The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-11-22
CLEvELAND'S RECORD.



CLEvELAND'S RECORD.
Hfs Fame as . Patriot Assured by His
Great Tariff Message.
As result Of the recent election
Grover Cleveland will retire from
American politics for the time being;
but, If he should never reappear. he
has already made a place for himself
in American history alongside Of the
towering figures Of Washington, Lin
coin and Grant. Washington will al
ways be the father Of his country; Lin
coins name il indissolubly associated
with the emancipation OF the slaves;
Grant was the great General who
achieved the defeat of the rebellion
and, as a leader. did more than any
other to promote the peace and har-
mony of the subsequent reunion; Cleve-
lands fame as a patriot was assured
by the historic tariff message, which
will always be regarded as the corner
stone OF reform which some day will
emancipate the American people from
the burdens of unjust and unnecessary
taxation.
There is but one leader of the people
and moulder of public sentiment in
contemporaneous history to whom
Cleveland may be compared in his
present position. That man is Glad
stone. Gladstone today is the politi-
cal victim of his own honest, high
minded and patriotic convictions; 50 is
Cleveland. Gladstone's entire public
career has been devoted to the cause
Of national progress and the rights OF
the people. He was the leader Of the
tariff-reform movement of his country.
in the disestablishment of the Irish
church, in the abolition of the sales of
army commissions: he has been con-
spicuous in every movement of reform
in Great Britain during the past forty
five years, and was defeated in his
struggle for the establishment of home
rule in Ireland. which is sure to pre-
vail in the end. Cleveland's public
career has been much shorter, but it
has been replete with aspirations and
achievements of progress and reform.
AS sheriff of his county, as mayor of
his city, as Governor Of his State and
President of his country. Cleveland has
of public benefactions, and he has just
been defeated as champion of tariff
reform, which is the manifest destiny
of this country.
The parallel does not end here. As
Gladstone in the minority is greater
man than Salisbury, his successful
rival in the government of Great
Britain, so Cleveland, in his retire
ment, will be a greater man in Ameri-
can history than General Harrison,
| who is to displace him.
Grover Cleveland has been the
architect of his own political career,
an Independent thinker, friend of
the people. He has always been able
to rise above party influence, popular
clamor, personal considerations and
selfish interests. He has provided
history with practical application OF
Henry Clay's maxim: ''Better be
| right than be President" He has
| guided great political party, which
was Bourbon in many OF its attributes,
in the direction Of a great National re-
| form-not for transient political sue
cess, but for the ultimate achievement
| of a grand National work. He has
promoted a degree of popular thought.
study and discussion Of a vast econom-
ic question which never before pre-
vailed among the American people,
and has planted the seed of q great
principle which is bound to germinate,
and blossom, and fructify. He has
sacrificed temporary power and per-
sonal interest TO the glorious cause
in which he enlisted. He might have
been reelected President by keeping
still; he had only to reach out to
grasp the prize. But to him the
destiny of his country was more vital
than personal preferment or party
success.
Grover Cleveland is to-day the lead.
er of the most important economic
movement ever inaugurated in the
VI AAlASIAAtlA AtSPuoiAN, ~
ciple which is essential to the perfec,
freedom, equality and fairness Of tho
American system. He has with him
the best brains OF the country and has
received the high compliment of tn.
active hostility Of the monopolies, the
trusts and machine politicians. HI
goes into retirement full of honors ant
followed by the admiration and re
spect, not only of his friends, wht
share his political defeat, but of tn.
mass of his opponents. He may ye
be an active power in bringing abou
the realization of the reform to which
he has aroused the attention of tn,
American people; but. in any case, tn
reform will come. and he will alway
be rewarded by history with the gar
land of heroism and the laurels whicl
belong of right to original thinker
and great leaders. -Kansas City Star