San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-05-19
Cleveland's Special Plea.

L.
into bitter arraignment of the re-
publican party for alleged extrava.
gance in the expenditure of hepubliC
money, and lamented, in q tone OF
weeping and afflicted patriotism, the
disappearance of the surplus, which
was his hobby. Mr.. Cleveland wants
to pose as model reformer and as a
paragon in politics, in order to secure
the presidential nomination in 1892,
and his speech at Buffalo was born OF
just this ambition. 1t was bid for
the presidency, and also. an attempt
to head off Gov. Hill, in the state of
New York, by an attack on the flank.
What possible good did the surplus
in the treasury do the people? None
whatever. This fact is past all dis
pute. There was stringency in the
money market; the farmers were
loudly complaining of debt and hard
times; worklngmen were making a
similar complaint about low wages
and want of work, and if the repubIi-
cans put the surplus into active circu-
lation, it was a real benefit to the
public at large and richly merits
their gratitude. Mr.. Cleveland is
much put out by the appropriation
of 81 900, 900 for river and harbor i'm
provement,a and styles it pure extrava-
gance.
Do not good, safe har bors help trade
and commerce, benefit the producing
class and enrich the country? l fancy
no person will dispute this PROPOSE
sition. How are our waterways and
harbors to be improved, unless the
national government has the work
executed? Letus have little practi-
cal business sense mixed in with our
politics, and study facts and look to
results.
Galveston harbor got an appropria-
ton of something over 100000 and
surely no Texan will call that sex
travagance." That sum was very
close to one third of the appreciation
for river and harbor improvement,
and l feel pretty sure the senators
and congressman from Texas were
delighted at getting that sum for Gal.
weston harbor, and doubtless voted
for it.
An appropriation was made for the
Improvement of the Mississippi river,
and 1 want to know if that, too, was a
piece of extravaganza" 1t is super
fiuous to say that the improvement
of the levees on the Mississippi bene-
fits the farmers of Arkansas, Missis-
sippl and Louisiana in case it pro-
tects them from overflow. The better
ing of the navigation of the greatest
waterway in the Union will benefit
half of the states in the Union, and
particularly the farmers, as it will
keep down the freight rates of the
railroads.
All the appropriations for the
southern rivers and harbors will in the
main be expended in the south and go
into the pockets of southern men.
1t is probable, that S., 600, 900 out of
the SCI ,000, 900 were for Southern riv-
ers and arbors. Does the south con-
slider this business piece of extra
Vagance" and agree with what Mr..
Cleveland said in condemnation of the
river and harbor appropriation bill.
Stand up, Democrats and be count
ed.
Mr.. Cleveland is a political Rip
Van Winkle-a regular mossback,
and is unprogressive and reactionary.
suppose he considers the appro-
priation of 81 200, 900 to fortify Boston
Harbor, as a piece of extravaganza.
One of the last suggestions of Samuel
}. Tilden was the improvement of our
coast defences. Who is to improve
them? The national government, of
course.
But the increase in the pensions, is
the cup of determination" in the eyes
OF Mr.. Cleveland and opened the stu.
ces of his studied and carefully pre-
pared objugurtory eloquence.
Perhaps, here and there, q fellow
who don't deserve 1t, may hook on to
pension-that occurs under every
pension law that was ever framed
perhaps rich men may get pensions
who are In no need of them, though
they are entitled to them. Still / had
FAR rather the United States should be
something over-liberal than meanly
penurlous in it's recognition of the
courage and hardships of it's soldiers.
Ihese soldiers are of the people, and
are composed of democrats and repub.
Means. Most of them are broken in
nealth In consequence of exposure in
the neld. Many of them are poor,
and / cannot begrudge them their
pensions. One of the saddest pictures
on the pages of history is Belisarius,
the greatest general of his age, the
savior of his country, begging in his
old age along the streets of the city he
had saved from plumber.
For over two thousand years, the
saying that republicans are I'M
grateful, has been hurled at every
republic, and 1 am glad our own re-
public has given the lie to this accu-
sation and shown gratitude to its
saviors. That is in itself glory nev-
er TO be dimmed. BEAUSEANT.
MOSTREMARkABLE ARTICLE.