The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1888-07-28
A JEFFERsONIAN LEADER.

Republican writer's and speakers
always make a point of claiming that
thare is q certain element in the demo-
cratic party to which Cleveland is not
satisfactory as a leader. The idea orig
mated, in 30 far IN it really exists, in
the opposition which John Kelly and
his Tammany braves showed to Cleve-
lands nomination at Chicago four
years ago. This was 10 a considerable
extent due to personal suarrels between
Kelly and Manning as rival leaders, q
fact which is rendered sufficiently plain
by the complete harmony which has
come to prevail since the death of those
two men.
The particular element with which
it is claimed Cleveland is not in accord
is what the republicans call the Crock
ribbed" "moss-back," sold hickory"
style of democrats; in other words, the
ultra conservative type. These men,
they declare, endure the leadership OF
Grover Cleveland because of the hope
which 1t brings of SUCCESS at the polls,
but in the Office of president, they
assert, he il about as unsatisfactory as
a republican would be. 1t is a noticea-
BILE fact that If such sentiments exist in
the party they fail to find expression in
the democracy itself, aud the republi-
IAN organs are The only one that are
Inclined to rXhiull much solicitude in
the mater.
1t is true that the practical manage
ment of the democratic party has been
gradually falling into the hands of
younger men, but that the old element
is revsred and it's wisdom and expert
ence still courted was shown by the
nomination of Hendricks in eighty-four
and Of Thurman on the present ticket.
Young men for war, old men for conn
sci and the war waged by the young
Is most heartily in accord with the
counsel of the old.
At the Chicago convention, four
years ago, Grover Cleveland was strong
not merely in his availability as a IAN
didate, but also by reason of q sort of
political inheritance. The mantle OF q
great man has fallen upon his shout
ders. That man was Tilden, the great
est exponent of Jefiersonian democracy
then living. Tne place in the party
C occupied by Tilden, before him by
such men as Douglas and Cass, Cal
houn and jackson, In straight line OF
descent back to Thomas Jefferson, the
founder of American democracy, that
place Is held to-day by Grover Cleve-
land. The democracy of Cleveland Is
preeminently Jeffersonian; it is a re-
turn to the first principles upon which
government was founded, and from
which it had most sadly wandered dur
ing republican rule.
A we'll known Massachusetts mug
wump, whose views may be regarded
as free from party bias, recently dcclar-
ed, in a meeting presided over by
James Russell Lowell, that during his
administration Grover Cleveland had
produced a more remarkable series IF
state papers than any that had come
into existence since the days of Jeffer-
son. The remark called forth long and
enthusiastic applause. In the deter
mined effort which he has made to
abolish unnecessary taxation, prevent
extravagant expenditure, and protect
the constitution from the attacks of
monopoly, Cleveland has appealed in
language of mastery power TO those
doctrines of the rights of the individual
and the functions of government first
laid down by the founders of the
nation, the original leaders OF the DEM
ocratic party. 1t IL to The older ele-
ment of the democracy that such utter
ances bring the most Intense gratitca-
ton, and far from being alienated they
exalt Cleveland as the greatest of mod
ern Jeffcrsonian leaders.