Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-10-04
PAINTING A PORTRAIT OF cLEvE-
LAND.
Governor Foraker Takes the Brush in
Hand The President a. Others See
Him

In his Richmond, IPd-, speech, Governor
J. B. Foraker made some eaustie remarks
about Senator voorhees, and President Cleve-
and, that we're filed with singing truths-
after replying to Voorhees, mean attack on
General Harrison in which Senator Voorhees,
:alled the Republican candidate a bigot,
Governor Foraker turned his attention to
Cleveland, and this is part Of what he said
But what kind of "bigot' is Grover
Cleveland! Paint his party and you have
i'm too. He is Democrat. was born
Democrat; he will die a Democrat. He
ras a Democrat when Democracy meant. in
he language of Judge fancy THAT black
nan has no rights which white man was
hound TO respect" He was Democrat
shen Democracy meant the slave-pen, the
chipping post and the auction blocks. he
as Democrat when Democracy made It
rhine, punishable with imprisonment in the
,enitentiary, to teach black man the letters
in the alphabet. He was Democrat when
d m ocracy preach d AMI taught the doctrine
+ recession. He vas a Democrat when
Democracy plunged thi. country into
Ioody civil war. He was Democrat when
Democracy meant nothing more than a com
lnation of sneaking Copperheads, too cow
,rdly TO fight on either side. He WAS
Democrat when Democrats armed themselves
with Sunday school books" as they called
heir revolvers, to resist the draft He was
Democrat when Democrats called Abra-
1am Lincoln an ape, gorilla,
butcher usurper, tyrant, beast, and
monster. He was = Democrat when Dan
Voorhees,, speaking the sentiments of Dem
ocracy. called Union soldiers Lincoln dogs"
He was 4 Democrat when Democracy chuck
ed with delight over rebel victories. He was
Democrat when Democ ats were starving
Union soldiers to death in Andersonville and
Libby. He was Democrat VIII through all
he war, from its beginning until its ending,
never had = kind word TO speak for Abraham
Lincoln or the great cause he represented.
He was . Democrat when Democracy OPP
posed the issuing Of greenbacks. the estab-
lshment Of the Ma ional banks, and the
adoption Of every other measure intended for
the salvation of the country. He was a
Democrat when Democracy opposed specie
resumption, favored fiat money and shame
less reputation. He was Democrat through
all the long years of war and blood aud re-
construction, during which Democracy meant
only obstinate resistance to the achievement
of the grandest series of brilliant events with
which American craftsmanship and American
valor have ever been crowned. He is Demo-
crat, in short. who has stood with his party
on the lowest planes it has ever tosshed. He
10 4 Democrat who is without any part what
ever in any of the glorious achievements of
his day and generation. The Union was
saved without him. Our armies were
raised without him. Our battles were
fought without him. Succession was shot to
death without him. Suffrage was made uni
versal without him The grand systems of
finance that have made our country the won
der and the admiration of the world were all
conceived and executed without him. Re-
call, if you can. the worst days and the low
est depths and the most infamous practices
of Democracy, and then paint you q man
who has lived through it all. been part of
it all, and in sympathy with it all, and you
have Grover Cleveland as he entered upon
his administration. From then until now he
has been himself the Democratic party. lie
has ruled it with rod of iron. He has led
it whittier he would. He has not allowed it
to have any will inconsistent with his own.
He has had ample opportunity, therefore, to
place something on the credit side Of his
record.
But what has he done? He has spent a
good deal of his time fishing. He ha. spent
good deal more of it craw wishing. His sd-
ministration has been made up of advances
and retreats. No matter what he has es-
sayed to do, whether good or bad, he has not
more than fairly entered upon it until he has
abandoned it. 1t was so with his civil
service reform policy, his one-term policy,
his rebelhag policy, and it is now proving to
be the same with his boosted free trade
policy.