Los Angeles herald., 1891-05-14
A COURAGEOUS PUBLIC MAN.

There may be different opinions con-
cerning Mr.. Grover Cleveland both in
his own party and out OF it. There are
Democrats who think that he is the only
possible Democratic candidate for presi-
dent in '92, and there are other Demo-
Gratis who think that he is an impossible
candidate. There are Republicans who
would gladly vote for him and Demo
Gratis who would not vote for him. There
are Democrats who like his views on the
tariff and civil service reform and DEM
ocrats who take no stock in either. But
one thing cannot be disputed, and that
is that he is man of great boldness and
honesty.
Ia his speech at Buffalo the other day
he tackled a proposition that few public
men would dare to discuss frankly. AT
ter alluding to the way the surplus had
been made to disappear under the ma
nipulation of blowing in' Republican
congress, he said that while the pension
list was $65 5,000,0 900 when he left the
presidency it had risen to nearly three
times that sum since.
Here is an issue that will soon become
an overshadowing one. No one doubts
that brave and disabled soldier ought
to be taken care of by the government
for which he fought. That there should
be ample provision made for the boys in
blue who are unable to earn their living,
and for the families of those who have
fallen in battle, will be conceded by
every right-minded man. But that there
is reasonable limit to such outlays is
apparent, unless the plan is to array all
the people who were not soldiers on one
side and the Grand Army on the other.
That President Harrison himself appre-
ciated this fact is shown by his removal
of Corporal Tanner, who as commission
er of pensions had already made big
hole in the surplus. Tanner was told
that his room was preferable to his
company after he had handed over such
sums as $1,000 as back pensions to .indi-
vidual cronies of his, showing deter
mined disposition to empty the treasury
vaults to the brave boys in blue.
There is no doubt that Mr.. Cleve-
lands vetoes of special pension bills lost
him the vote OF those members OF the
Grand Army who might otherwise have
been disposed to vote for the Democratic
ticket, of course allowing for the excep-
tions that prove the rule. 1t is signi-
ficant fact, Notwithstanding, that Mr..
Cleveland came within an ace of being
elected, and that he had majority OF
the popular vote. The opposition to
him arising from the army vote would
not of itself have been sufficient to beat
him. What effect, then, will the dress
ing up of the Repu olcan party on lines
of unlimited pension extravaganza have
on the vote at the next presidential
election?
Mr.. Harrison is plainly challenging
such an issue, and it is quite plain that
Mr.. Cleveland is not afraid to put the
fortunes of the Democratic party on the
cast of the die. The jump from $685.
100000 to nearly three times that sum
in a single Republican congress-the
Fifty-frst-is calculated to alarm conser
vative people of all parties. No matter
what mans political affiliations may
have been, or how great may be his sym
pathy with the men who fought the bat,
ties of the union, he is quite likely tc
think that congress should be governed
by common sense and moderation in its
pension legislation.
Mr.. Cleveland has the knack, in an
uncommon degree, OF expressing his
convictions irrespective of consequences.
Many persons who do not think it wise
for president admire him for his rugged
manliness.