The Commoner

Cleveland's Candidacy.

Brother Watterson is sure that Cleveland wants to be a candidate again, and he takes occasion to speak very bitterly about Mr. Cleveland-more bitterly than a conservative man like the editor of The Commoner would feel disposed to speak. There is no doubt that Mr. Watterson is perfectly honest in his effort to prevent Mr. Cleveland's running. He first appealed to him, as it were on bended knees, not to be a candidate, and then when appeals seemed vain he belabored him with his oratorical and rhetorical club, or, rather, pen. He quotes from the various Cleveland papers, and seems to make a good case against Mr. Cleveland, if ambition to be a candidate for the fourth time were a crime.

The Philadelphia Record of March 25 has a column on the first page under big headlines announcing that Cleveland is being boomed by a man of the not uncommon name of Jones. Mr. Jones says: "But I find that Mr. Cleveland's popularity is almost unbounded." And Mr. Jones also says that Mr. Cleveland has "never yet refused to serve his party," and adds, "While he may have an aversion to again entering public life he will not fail us at a time when he is most needed."

Well, if the reorganizers obtain control of the party, why should not Cleveland be the nominee? If the party has made a mistake in taking the people's side and in casting Mr. Cleveland aside, why should it not take Mr. Cleveland up again if it decides to cast the people aside? It would be a great deal better to nominate Mr. Cleveland, so that the voters would know certainly what they were voting for (or against), than to nominate some other plutocrat with Cleveland's views and sentiments, but whose position is not known to the people.

Let us have a clean-cut, open fight between the democratic party and Mr. Cleveland. If Mr. Cleveland is defeated he can vote the republican ticket as usual. If he is successful in securing the nomination-well, he will doubtless support the ticket.