of great university, with college
men and youths as his neighbors.
Possessed Of all the wealth necessary
to support himself and his interesting
family In ease and atiluellce during
all Of his and their days, he has the
time to lecture before the students of
Princeton upon subjects in which he
is Interested, or to fly away to the
coasts Of Florida in pursuit Of the
gamey tarpon. He may even go fish
ing on memorial day, without great
array Of newspapers attempting 10
hold him up to public scorn. In short.
he now enjoys that retirement which
his long service as a public servant
has. earned for him, and contrary to
what is usually true. he enjoys the
4 health and has the material resources
to make the most out of his desirable
position. Will ambition and the pub
lie acclaim and clamor of his friends
and admirers of which lie has many
he sufficient to lead him into temptH-
tion?. We hope not. Mr.. Cleveland
is not an available candidate for the
presidency. He has become estranged
from the great mass Of Democratic
voters. And this fact is true, not
because they have no confidence IN him,
not so much because they believe in
political principles and policies differ
ent from what lie advocates. but be-
cause of the ineXorable events of the
past ten years.
Grover Clpveland's career in national
politics began at a time when the Dem
ocratic party was steadily and rapidly
gaining in power. all over the country.
In the early eighties men had laid
aside the bitterness of the Civil War.
Influential men in every community.
who were Democrats before the war.
but had affiliated with the Republican
party during the war and the recon-
struction period had returned to the
Democratic party because the ques-
lions of the war being settled there
was no longer anything to keep them
in the Republican party. The Dem
oclatic party seemed destined to be
again the dominant party for fifty