OCR Text |
Show C AN THIS HE Till li? A Washington correspondent quotes Senator Carlisle of Kentucky as having hav-ing had an interview with Mr. Cleveland, Cleve-land, in tho course of which tho ex-president ex-president said: "I havo tho welfare of tho democratic party at heart. I desire to seo its principles triumph, but I do not wish to have tho presidential nomination nomi-nation agaiu, and I shall tako steps, if it proves necessary, to prevent sueh action by tho convention. I have been president. My ambition is satisfied. I havo a wifo and little daughter. My domestic life is complete and happy. I cannot brinp; myself to think of returning return-ing to public ollieo. My incomo from the practice of my profession is amplo for all of my needs. Nothing but a strong senso of duty could.induee mo to think of accepting a nomination, aud I do not think the conditions will develop de-velop that duty. No, I am not a candidate, can-didate, and I am not willing to accept the nomination." Can this be true? lias Mr. Cleveland, Cleve-land, who, until tho elections of last November, was generally regarded by the wholo country as tho only possible democratic candidate for the presidency, presi-dency, come to look on his chances as doubtful; Has the severe setback to tariff reform, of which ho was tho ac-knowledgad ac-knowledgad champion, tilled him with misgivings? Has tho conspiracy of such active and unscrupulous leaders as CiORMAN, BiticE and Hill, who fiave succeeded in' humiliating his ablest lieutenant, Mr. Mills, caused him to loso faith in tho ability of tho democratic party to win even under his banner in Thero is philosophy in the story, whether it be true or false. One term as president might satisfy the ambition of a reasonable) man, and tho possession posses-sion of "a wifo and littlo daughter," with an amplo income for all their aeeds, is something worth living for, as well as a strong incentive to leave tho cares ami perplexities of public li fo to bo shared by othors. There is only "tho Strong senso of duty" that comes between be-tween tho ex president's domestic hap-pines hap-pines and bis acceptances of a nomination. nomina-tion. That fixes it. No American citizen cit-izen can bo so "undutifu!" as not to accept ac-cept a nomination for tho presidency if tendered him, but at tho same time it is good policy for even tho most ambitious am-bitious of candidates to be iu a position to say, iu case the honor should bo conferred con-ferred upon another, that he did not desire it and could not have accepted it except at tho greatest personal sacrifice |