The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-05-20
Cleveland's Speech.

GROVER CLEVELAND has made many
powerful and thoughtful addresses upon
public affairs to the people of the United
States, but none more powerful or more
thoughtful than that at Buffalo Tuesday
night, when he discussed the extravaganza
of the last congress.
The warning Mr.. CLEVELAND sends
forth OF the dangers to a republican gov
eminent from familiarity with and toler-
ance of extravaganza in public affairs is in
the highest degree timely and pertinent.
1t is truly time to arouse the people from
the ethargy into which they have fallen.
A continuance of such extravagance-so
foreign to the principle of republican gov
ernment-can but lead to the eventual
overthrow of even that form. As Mr..
CLEVELAND says:
Turn where we will we see the advance
Of this devouring and destructive creature.
Our democratic faith teaches us that
the useless exaction of money from the
people upon the false pretext of public
necessity is the worst of all governmental
perversions, and involves the greatest of
ali dangers to our guarantees of justice
and equity. We need not unlearn this
lesson to apprehend the fact that behind
such exaction and as its source of existence
is found public extravaganza. The ax will
not be laid at the root OF the unwhole-
some tariff tree with its vicious inequality
and injustice until we reach and destroy
its parent and support
But the growth of public extravaganza
in these latter days, and its unconcealed
and dreadful manifestations, force us 10
the contemplation of other crimes, of
which it is undoubtedly guilty, beside I'M
just exactions from the people.
Our government is so ordained that It's
| life blood flows from the virtue and
patriotism of our people, and its health
and strength depend upon the integrity
| and faithfulness of their public servants.
Ii these are destroyed our government, if
| it endures, will endure only in name, fail
ing to bless those for whom it was created
and failing In its mission as an example to
| mankind.
Public extravaganza in its relation to
inequitable tariff laws not only lays an
unjust tribute upon the people, but is re-
| spOnsible for unfair advantages bestowed
upon special and favored interests as the
| price of partisan support. Thus the exer-
else of the popular will for the benefit Of
the country at large is replaced by sordid
and selfish motives directed to personal
| advantage, while the encouragement of
such motives in public place for party
ends deadens the official conscience.
| Public extravaganza directly distributes
| gifts and gTatuities among the people,
whose federation of waste is thus secured,
or whose past party services are thus
compensated, or who are thus bribed to
future party support. This makes the
continuance of partisan power a stronger
motive among public servants than the
faithful discharge of the Ieople's trust,
and sOws the seed of contagious cor
ruption in the body polite.
The people of the United States hold
GROVER CLEVELAND in high esteem SIM
| ply because he has such views as those
expressed above. "a public office is a
public trust" has always been his motto,
in Office and out of Office, and in him the
people seea most striking and most pleas
ing contrast to the REEDS. BLAINEs, Nc
KINLEYs and HARRIsoNs.
Mr.. CLEvELAND's words are not mere
idle buncombe for political effect They
express his firm convictions, arrived at
after careful study of the conditions and
tendencies of the times. They are the
words Of thought and patriotism. No
thoughtful man who has studied the stu
alton carefully and impartially can fail to
agree with the ex-president when he says
The saddest and most frightful result OF
public extravaganza is seen in the readi-
ness of the masses of our people, who
are not dishonest but only needless, TO &C.
custom themselves to that dereliction in
public place which il involves. Evidence
is thus furnished that our countrymen
are in danger OF losing the scrupulous in
sistence upon the faithful discharge of duty
on the part OF their public servants. the