The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1891-07-24

The following Is an extract istma
speech delivered by ex.presldent cleve.
land few days ago before the Columbia
Club at Providence, Rhode Island. 1t Is
eteristic OF the man,
I seek to remind you Of the interest
which you and all Of us have as members
OF our American body polite In whole
some general laws and honest administra-
tlon. This interest Is represented by the
share to which each Of us is entitled In the
aggregate Of advantage which sueh laws
and such administration secure. This In
.srsst and THE duty are surely worth all
the attention We can bssiow upon them
and the penalty Of our neglect we shall
surely not escape. In order that the pa
sriotism and intelligence OF the country
should prevail In our leelslstlon the pa
triotic and intelligent men OF the country
must zee to Il that they are properly rep.
resented In eur national councils. II they
fall In thls they will be governed by those
who simply make trade OF politics.
Ifit is well that our legislation be inau-
snced by the enlightened and practical
business sense OF the people; our business
men must see to Il that those they trust
are chosen as their law makers. II they
are indifferent on the subject the vast In
terests which so greatly concern them and
all their fellow-citlEens, will be left At the
merc, Of thSse who neither understand
them nor care for them, and do not be-
lleve these dangers viii be effectively
averted until they are better understood by
the people and thoroughly resisted
Il seems to me that private and special
iegislation, as Il at present prevails, Is an
evil ebarseable to great extent to the
listlessness and earelessness of the people.
There Is kind of legislation which up
on lie face and eoneededly Is private and
special, and which engrosses far too much
sfthe time and attention OF our lawmakers.
The people have a right TO claim from
their representatives their best care and
attention to the great subjects OF leg
lslation In which the entire country Is In.
terested. This 10 denied them II their rep
resentaiives take their seats burdened with
private bills In which their immediate
neighbors are exclusively interested and
which they feel they must be diligent In
advancing II they would secure their con-
tinuanee In public life. They are thus led
BY the exigencics Of their situation, as they
view Il. not only to the support of private
bills OF questionable property, but to the
neglect Of a study and understanding OF
the important questions involved in gen
eral legislation.
Nor does the pernieious effect of such
special and private legislation stop here.
The importance Of successful champion
ship Of these private bills, measured by
standard which ought not for momen ito
be recognised, seems 20 vital to those hav-
ing them In charge that they are easily lei
to barter their votes for measures as bad
ss or worse than theirs, In order to secure
the support OF similarly situated colleagues.
Thus Is inagura,ed a system called log
rolling, which comes frightfully near act
uai legislative corruption; and thus the
people at large lose moi, only the attention
to their affairs which Is due to them but
are often no better than robbed of the
money in the public treasury.
have not mentioned the aspect Of spec
iAl and private legislation which seems 10
me most pernicious. refer to the habit
which Il engenders among our people of
looking to government for aid In the ac-
complainant Of special and Individual
schemes. and the expectation which Il
creates and fosters that legislation may be
invoked for the securing Of Individual ad-
vantages and u.iearned benefits. The re-
Iatlons of our countrymen toward the gov
ernment should be founded upon their
love for II as the fountainhsad Of their ma
tional life; their faith In Itas the poser
which preserves them free people; theIr
reverence for Il a. the perfect work Of the
highest patriotism; their confidence In its
justice and equality, and their pride In Its
ownership and management.
These should furnish at all times snfii-
cIsnt motive for lively interest In public
Affairs, and should supply abundant Ineen
tive to popular watehfulness OF legislative
and executive methods. In the light OF
these consider stions no thoughtful Amer
lean can shut his eyes to the truth that
when our people regard tie government
az the source of individual benefit and
favorltisns, and when their interest In Il
Ia measured by the extent to which they
hope to realize such benefit and favor
tism our popular government Is In dan
gerous hands and its entire perversion Is
alarmingly imminent.
aThesc perils are not alone chargeable to
legislation which Is confessediy special
and private. Measures of a general char
acter, and apparently proposed for the
public good, frequently originate In selfish
calculations, or so completely srbserve In
their details selfish plans that they also
tend toward the fatal point Of sordidness
among the people and unjust paternalism
In the government. No matter what
ntauefhfa a rrsfexte tnav he advanrad for