The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-11-17
WHAT He DID SAY
David Overmyer's Complete
Opinion of Cleveland.
Why Former President Can Not
Be a Candidate.
THE PAST WOULD RISE.
Says 1t Would Be a Terrible
Appariti0n.
His Name Will Never 60 Before
Convention.
THE PAST WOULD RISE.

Cleveland as a Democratic candidate
for president. The paper quoted Mr.
Overnyer as follows:
Grover Cleveland has no more
chance to be nominated by the Demo-
cratic party than Mark Hanna or Book
er Washington. No man will be noni-
mated who is not Democrat Cleve-
land has not been a Democrat for the
last ten years, and he never was more
than a nominal Democrat. He was
from the beginning a mugwump; and
for the last ten years he has waged re-
lentless war upon the Democratic party,
it's principles platforms and candidates.
How can such a man expect to be nomi-
mated by the Democratic party?
The only argument in favor of his
nomination is that he could command
the support of Wall street and the
trusts, and thus procure a vast cor
ruption fund with which to beat Roose-
welt and purchase his own election
beautiful Democratic conception, isn't
it?"
There the quotation stopped and the
following, completing the statement Mr..
Overmyer gave the paper, was not
printed The remainder of Mr.. Over
myers statement was as follows:
On D6dutIul. DeduliFuI. WQdI d
spectacle for men and angels it would
be to see Cleveland as a Democratic
candidate backed by the trusts and
Wall street and the railroad and Doodle
gangs of the whole county: and thus
legitimating and verifying RooSeyelt'S.
and giving to his Pickwiclzian, F'alstaf-
fan, fiamboyant acting the virtue of
realityi
THE storm that overwhelmed Greeley
would ho h1If q 10 bo
tempest of former Democratic denunci-
alton, invective, sarcasm and just ac-
cusation which would be launched upon
the country by the Republican press
and orators; showing his infidelity and
treachery to the Democratic party; also
his corruption and tyranny, while the
Democratic press of the present day
would not be far behind but would
Spew him out with unutterable disgust.
THE past would rise before him as a
terrible apparition. It would paralyze
him and his supporters and unnerve and
undo them. The true Democrats of the
country have suffered at his hands all
the humiliation that they will ever en-
dure.
During his first administration he
threw the weight of his great Office
against every tendency of his party to
restore silver to its constitutional func-
ton as money. His known wishes upon
the subject held the Democratic party
in allegiance. The power of public pat
ronage and the reluctance of members
of congress to break with the first Dem
ocrat who had been elected president in
% years, neutralized the party and pre-
vented such action as was expected by
the Democratic people and by a great
majority of the people of all parties.
The best Of men are slow to create a
schism in the party to which they be-
long.
Having foiled those who desired fin
ancfal reform. he next coerced them to
his support by his tariff message in
which he touched a responsive chord in
every Democratic heart. To assail him
then would have been to have assailed
a sacred Democratic principle. Before
the message, he could not have been re-
nominated. Those who had hated him
in silence were patiently waiting for the
convention to conSign him to oblivion.
AS soon as the message came out, it
was seen that nothing could prevent his
denomination.
THUS has Cleveland in his first ad-
ministration twice thwarted his party.
By taking advantage of that partizan
extremity and loyal devotion which he
knew would exempt him from assault,
he with impunity, suppressed the as
pirations and smothered the sentiments
of his party; and then escaped the just
punishment in store for him in the con-
vention of 1888, by making himself a
partiZan necessity.
After his second nomination. he was,
by the logic of politics, the master of
his party; which did not seem to realize
that he was directing it and had
brought about his own denomination.
Few men OWNED his real character The
/ late Governor George T. Anthony, was
one of the few. He once told me that
| Cleveland was one of the most subtle,
profound and accomplished politicians of
/ the age and yet he posed successfully
as a simple hearted, hard headed, plain
| blunt citizen
Failing in the great tariff battle, for
his party to abandon him then would
| have been to have shown not only a lack
of sincerity in its recent ardent support
! of him, but likewise to evince a coward
/ ly disposition and surrender a principle
dear and vital to the Democracy. The
party had now fallen into the habit OF
obeying Cleveland Political parties,
like natural bodies are prone to move
| in the direction of least resistance: and
so the party drifted and waited for sug-
gestions from Cleveland.
! Even in defeat he was still power
full and when during Harrison's admin
istration, the Democrats were on the
point of decisive action upon the money
question, letter from Cleveland intro
! duced confusion and diScOrd into their
councils, and the great marplot, hav-
ing once more thwarted the party, took
a firmer grip upon the reins- Hayins
now overthrown and siIenced opposi-
ton; with the money power at his back
but out of sight, he boldly imposed
himself upon the convention and re-
ceived a third nomination submitting
at the same time to a platform which
he meant to violate, and with assur-
ances of loyalty to bimetalisna, 1ulled
suspicion and deceived the people. He
was elected in 1892 largely by the votes
of men who neither loved or trusted
him
Much as he despised the west, he
sought the support of the west. AS
early as December 1891 he caused wore
to be sent to his followers in the Da-
kotas, Minnesota, Nebraska and Kan
sas that they should fuse with tht
Populists- The plan was natuEed by
the national committee in several OF
these states with more or less complete