The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-06-15
The Independents

The question whether the independents
viii support Mr.. Cleveland is attracting
SOME attention. 1t viii attract a great deal
more, perhaps, after the Chicago conven-
tion. The republican ticket may be salts
factory to many of the republicans who
voted against Mr.. Blaine in 1884, and if 1T
is, they viii support it in all probability.
All the republicans who voted for Mr..
Cleveland in 1854 did not do so because they
believed that he would do all he could to
advance the cause of civil service reform,
or because they favored tariff reform.
great many objected 10 Mr. Blaine because
they did not believe that he was an honest
man, and were afraid to trust an admins
tration Of which he would be the head.
The majority Of the Independents, how
ever, voted for Mr. Cleveland because they
believed that he would give the country an
honest, safe and economical administration,
and also because they believed that he
would do all he could to bring about a re-
form of the tariff and of the civil service.
They will vote for him again for the same
reasons.
Some of the Independents who voted for
of civil service reform are not wholly
satisfied with his civil service reform
record. They admit, however, that he has
done more to reform that service than any
of his predecessors. Their complaint is not
that he has not fulfilled his pledges, but
that he has not met their expectations.
They wanted him TO go further than the
laws required him to, in making removals
and appointments to office, aud his failure
to do so met with their disapprobation.
They did not take into consideration the
difficulties in the way Of complying with
their demands, and they insisted that he
should do at once what it would require
years to do effectually.
The independents who are tariff reform
ers and who desire honesty and economy in
the administration of the government have
never found fault with him. He has done
as much as any man could possibly have
done in behalf of tariff reform, and he has
labored constantly and conscientiously to
administer the government in the interest
of the whole people. He has not hesitated
to veto bills which he did not believe were
just and right, and he has not permitted
himself to be influenced in favor of any
measure by appeals of friends, or by per-
sonal or party considerations. The country
has never had president who was more
careful in watching the peoples interests,
and if he has vetoed measures which he
ought to have signed the mistake was due
to his zeal in behalf of the public interests.
The independents as rule, will support
Mr.. Cleveland, whoever the Chicago con-
vention may nominate. They will do so
because they believe that no republican
will give the country as safe and economi-
cal an administration as he, and because
they have every reason to believe that
while he will continue to be the friend of
tariff reform he will do all that is in his
power to advance the cause of civil service
reform. If he can so firmly establish the
latter reform that there will never be re-
turn to the spoils system he will have a
place in history among the great Presidents
of the country. This he very we'll knows,
and it is not improbable, therefore, that if
reelected he will give satisfaction to the
civil service reformers.