Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1889-12-20
CLEVELAND AND GRADY AT
BOSTON.


The business men of Boston have had
distinguished success in attracting intellec'
tual eminence and oratory to their gather
ings of late years.
The speech Of ex President Cleveland,
delivered at the Boston Merchants Associ-
alton on Thursday evening last made pro-
found impression upon his hearers, and has
been read with deep interest everywhere.
Like all of his public utterances, the speech
bore the impress of thorough conviction
and earnest purpose. 1t is clear, plain and
courageous. In these days of too frequent
trucking to party, and of speaking with
bated breath in view of giving offence to
political managers, it is refreshing, indeed,
to find man with spirit to drive them to
their proper places and let them know they
have to remain there.
President Cleveland warned his hearers
OF the dangers from political intimidation
and corruption; pointed out the causes that
had produced this alarming condition; re-
minded business men that they are not free
from serious responsibility for Ringing about
that condition, and expressed the conviction
that the remedy lies in the thorough ballot
reform which has been inaugurated in
Massachusetts with such marked success.
He distributes his castigations right and left
here. He scorns the bosses who have come
into power peculiarly in our day-men who
owe their chief strength and importance to
their ability by the use of money to cor
rupt the vote of the country.
Equal rights and impartial justice" said
Mr. Cleveland, "are stipulations of the com
pact we have entered into with each other
as American citizens, and so nicely adjusted
is this plan OF our political association that
favoritism for the sole advantage of any
section of our membership inevitably re-
suits in an cncroachment upon the benefits
Justly due to others. But these things set
so lightly upon the conscience of many
that spirit OF selfishness is abroad in the
land, which has had the habit of clamorous
importantly for government aid in behalf
of special interests-imperfectly disguised
| under the cloak of solcitude for the public
good. The Inauguration of the intimidation
and corruption of our voters" he said, "may
be justly charged to selfish schemes, seek
| ing success through political action" and
he added, "that the dishonorable and cor
| rupting practices that have debauched and
degraded politics have been tolerated by
respectable men who, in weakness of patri.
otto sentiment, have regarded them as only
phases of shrewd political management,
and they have been actually encouraged by
the honors which have been bestowed upon
those who boast of their use of such agen-
cies In aid of party supremacy" This is a
bitter truth that needs no specification in
proof.
Mr.. Grady's speech was one of eat
beauty and brlliancy, and it was accompa-
MED with solid thought 1t was an appeal
from Southern man TO his Northern breth
rem on the basis of nationality common to
them both, and to which it was his own
devotion as strong as that Of those to whom
his discussion was directed.
The leading feature Of Mr.. Gradys speech
is the difficulty of the problem with which
the South has to deal, owing to the pres
ence in il of two races of men, the smallest
of whom numbers several million in popu-
lation-that the work before the South is to
reconcile these races in its society so that
there shall be no conflict, but harmony of
effort Mr.. Grady says that this has been
done already in the case of the South as it
has not been done before in the worlds his
tory under the same difficulties He claims
that the South has opened to the colored
man hundred useful trades that the North
closes to him, and that there is forbear
ance toward him, because of his ignorance
and comparative helplessness, that gives him
advantages under the law not known to
other classes To these facts he pledges
his word as man of honor, who has stud
led the subject in spirit favorable to the
colored race. Mr.. Grady discussed the
Southern question in his most effective man
ner. 1t was an Grafton frank, fervid and
eloquent