_PUCK, March 16th, 1887._
That Mr. Cleveland during his first term was the object of more
newspaper criticism than a President usually receives was due to a
combination of circumstances. He was the first Democratic President
elected in a quarter of a century; he was elected in part by Republican
or Independent votes, and he had incurred the enmity of a faction of
his own party. Nor were his ideas of the duties and responsibilities of
government calculated to please a certain numerous and noisy class of
Democratic politicians who were “out for the spoils.” On March 16th,
1887, PUCK commented thus upon the situation:
“It is pretty hard for a practical politician and a strict party-man
to toil away, day after day, editing a great paper and moulding public
opinion at two or three cents per daily mould, and to see public
opinion doing its own moulding all the time, in just the way it should
not. It is disheartening--it is hard on a truly great editor. And yet
to such misery are some of our most prominent moulders subjected.
They toil unceasingly to show to President Cleveland the error of
his ways--giving the public an incidental glimpse--and the more they
show it to him, the less he sees it--and the less the public sees it.
He goes on and does his work as he promised to do it, and the public
seems to be thoroughly well pleased with him. But it is hard on the
moulders.”
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