The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-03-06
INDEPENDENT OPINIONS.

Thursday was the first anniversary of the
Inauguration of President Cleveland, and
the Boston Independents observed it with
dinner at the Parker House followed by
speech making They were all very enthusi-
astic over the record made by the admins
tration, though Col. Goldman admitted that
the Pan-Electric matter was worrying him
some, and expressed the opinion that some
of the Presidents appointments might have
been better, though he took the charitable
Mugwump view that all the bad nominations
were the result of deceit practiced upon the
Executive. The Colonel called Mr.. CIeve-
land "Our President" and claimed that the
Independents elected him. The Hon. f. w.
Bird addressed the assemblage as ''fellow
Democrats" and invited them all to Join the
Democratic party in the hope, he said, that
little leayen might leayen the whole lump
DR.. William Everett eulogized the admins
tration, and so did Mr.. Causten Browne and
Col. Theodore Lyman, Much which they
said was true and just enough, but much
euually true and just might have been said
that was not To the administration faults
they were little, yes, good deal,-blind,
and to its virtues very kind indeed.
A more discriminating review of the adj
ministration's first year than any given at
the Boston dinner is that Of Mr.. George Will
liam Curtis in Harper's Weekly for this
week. Mr.. Curtis criticises in a kindly spir-
it, and is inclined to give the President the
full need of praise for the good things he
has done, but he does not, like his fellow
Independents of Boston, shut his eyes to the
fact that many Of the acts of the administras
ton have been indefensible He says:
The three mistakes to be designated in the
FIRST year of Mr.. Cleveland's administration
gre the changes in the civil service without
legitimate cause, although the number is
much smaller than under any other admins
tTatlon; the continuance of the Attorney
GeIeral IN tne Cabinet, and the refusals to
lndke pupllc the reasons for removal The
President cannot "educate'' his nartv to he a
reform party. But he could re0IiiTa ev4rW
member OF his Cabinet to observe strictly he
ponI!cy N 4, regard 70 rel oyals, and he could
cations in regard to appointment and remnv-
al to be part of the public records IF snnb q
course should divide his party, it wonld
merely prove that he must decide between
his reform principles and his party, Shonld
he insist that his policy be strictly observed.
his party might rebel and then it could GER
tainly not carry another election. But should
he think to reform little, and to allow for
the tender footed Democrats, he would inev-
itably share their discontinue. 1t is a situa
ton III which at this timeitis better to trust the
people than a party. No President has done
so mnch for reform as Mr.. Cleveland. But
it is a movement in which, from the nature of
the case and his own record, his administra-
ton will be Judged, not so much by what is
done well as by what is done i'll. Good APP
pointments can neither ''set off, bad ap-
pointments nor careless removals. The ap-
pointments in Maryland have gone far to
overthrow the confidence of the truest friends
Of the President. Whoever has procured
such appointments has covered the cause of