Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-03-16
cLEvELAND.s RECORD.

CLEvELAND'S RECORD.
Assurances 81 Clean Democrstic 40
mInfxtratlon.
When Mr.. Cleveland entered the
white house in 1855 he was in many
ways stranger to the public life OF
the time. As to national affairs he had
everything to learn. A man Of the best
intentions, having an uncommonly
strong personality. not too impression
able. yet observant and sensible, loving
work for works sake. and possessed Of
great natural talents for the business
of administration, and, withal, an ex-
cellent Judge of men, he gained in
knowledge with every day of expert
ence.
He made few mistakes. He achieved
many reforms. He stood against ,
deal Of outside pressure that was some
times dangerous. The virtues that he
exemplified were not theoretical. but
practical, and, 1t the moment when. as
the saying is, he had got the hang Of
it. and Was ready to go forward with
still greater works, he was required to
make way for another. But he had
left his mark upon his epoch and had
laid the foundation of popular conf
dence which nothing has been able to
shake. To this he owes his return to
power; and. in investing him with lead
ership for second time, and under
conditions so untoward, the democratic
rank and file owes to him, and to itself,
the duty of an intelligent recognition
of the meaning of his election and both
patience and moderation touching the
administrative policies which he and
his official advisors may from time to
time advance.
The assurance which Mr. Cleveland
gives us in the formation of his cabi-
net and in his inaugural address is of
good augury.
The cabinet could not have been
more fitly chosen. The address could
hardly be better phrased. We are to
have the reform of the tariff to a
strictly revenue basis in accordance
with the Chicago platform. We are to
have honest money, and an enlight-
ened and upright fiscal policy, in ac-
cordance with the Chicago platform.
They are the two great measures to
which the democratic party and the
newly installed administration Of its
selection are irrevocably committed.
Every word that Mr.. Cleveland says of
them in his strong and stirring expo
sition is true; and, upon their success
full issuance, the success of the new
government and the future of the
democratic party will depend absolute
~. On this point the cabinet is unit,
and, whilst it is easy to see that the
party is not, and that the fight for
right will be hard fight, we have
little doubt of the result in case there
be no hair-splitting or equivocation on
the part of the real friends of sound
currency, and tariff for revenue only.
OF course. the president gives US
touch of his civil service mettle. He
would not be Grover Cleveland if he
did not do that But we apprehend
that the cause of civil service which
means a special class, life tenure in
Office and civil pension list-such as
once threatened the country-will
make no progress under this admins
tration.
That men should be appointed to Office
on account of competency, and compe-
tency first of all, should go without
saying. Assuredly the public money
should not be squandered upon unfit
IudoC W pay party
cations. Assuredly, political sentiment
and partisan methods should be, as far
as possible, divorced from merely mer-
cenary aims. But, when Mr.. Cieve-
land seizes upon the occasion of an un-
exampled popular demonstration done
in his honor to denounce the enthusiasm
of the hundreds of thousands of rejoic-
ing democrats gathered about him as
the de noralizing madness for spoils,"
he yields to the perhaps not unnatural
irritation of one aspect of the situation,
failing to take in its whole scope and
spirit, and to discriminate between the
sordid Office seeker, aggressive and
vulgar, and the honest citizen and up
right, though modest, democrat, whose
aspiration for post office. or a collec-
torship. foreign mission, or con-
sulate. is no more unworthy because it
is humber, than that of the president,
and his immediate political family, for
the greater places held by them
Louisville Courier-JOurnal.