The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-06-07

accordance with the constitution OF tn
laws OF the land.
Whatevery problems the present hal
or the future may present, SO tar as poll
ical action can effect them, will be deal
with by the American people within tn
law. And in the future, as in the past
the people will find security for thei
liberty and property, encouragement
and protection for heirinhustries, peac
and prosperity in following the party o
the American masses, which will eve
shield them against the aggressions o
powerand monopoly on the one side, ant
on the other the surgings oil chaos. :,
While almost all the rest oil the civil
lied world is
DARKESED BY ARMS,
crushed by kings or nightmared by con
spiracies, we alone enjoy a healthypeace
a rational liberty, n progressive prosper
ity. We owe it to our political institu
tions, to democratic teachings, at leas
as much to the exuberant soil. Th'
man is not good American who, know
ing what we are, by act or word, expert
ment or thought, in any way will At
tempt to weaken the fundations oil this
splendid political structure-the Repub
lie OF the United States,
We meet to-day under conditions new
to the Democrats Of this generation
How often we stood in convention IN
the past, when to Others it seemed as IL
the shadows OF death closed around us
when the day of victory seemed almost
as far away as the day Of general judg'
ment. 1t could not then be said that we
met for spoils or personal advantage
We met to keep the fire OF Democratic
liberty alive until the dawn cf u better
day. II We were party OF misfortune
il must also be agreed that we were d
party Of undaunted courage and intiex'
ibie principles. Twenty.eight years ago
the Democratic party, rent into irag-
ments, heated by feuds that only time
could allay or punishmentdestroy met,
MS 1t looks now, merely to settle in an
CRY mood the terms upon which they
should become exiles from power. By
their mad dissensions they elected to 80
to defeat rather than wnt for the sober
ing influence oftime toclose the breach.
To the younger men OF that day the.act
seemed suicide-mitigated by insanity.
Their madness transferred to minority
OF the American people the political gov
ernment of all. That party, whatever
the honesty and respeCtability Of its
members, however patriotic its motives,
was not broad or national at its base. 1t
had at most but one central idea, and
when that idea was set in the constitu-
ton and crystalliSed into law, 1t ran u
career OF riot that appalled, all men. The
history Of that period Of political de-
bauchery is
TOO SAD AND FAMILIAR
to Americans to be recited anew. The
Republican party, sometimes peacefully
and sometimes by force, sometimes fair
ly and sometimes by fraud, succeeded in
holding power for twenty-four years, till
at last the American people, no longer
condoling its faults, or torgiying its
sins, hurled II from power, and again
committed to the historic party Of the
constitution and the whole union, the
administration OF our political affairs.
We won by the well'earned confidence
Of the country in the rectitude OF our
purpose, by the aid OF chivalrops and
conscientious men, who could no longer
brook the Corruptions OF the Republican
party, 1t was great, deserved, necessary
victory.
The day on which Grover Cleveland,
the nlnin. straiphtforward, tVpiOal Amer
lean citizen, chosen at the election, took
the oath OF office in the presence Of the
mnltitude-a day so lovely and so per-
feet that all nature seemed eXuberantiy
to sanction and to celebrate the victory
that day marked the close OF an old era
and the beginning of new one.
1t closed the era .of usurpation OF
power by federal authority, Of illegal
force, OF general contempt for constitu-
tional limitations and plain law, OF glar-
ing scandals, prohigate waste and un-
unspeakable corruption, OF narrow sec
tionalism, OF the reign Of party whose
good work had long been done.
It began the era OF perfect peace and
perfect union-the States fused In all
their sovereignty into a federal republic
with limited but ample powers; OF a
public service conducted with absolute
integrity and strict economy; OF reforms
pushed to
THEIR EXTREME LIMIT;
of comprehensive and safe financial
policy, giving security and confidence to
all enterprise and endeavor-a Demo-
cratic administration, faithful to its
mighty trust, loyal TO its pledges, true to
the constitution, safeguarding the inter
ests and liberties Of the people,
And now We stand on the edge OF an-
other and perhaps a greater contest,
with n relation to the electors that We
have not held for generation-that OF
responsibility for the great trust OF gov
eminent. We are no longer auditors
but accountants. No longer critics, but
criticized. The responsibility is ours,
and Il we have not taken all the power
necessary to make that responsibility
good, the fault is ours, not that OF the
people. We are confronted by willy,
Iinscrupulous and desperate foe. There
will be no speCk on the record that they
will not magnify into n blot; no circuri-
stance that they will not torture and mis-.
represent; no disappointment that they
will not exaggerate into Il revolt; no
class or creed that they will not seek to
inflame; no passion that they will not
attempt to rouse; no fraud that they
will not willingly perpetrate. They fan
cy, indeed, that there Is no impostute too
monstrous for the popular Credulity, no
crime that will not be condoncd. But
we stand at guard, full.armed at every
point to meet them, our appeal is not to
passion or to prejudice, 10 class or fac
ton, to race or creed, hut to the sound
common sense, the interest, the intelli.
qence and patriotism OF the American
people.
cLEvELAND's ADMINISTRATION.
The administration of President Cleye
land has triumphantly justified his elec
ton. 1t compels the respect, confidence
and approval of the country, The
prophets OF evil and disaster are dumb
What the people see is the Government
OF the Union restored to its ancient loot
ING Of Justice, peace, honesty and i'm
Martial enforcement Of law. They SCI
The demands OF labor and agriculture