The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1893-03-08
IT IS MENACBD.
Tie Integrity land Usefulness
of Our Government,
And the Danger is From the People
Themselves.
So Says Cleveland in His lnau-
gural Address.

Trusts Need Observation-Disclosures for
the Redemption of All Pledges Made by
His Party-Confident He Has a Good
Crew to Assist Him In Managing the
Ship of State.
My FELLOW CITIZENs-In obedience to
the mandate of my countrymen | am
about to dedicate myself 10 their service
under the sanction of solemn oath.
Deeply moved by the expression of conf
denCe and personal attachment which has
called me to this service, am sure my
gratitude can make no better return than
the pledge now give before God and these
witnesses of unreserved and complete de-
votion to the interests and welfare of those
who have honOred me.
deem 1t fitting on this occasion, while
indicating the opinions hold concerning
public questions of present Importance to
also briefly refer to the existence of Ger
tain conditions and tendencies among our
people which seem to menace the integrity
and usefulness of their government.
While every American citizen must con-
template with the utmost pride and en-
thusiasm the growth and expansion of our
country, the sufliciency Of our institutions
to stand against the rudest shocks of vio-
lence, the wonderful thrift and enterprise
of our people, and the demonstrated supe-
riority of our free government, it behooves
us to constantly watch for every symptom
of insidious intirmity that threatens our
national vigor.
The strong man who in the confidence
of sturdy health, courts the sternest activ-
tiles of life and rejoices in the hardihood
of constant labor, may still have lurking
near his yitals the UNDECIDED disease that
dooms him to sudden collapse
1t can not be doubted that our stipend
GUS achievements as people and our
country's robust strength have given. rise
to a heedlessness of those laws governing
our national health which we can no more
evade than human life can escape the laws
of God and nature.
Manifestly nothing Is more vital to our
supremacy as nation and TO the beneh-
cent purposes of our government than q
sound and sNDle currency. Its exposure
to degradation should at once arouse to
activity the most enlightened statesman
ship, and the danger of depreciation in the
purchasing power of the wages paid to toll
should furnish the strongest incentive to
prompt and conservative precaution.
In dealing with our present embarrass-
ing situation, as related to this subject, we
will be wise If we temper our confidence
and faith in our national strength and
resources with the frank concession that
even these will not permit us to defy i'm
punity the memorable laws of finance and
trade. At the same time, in our efforts to
adjust differences of opinion we should be
free from intolerance or passion and our
judgements should be unmoved by allur-
ing phrases and unveXed by selfish in
terests.
am confident that such an approach to
the subject will result in prudent and
effective remedial legislation. In the
meantime, so far as the executive branch
of the government can intervene, none of
the powers with which it is invested will
be withheld, when their exercise is deemed
necessary to maintain our national credit
or avert financial disaster
Closely related to the exaggerated conf
dence in our countrys greatness, which
tends to disregard of the rules of ma
tional safety, another danger cOnfronts us
not less serious. | refer to the prevalence
of a popular disposition to expect from the
operation of the government especial and
direct individual advantages.
The verdict of our voters, which con-
demned the injustice of maintaining pro-
lection for projections sake, enjoins upon
the peoples servants the duty of exposing
and destroying the brood of kindred evils
which are the unwholesome progeny of
paternalism. This is the bane of Repub-
lican institutions and the constant
peril of our government by the
people. 1t degrades to the pur-
poses of willy craft the plan of rule our
fathers established and bequeathed to us
as an object of our love and veneration. 1t
perverts the patriotic sentiment of our
cOuntrymen and tempts them to a pitiful
calculation of the sordid gain to be de-
rived from their governments mainte-
nance. 1t undermines the self-reliance of
our people and substitutes in its place de-
pendence upon governmental favOritsm.
1t STILES the spirit of true Americanism
and stupefes ever ennObling traits of
American citizenship. The lessons of pa
ternalism ought to be unlearned and the
better lessons taught that while the people
should periodically and cheerfully support
their government its functions do not in
clude the support of the people
The acceptance of this principle leads to
a refusal of bounties and subsidies, which
burden the labor and thrift of portion of
our citizens to aid ill-advised or languish-
ing enterprises in which they have no con-
Germ. Ii leads also to challenge of wild
and reckless pension expenditure, which
overleaps the bounds of grateful recogni-
ton of patriotic service and prostitutes to
vicious uses the peoples prompt and gen
erous impulse to aid those disabled in their
country's defense
Every thoughtful American must realize
the Importance of the checking at its be-
ginning any tendency in public or private
station to regard frugality and economy
as virtues which we may safely outgrow.
The liberation of this idea results in the
waste Of the peoples money by their
chosen servants and encourages prodigal-
ity and extravaganza in the home life of
our countrymen.
Under our scheme of government the
waste of public money is u crime against
the citizens, and the contempt of our peo-
Pile for economy and frugality in their
personal affairs, deplorably saps the
strength and sturdiness of our national
character.
IL is plain dictate of honesty andfgood
government that public expenditures
should be limited by public necessity and
that this should be measured by the rules
of strict economy; and il is eqaully clear
that frugality among the people is the
best guaranty of contented and strong
support of free institutions.
One mode of the misappropriation Of the
public funds is avoided when appoint
ments to Office, instead of being the 10