Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-07-07
"what MIR. cleveland stands For."

land. 1t is from the pen of Charles u
Francis Adams, an able and honored 4
scion of the illustrious American family /
which has furnished two Presidents of
the United States. His father was
United States minister TO Great Britain !
during the trying period of the civil ,
war where he rendered most important ;
service to his country; his grandfather
was John Quincy Adams, the sixth
President of the United States; his
great grandfather, John Adams, was
accounted worthy to be the immediate
successor of Washington in the Presi-
dental chair. OF Charles Francis
Adams, himself, it is hardly necessary
to say that his intellect, his integrity,
his patriotism and his public service
have made him influential in the
politics Of New England and especially
of Massachusetts. He opens his Forum
article as follows:
How is it that you an original member
of the Republican party and an officer i'll
the Union army all through the war of the |
P. rebellion-how Is il that you, with this |
political and military record, are now Il |
supporter of the presidential candidate Of |
: the Democratic party?" This question |
has recently been put to me; it is fair |
question; il comes from a responsible
source and is put, not idly or out of mere |
curiosity, but because am believed to be |
one of class more or less numerous, and
il is assumed correctly or otherwise, that
the considerations which have influenced
me have also influenced those who feel
and act much as ! feel and act. Though
the voice of almost no one carries far amid
the tumult of presidential canvass, pro-
pose to answer the question. But before
doing so, and in order to make my answer
Ineligible, it is necessary to cast rapid
glance backward
Mr.. Adams then proceeds to briefly
review the American political history
in which he has taken an active part.
He came to manhood in time to be in at
the birth of the Republican party. His
first vote was cast, in 1856, for John c.
Fremont. Since that time he has voted
in eight presidential elections. six times
for the successful candidate and twice
for the candidate who failed Of success.
Looking back over these conflicts, each
of which was represented at the time to
be "the most important in the couutry's
history" Mr.. Adams concludes now
that, with the single exception of the
reelection of President Lincoln, "the
grand result would IN the long run have
been about the same whether at any
particular election, with (this) one ex-
ception only, the party l sympathizcd
with had won the day or whether the
other party had won it,"
Farther on, Mr.. Adams writes that
the Republican party came into exist
: ence TO meet the issues of great crisis I;
that it did its work--far more completely
than it was originally proposed to do ii;
and, when the work the Republican
party was organized to do was thus
done, and fully and irreversibly done
the term of service Of those who enlisted
literally for that war expired by its own
Limitation. "New issues then presented
themselves; new leaders came to the
front; new battle cries were heard, and
the name of Republican attached to a
party organization became a mere tradi
ton and sentiments trademark as il
were, representing what might mos
"a aptly be described as a very valuabl,
" political good will" Mr., Adams con
tinues
Such are the general conditions of to
day as seen by some of us, original mem
bers of the Republican party and faithful
to it until the work it was formed to d.
was done; then, ceasing to call oulselve
Republicans, we have seen no good rcasol
for identifying ourselves with the Demo
cratic or with any other political faction
We hnVn felt SnfiStlpl with bpInu Simpl
Sitizens Of that common country which
as members of the original Republica
party wehelped to save Why, then, do som
of us now come forward, not calling oui
selves Democrats, and earnestly advocat
the election to the Presidency OF the car
didate of the Democratic party? My answe
is: We do SO simply because that Cand
date is ex-President Cleveland.
What are the political issues of the in
pending canvass? Some Of them are ole
as old as the national government, an
likely long to continue; others are ne
and of a passing character These issue
new and old may be enumeratedas follow
l. The economic and commercial system
commonly known as protective, base
upon the idea that 1t is the business
government artilicially to foster, or evC
call into existence, various branches
industry. .. The publication and retor
of the civil service or, us MIR. Carl Schu
aaGe tersely expressedit, the disestablis
which the JacSsonian Democracy intr
duCed. g. What is known as the 'currcn
question:" now taking the form of II /
mand for the free coinage OF silver at I
- national mint ut an artificial ratio wi
gold 4. The pension system.
What is the attitude Of Mr. Cleveland
far as these issues are concerned? He Il
been called upon officially to CoufrC
them all, and on no occasion. SO far a
know, has he failed to make his pUsIti
understood or to give the party OF viii
a he was the head distinct, recognized Il
creditabe lead. He has not shuiiled
Vacillatad; his voice at least has, upon th
issues emitted no uncertain sound
this respect the line of responsible pub
action he has pursued has been in IN
agreeable contrast With that usually p
sued by politicians, not only Of the prese
but of all time.
We have not the space to follow
Adams through his review of J
Cleveland's public record which folio
and which can only be read with sal
factory completeness in its entirety
given in the columns of the F0rt
But the record which Mr.. Clevelo
made as President and the firmness q
constancy with which he then t
since has stood forth "a clean.cut pull
character-a man with the courage
his convictions" "a man both true q
n tried, a political leader far in advance