Governor Cleveland's letter accepting the Democratic nomi- nation appears to
ignore the attack made on his private life. That attack refers to a period of twelve years ago, and has in its worse features been proved to be false, though it is to be feared that it Will take some effect in diminishing the enthu- siasm of the true enthusiasts for the candidate of political purity and moral integrity. Governor Cleveland insists that the President as an Executive officer ought not to air a legisla- tive policy of his own. But he advocates heartily the exclusion of party politics from the considerations which determine Civil Service appointments, and declares that he would approve the passing of a Constitutional amendment rendering the Pre- sidency untenable by an ex-President for any second term, on the ground that such an amendment would contribute to purity of administration during the one term for which each President should be elected. Mr. Cleveland also declares that the immigration of labourers who do not intend to become citizens of the United States, but only to lower by their competition the wages of the' citizens of the United States, ought to be dis- couraged; and that American citizens belonging to the labouring class ought to be protected in their rights against the power of aggregated capital. What this last phrase points to, it is not easy to say. On the whole, Mr. Cleveland's letter has been favour- ably received for its business-like simplicity and brevity.
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