GOVERNOR CLEVELAND IN BUFFALO 



[Excerpt from Harper's Weekly, New York City, October 

 1 1, 1884, p. 669.] 



In spite of the pouring rain which deluged the streets 

 of Buffalo from morning till late at night, the reception 

 of Governor Cleveland in that city of the 2d inst. was 

 a grand popular success. No demonstration of equal 

 magnitude and enthusiasm was ever before witnessed in 

 Buffalo. From the moment of alighting from the train 

 until he bade the cheering throng good-night at his hotel, 

 he was greeted with constant tributes of popular esteem 

 and honor. The city blazed with illuminations and 

 fire-works, and the crowded streets presented an aspect 

 of general festivity and rejoicing. 



The Governor and his party left Albany about half 

 past one in the afternoon in a special train for Buffalo, 

 and all along the route was greeted by enthusiastic 

 crowds wherever the train stopped. He reached Bufl'alo 

 a few minutes after eight o'clock; and as soon as the party 

 had entered the carriages at the station, the procession, 

 which was waiting on the streets nearby, formed in line. 

 The rain now came down harder than at any previous 

 hour through the day, and hundreds of men who had 

 intended to march in the line withdrew, declaring that 

 they could not stand the deluge. The procession was 

 thus much reduced, but the greater number, moved by 

 an earnest determination to show their devotion to 

 Governor Cleveland, pluckily took their places. "We 

 ought not to shrink," said Chairman Scheu, of the 

 County Committee. "Four years ago, at our biggest 

 demonstration, Governor Cleveland marched over the 

 whole line carrying a torch, and it rained as hard as it 

 does to-night." 



XW the principal streets of the city were decorated 

 with flags, transparencies, and pictures of the Governor. 

 Chinese lanterns were burning all over the front of many 

 buildings and upon ropes stretched from one building 

 to another across the streets. Colored fire burned on the 

 tops of many business blocks. The Governor's carriage 

 was drawn by eight white horses. When it appeared on 

 Main Street, that thoroughfare seemed to be ablaze 

 with fire-works. Cheer after cheer went up as he passed 

 along through the thronging multitude. The scene was 

 such as had never been witnessed before in Buffalo. As 

 the procession marched up the street, its magnificent 

 proportions became apparent. Well to the front came 



the Buffalo Legion, the finest body of men formed into a 

 political club in that city in years. Following them came 

 various political organizations of Buffalo, Rochester, 

 Syracuse, Batavia, Jamestown, and almost every other 

 city and town in Western New York. Many of them 

 carried torches, and nearly every club carried a trans- 

 parency. The mottoes were various, but the majority 

 referred in some way to the admitted honesty of Governor 

 Cle\'eland and the bad reputation of Mr. Blaine. The 

 route chosen for the procession was about four miles 

 long, going up Main Street, around several blocks, and 

 back to the Genesee House. When Governor Cleveland 

 had been over the route the procession had little more 

 than half passed. The procession was fully two hours 

 passing a given point, and must have included at least 

 18,000 men. 



When the Governor's carriage was driven up to his 

 hotel, he was again greeted with loud and prolonged 

 cheering, and his appearance on the balcony, when the 

 procession had fully passed, was again the signal for a 

 tremendous burst of applause. Mr. Henry Martin, 

 President of the Manufacturers' and Traders' Bank, 

 delivered an appropriate and telling address of welcome, 

 to which Governor Cleveland made a brief felicitous 

 response, thanking the people of Buffalo for their demon- 

 stration of esteem and confidence. In conclusion he 

 said: 



"Because I love my State and her people 1 can not 

 refrain from reminding you that she should be in the van 

 of every movement which promises a safer and better 

 administration of the general government, so closely 

 related to her prosperity and greatness. And let me 

 leave you with the thought that your safety lies in im- 

 pressing upon the endeavor of those intrusted with the 

 guardianship of your rights and interests a pure, patri- 

 otic, and exacting popular sentiment. The character of 

 the government can hardly rise higher than the source 

 from which it springs, and the integrity and faithfulness 

 of public servants are not apt to be greater than the 

 public demand." 



The counter-march of the procession began at mid- 

 night, and for two hours the Governor remained on the 

 balcony watching the parade. Thus ended the largest 

 and most significant political demonstration ever wit- 

 nessed in Buffalo. 



PAPER 4 5 : POLITICAL CAMPAIGN TORCHES 



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