Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-03-12
CIeVeIand's Address.

fxLLow CITIZENS: In the presence OF
this vast assemO.age of my countrymen
am about To supplement and seal by the
oath which l shall tat' manifestation OF
the will Uf great and free people. In the
exercise of their power and the right of
selt-sovcrnmcnt they have committed 10
one of their ftllOw-citizens a snprrme and
sacred trust, andhe here coasecrates IL to
their SSrvic,'.
This impressive ceremony adds little 10
the solemn sense OF responsibility with
which contemplate the dnty l owe to all
the people OF this land; nothing can relieve
me from anxiety lest by any act of mine
their interests may suffer, and nothing is
needed to strengthen my resolution 10 en-
gage every faculty and effort in the promo
tion of their welfare. Amid the din Of
party strife the peoples choice was made,
but Its attendant circumstances have dem
onstrated new strength and the safety Of
government by the people. In each sue
ceeding year it more clearly. appears that
our Democratic principle needs no apology,
and that in its fearless and faithful appli-
cation is to be found the surest guaranty Of
good government.
But the best result in the operation of
! government wherein every citizen has a
share largely depends upon the proper lin
itati0n or purely partisan zeal and effort,
and correct appreciation OF the time when
the heat OF the partisan should be merged
into the patriotism of tle citizen. To-day
the executive branch of the government Is
transferred to new keeping. But this is
| still government of all the people, and it
| should be none the less an object of their
affecti0nate solieitude. At this hour the
| animOSitieS of political strife, the bitterness
of partisan dcfrat, and the eXultation Of
| partisan triumph should be Supplanted by
ungrudging acQulescence in the popular
| will and sober, conscientious concern for
the general veal; moreover, II from this
hour we cheerfully and honestly abandon
all sectional prejudice and distrust, and de-
termine, with manly confidence in one an
other, to work out harmOnlously the
achievements OF our national destiny, we
shall deserve TO realize all the benefits
| which our happy form of government can
beSt0w. On this auspicious occasion we
may well renew the pledge of our devotion
to the constitution, which, launched by the
founders of the republic and consecrated by
their prayers and patriotic devotion, has for
almost q century borne the hopes and aspi-
rationS of great people through prosperity
| and peace and through the shock of foreign
conflicts and the perils of domestic strife
and vic.ssitudes. By the father of his cOun-
try our constitution was commended for
adoption as "the result OF spirit of amity
and mutual concession" In that same
spirit it should be administered in order to
promote the welfare of this country and to
secure the full measure of its priceless BEN
etits to us and to those who will succeed to
the blessings OF our national life.
The large variety of diverse and compet-
| ing interests subject to federal control per-
siStently seeking the recognition of their
claims need give us no fear that ''the great
| est good to the greatest number" will fail to
be accomplished if, in the halls of national
| legislation, that spirit of amity and mutual
concession shall prevail IN which the con-
stitution had its birth. Ii this involves the
surrender or postponement of private in
terests and the abandonment of local advan-
tages, compensation will be found in the as
surance that thus tile common interest IS
subseryed and the general welfare ad-
vanced.
| In the discharge of my official duty ] shall
endeavor to be guided by q just and un-
strained construction Of the constitution,
careful observance of the distinction be-
tween the powers granted to the federal
government and those reserved to the States
or to the people, and by a cautious appre-
citation of those functions which, by the
| constitution and laws, have been especial
| ly assigned to the executive branch OF the
government. But he who takes the oath
to-day to preserve, protect, and defend the
| SumeS the solemn obligation which every
patriotic citizen on the farm, in the work
shop. in the busy marts of trade, and ev-
| erywhere, should share with him. The
constitution which prescribeS his oath, my
countrymen, is yours; the government you
have chosen him to administer for time
is yours; the suffrage which executes the
will of free men is yours; the laws and the
. entire scheme of our civil rule from the
town meeting to the state capital and the
| national capitol is yours. Every voter, as
surely as your chief magistrate, under the
same high sanction, though in a different
| sphere, exercises public trust. Nor is this
all. Every citizen owes to the country
| vigilant watch and close scrutiny OF Its
servants and fair and reasonable estimate
of their fidelity and usefulness. Thus Is
| the peoples will impressed upon the whole
framework of our civil policy-municipal.
state, and federal-and this is the price Of
our liberty and the inspiration of our faith
| in the republic.
1t is the duty of those serving the people
in public places to closely limit public ex-
penditures to.theactua needs of the govern
| ment, economically administered, because
there are bounds to the right of government
| to exact tribute from the earnings OF labor
or the property OF citizens, and because
public extravagance begets extrayagance
among the people. We should never be
ashamed of the simplicity and prudential
economies which are best suited to the
operation of republican form of govern
| ment and most compatible with the mission
of the American people. Those who are
selected for a limited time to manage pub
lie affairs are still of the people and may do
much by their example to encourage, con-
sistently, with the dignity of their official
functions, that plain way of life which,
among their felow-ctiZens, aids integrity
and promotes thrift and prosperity. The
genius of our institutions, the needs of our
people in their home life, and the attention
which is demanded for the settlement and
development of the resources of our vast
territory, dictate the scrupulous. avoidance
| of any departure from that foreign policy,
commended by the history, the tradition
and the prosperity of our republic: 1t is
the policy of independence, favored by our
position and defended by our known love
of justice and by our power. 1t is the poi
icy of peace, suitable to our interests. 1t
is the policy of neutrality, rejecting any
share in foreign bro Is and ambitions upon
other continents and repeliing their lntru,
sion here. 1t is the policy of Monroe, and
WASHINGTON, and Jefferson. Peace in
commerce and honest friendship with all
nations; entangling alliances with none"
A due regard for the interests and pros
perity of all people demand that our
finances shall be established upon such a
sound and sensible basis as shall secure the
safety and confidence OF business interests
and make the wages of labor sure and
steady, and that our system OF revenue
shall be so adjusted as to relieve the people
from unnecessary taxation, having due
regard to the interests OF capital invested
and workingmen employed i'll American in
dustries, and preventing the accumulation
of surplus in the treasury to tempt ex-
trayagance and waste. Care for the prop
erty % Of the nation and for the needs OF flu
ture settlers require the public domain
should be projected from. purloinng
schemes and unlawful occupation.
The conscience OF the people demands