The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-08-26
A Short Retrospect.

In the face of the prediction of dissat-
SIZED place-hunters it seems that the
of President CLEVELAND
is receiving the Endorsement to whiclrit
Is Justly entitled.
Those of us who have all along had
faith that what was best to be done would
he done, are not surprised, but the birds
of ill-omen-those who within the first
few weeks of the new regime, delighted
to cast suspicion on the President and
his advisers, and to prophesy the COM
plete failure of his policy. are now deep
ly chagrined that they allowed their
personal disappointment to get the bet
ter of their judgment. Some of these, in
order to conceal their modification, are
now claiming that their unwarranted |
attacks upon the Administration have
wrought change in its policy, and that
the course now being followed by it is
departure from that which was originally
announced. This is easier to assert than
to prove.
1t must be apparent to all that the
distribution of the offices contrary to
the wishes of those who have found
fault with President CLEVELAND, has
been the exciting cause of all the dissat-
isfaction which has been expressed by
Democrats. 1t was so in New York, in
Tennessee and in Louisiana, but in
all three of these States, it is not doubt
ed to day that the Administration has
the support and confidence of the great
body of the people. In Kentucky,
State from which some mutteriDgs were
heard, general election was recently
| held, and Notwithstanding the fact that
there was no question of great local i'm
portance to attract voters to the polls,
the returns indicate the election of the
Democratic nominees by the largest
majority ever cast for a Democratic
ticket in that State.
In Mississippi there are still some obec-
tionable persons in Office, but changes
have been made with reasonable haste,
all circumstances being considered, and
in every instance, so far as We
recollect, the recipients of official pre-
ferment have been men of unexceptiona-
Die character, and well-known fidelity to
the Democratic party. More than this,
they have been appointed on the
recommendation of our Senators and
Representatives, who, be it said to their
credit, have acted together in spirit of
most becoming harmony.
Since President CLEVELAND was
inaugurated more than five month,
have passed. 1t were enough to say that
during this time he has earned the
confidence of the American people,
without reference to party; but while
accomplishing this most desirable re-
suit, he has satisfied the reasonable
demands of his party followers. With
those who believe that the first duty of
a Dem ocratic President was to remove
every Republican office-holder in the
land without regard to its effect on the
public business, there Is still lingering
feeling of discomfort. Between them
and that other class who believe that nc
removals should be made, he has taken
the safe middle course which involves
such removals as are incident to the great
political reforms in which the people as
whole, and not as members of political
parties, are deeply concerned.
A distinguished citizen of Mississippi
recently said that the President and his
Cabinet had had but little time
to devote to the business of the
Government since the Inauguration
, meaning thereby the business in which
the non-partisan citizens of the Union
are interested and he expressed the
belief that unless something in the
shape of practical reform, including the
discovery and correction of abuses
which have had their birth and growth
with the Republican party, should
characterize.the present Administration,
feeling of disappointment would per
wade the country and render the pros
poets of Democratic success, three years
hence, extremely hazardous. The
} President seems to be impressed with
this view, and his effort seems to have
been to shield the Democratic party
from the appearance of being nothing
better than an organization intent or
getting possession of the offices. In this
he has been successful, though he has
not -hesitated, where the public good
required it, to displace Republi
cans and fill the vacancies with
Democrats. To the impatient, wha
seemed to be irresolution and too grea
consideration for the Independents, nov
takes the shape of a policy which in it
full development will be hailed as the
wisest with which the country has beer
blessed since the close of the civil war
We have never doubted the outcome
and feel that the time has arrived wher
even a cursory review of the acts of the
Administration will sustain the position
we have all along held.
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