The St. Johns herald., 1890-03-27
\ Year of Republican Rule.

White House as President of the
 United States, panting under the pledges and corrupt bargains to which he had been compelled to commit himself in order to reach the gaol of his ambition but, nev- ertheless, exuberant in fine peri phrases and promises of every kind. But the people demand proofs of the good conduct of its servants upon promises alone nobody can dine. If, then, Benjamin Harrison is to be judged, as he deserves to be, by his acts, he is at this mo- ment, at the close of the first year of his administration, in a pitiful position. Among the men who play role in public life the President hardly possesses a single personal friend. To many of the members of Congress he seems contemptible, others smile at his insignifcance, no one troubles himself about what he says or does. The absolute in- difference with which the recom- mendations or suggestions contain ed in his first message were received is without a parallel in American history. This stricture, even, is thrown into the shade by the terms in which a wellknown Republican leader expressed his estimate of the present Chief Magistrate. "Harri- sons direction of public affairs places the conduct of a Hayes in a highly creditable light!" This an initiating judgment-to repeat what we have intimated-does not emanate from the ranks of the De- mocracy, but from very earnest and able Republican authority. And like master, like man. In spite of the desperate exertions which Secretary Blaine makes to throw the veil of oblivion over his down fall of four years ago by his "bril liant foreign policy" the admins tration fares no better, The latter exhibits, in international controver- sies, a pliability that is the direct antithesis of the canonieal '.jingo diplomacy" With his Pan-Ameri- can congress he simply makes him. self ridiculous. In word, fayorit- ism and nepotism are the distinc- tive characteristics of the first year of hrrison's government, and if, upon the expiration of three more such years the Americans shall get off with only black eye and with out big crash intervening, it will be an unexpected piece of good for tune, and not Harrison's statesman ship that will save them from it. New Yorker Staats-Zeitung.
 We are far from claiming that MT. Cleveland's administration was free from offense in the matter of political removals. We could not claim that at the time, and incurred much Democratic criticism by point ing out the causes for blame and applying the standard of the public service which we believed that Mir. Cleveland ought to observe and did not. But it is not only just to him, it is of the highest importance to the cause of reform, to establish the relative fidelity to that standard of MT. Cleveland and of his successor. Only by such comparison can the people of the United States reach | q sound and safe conclusion as to which of the two great parties is the better instrument for the achieve ment of the reform which is one of i the needs of the time, and in some regards the greatest need. And in forming this conclusion it must be remembered that while the action of MT. Harrison and his party falls far below that of Mir. Cleveland and | his party, the professions and prom ises of the former were much high