Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1894-06-20
How the Mighty Has Fallen.


Little did the public expect, even after
the lamented death of George William
Curtis that Harpers Weekly would
abandon Mr. Cleveland. But the unex-
pected has happened and the idol OF that
journal of civilization has been broken
down.
The Chicago Tribune in commenting on
the change of heart in the Harpers,
quotes from that journal as follows:
1.-The last number contained an editorial
headed A Shorn samson in which the
political situation of 1886 is contrasted
with that of 1894 Eight years ago the
President of the United States was
commanding factor in the situation ana
now he can hardly be said to be factor
at ALL This loss of power, says Har-
per's Weekly, is because of a change IN
Mr.. Cleyeland's own methods. lie was
reelected because known and trusted by
the masses not only of his own party but
by the people at large. Yet he is unable
now to impress upon the senator's OF ms
own party the necessity of fulfilling the
pledges upon which that party obtained
power. He is helpless because he has
abandoned the methods of his first term
and has become Il politician"
THE Democratic politicians says the
mugWumr paper. may hate him as much
as ever. but they no longer fear him.
They have come to deSpise him for hay-
ing become one of themselves He has
deprived himself of the great power he
had-the confidence of the people founded
on the very fact that he was not Il poll
tician himself-by reSorting to the arts
of the politicians and using the patronage
in his gift to placate his Democratic OPP
ponents. And Harper's Weekly calls on
him to retrace his steps before it Is too
late. assuring him that he must know
that up to date his fellow citizens look on
his second administration Il failure.
This is Il very accurate statement of the
change in public sentiment since 1892
! There was Il great deal of Cleveland Wor-
ship or idOiatry then. 1t was so strong
in his own party that its bosses who did
not want him renOminated were trampled
under foot. 1t was so strong III the lie
publican party that tens of thousands or
hundreds of thousands of its members vot-
ed for him. His personal popularity swept
the strongest Republican states from their
mOorings Foreign-bcrn and native-born
citizens went trOoping after him. He got
the votes of Roman Catholics and also
those of Lutherans.
He was so popular because the people
thought he was not Il professional poll
tician. They thought he would be true to
| his convictions and defy the demands or
! eptreaties of party leaders. They be.
| leved he would endeav0r. to the best of
his ability. to be the President Of the
whole country and not the President of a
party. They have found out to their NOR
LITIGATION that they were mistaken. While
! in one or two matters, especially as re-
CARDS the currency. he has come UP to
their expectations, in other things they
have found him Il mere politician. They
have discovered that their idol has not
merely feet OF clay but that he is made
largely OF putty.
What will the undeceiyed people do?
That which they usually do when they
find the man whom they have followed
and trusted is but an ordinary, weak,
erring' mortal The Republicans who
marched out Of the Republican party
and voted for Mr.. Cleveland because
| they thought he was more TO be trusted
than any party will return whence they
| came They wandered off after an ideal
! Cleveland He has turned out to be a
plain politician of the patrona gedistrib-
uting school They will not remain in
the Democratic party, in which they never
| had any faith. but they will go back
whence they came.
This reinforcement of the Cleveland idol
or this collapse of the Cleveland myth
is the great opportunity of the Repub-
lcan party. 1t is such an opportunity as
is rarely offered to q great political organ
ization Here are tens of thousands of
voters detached from their moorings,
houseess and homeless. The Repub-
lican party can have them if it makes an
effort to gain them Attractive policies
clean candidates and honest, able leaders
can bring over these old devotees Of
Cleveland to the Republican party and
secure for it those votes which enabled
the Democrats to sweep the country in
1892. The turn in the tide has come
If the Republican leaders appreciate the
situation and avail themselves OF the adj
yantages it offers the future is theirs.