St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-06-28
CLEVELAND COUNSELS
The Ex-President Addresses
a Commercial Club on
Vital Issues.
Private and Special Legisla-
tion and It's Baneful
Results.
Some Sound Advice to the
Assembled MonapchS
Of Business.
Politics Discussed as a Legit-
innate Field for High
EndeavOr.

PROVIDENCE, R. l., June 27-The
dinner of the Commercial club this
evening was the last of the season, and
was marked by one of the most dis
tinguIshed assemblies that ever sat at
It's board. The company numbered 10.
The special guests of the evening were
eX-President Grover Cleveland and
Richard Watson Glider. "Private and
Special Legislation" was the theme of
the evening. EX-Chief Justice Durfee
was the first speaker. He lamented the
corruptness of the lobby, and empha-
sized the Importance of citizens and
business men taking more active in
terest in politics. Gov. Ladd said few
words, introducing
EX-President Cleveland
and President Andrews was the last
speaker. Mr.. Cleveland said: Il never
attend a gathering of business men,
and recall the restless activity which
they represent, and the strain of brain
which they willingly bear for the sake
of profit and success, without wonder
ing that they are content to be so thor
Oughly engrOSSed III the Immediate de-
tails of their occupations, as often to
lead to all habitual neglect of these
affairs, which, though outside of their
counting houses, exchanges and manu-
factories. have an intimate relation to
their prosperity. No one can be obliy-
iOuS of the fact that matters of leg
islation. and the course of governmental
policy, are so important to the business
in which we engage, that our individual
efforts in its prosecution may be easily
promoted or thwarted by the conduct of
those who make and execute our laws.
Yet, in business circles we find but few
men who are willing to forego their
ordinary work to engage in the business
of legislation. Indeed. this unfortunate
condition has reached such a pass that
our business men think and often speak
of politics as something quite outside of
actually disreputable, may we'll be left
to those who have taste for it. l am
by no means unmlndful of the
SpasmOdic Interference
of business interests in politics, spurred
on by selfish desire to be especially
and exclusively aided through legisla-
tive action. Such interference based
upon such motives is more blameworthy
than iu activity, because it amounts to
an attempt to prevent governmental
functions-which is worse than neg
lect of political responsibility. But l
speak of the heedlessness of the duty
resting upon every one of us as Ameri-
can citizens to participate thought
fully and intelligently in the gem
eral conduct of the government
been left to our management. / seek
to remind you of the interest which you
and all of us have as members of our
American body polite, in wholesome
general laws and honest administration.
This interest is represented by the share
to which each of us is entitled,in the ag-
gregate, of advantage which such laws
and such administration secure. This
interest and this duty are surely worth
all the attention we can bestow upon
them: and the penalty of our neglect we
shall surely not escape. In order that
the patriotism and intelligence of the
country should prevail in our legis-
latlon, the patriotic and intelligent men
of the country must see to it that they
are properly represented incur national
councils. If they fail in this they will
governed by those who simply
Make a Trade of p Olftics.
If it is well that our legislation be in
fluenced by the enlightened and prac-
tical business sense of the people, our
business men must see to it that those
they trust are chosen as their law
makers. If they are Indifferent on the
subject the vast interests which so
greatly concern them and all the
fellow citizens will be left at
the mercy Of those who neither under
stand them nor care for them, and do
not believe these dangers will be effect
lively averted until they are better un-
derstood by the people and more thor
Oughly resisted. 1t seems to me that
private and special legislation, as it at
present prevails, is an evil cnargeable
TO great extent to the listlessness and
careiessness of the people. There is
kind of legislation which, upon its face
and concededly, is private and special,
which engrosses far too much of the
time and attention of our lawmakers.
The people have right 10 claim from
their representatives their best care
and attention to the great subjects of
legislation in which the entire country
Is interested. This is denied them If
their representatives take their seats
burdened with
Private Bills.
In which their immediate neighbors
are exclusively interested and which
they feel they must be dlligent in ad-
Vancing, if they would secure their con-
tinuance in public life. They are thus
led by the eXigencies of their
situation as they view it, not
only to the support of private bills of
questionable propriety. but to the neg
lect of study and understanding of
the important questions involved in gem
eral legislation. nor does the pernicous
effect OF such special and private legis-
lation stop here. The Importance of a
successful championship of the private
bills, measured by standard which
ought not for moment to be recog-
nlZed, seems SO vital to those having
them in charge that they are easily led
to barter their votes for measures as
pad as or worse than theirs
In order to secure the sup
port of similarly situated coll
eagues. thus is inaugureted a system
called log-rolling, which comes fright
1ully near actual legislative corruption:
and thus the people at large lose not
only the attention to their affairs which
is due to them. bnt are often no better
than robbed of the money in the publlc
treasury. L have not mentioned the
aspect OF private and special legislation
Which seems to me most pernicious. /
refer to the habit which it engenders
among our people of looking to the gov
ernment for aid in the accomplishment
or special and
Individual Schemes
and the expectation which it creates
and fosters, that legislation may be In
voked for the securing of individual adj
yantages and unearned benefits. The
relations Of our countrymen toward the