The people, as it were,
awoke from a dream; they saw at once how they had been deceived by
the methods of the Democratic campaign managers, and how an incident
which had no bearing whatever upon the issue of the campaign had
influenced their vote in a time of temporary anger and resentment."

This perfectly sums up the situation, as I now recollect it, on
the election of President Cleveland; it was the beginning of the
most protracted era of hard times that this country has ever known.

Mr. Cleveland was inaugurated the second time on March 4, 1893,
and, as Mr. Curtis says, there was very little enthusiasm. The
ceremonies were quiet and unenlivened.

Of course, it goes without saying, that I was not glad to see the
Democratic party returned to power; but I confess I was a little
pleased to meet President Cleveland in the White House again. His
manner, his treatment of those with whom he came in contact, was
so different from that of his predecessor, that it was a real
pleasure, rather than a burden, to call at the executive offices.

Mr. Cleveland promptly proceeded to remove Republicans from
Presidential offices and appoint Democrats. This even went to the
extent of the removal of postmasters, large and small, against whom
almost any sort of charge might be trumped up.

Adlai E. Stevenson was a past master in this respect. He was First
Assistant Postmaster-General under Cleveland's first Administration
and removed Republican postmasters whose terms had not expired,
without cause or reason. He was elected Vice-President when Mr.
Cleveland again came into office. He was a great favorite among
the Democrats, because he believed in appointing Democrats to every
office within the gift of the Executive.

I remember, after Stevenson was elected, Senator Harris, of Tennessee,
remarking to me: "Now we have got Cleveland and Stevenson elected,
if Cleveland would drop out and Stevenson was President, we would
get along finely." He meant that Stevenson would never permit a
single Republican to remain in office, if he could help it.

Mr. Stevenson made a popular presiding-officer of the Senate. He
has been a strong Democrat all his life, and it has repeatedly been
charged against him, although I believe he denies it, that he was
a Southern sympathizer during the Civil War. He served in Congress
two terms, having been elected from the Bloomington district, and
was quite an influential member. He was defeated as a