The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-02-21
CLEYELAND'S POLITICAL CHARAC-
TER.
"Is he Success as President?"-An At
firmative View by James jeffrey Roche.
From Donahoe's Magazine.

From Donahoe's Magazine.
"We love him for the enemies he
has made" said General Bragg, at the
convention which nominated Grover
Cleveland for the Presidency. The
sentiment reflected; the speaker, rather
than the man of whom it was spoken.
Mr.. Cleveland has made enemies it IS
true. AS shrewd old Simon Cameron
said, "a man who makes none Is never
positive force;;" but the indiscrim-
mating words of Bragg offended many
who were not enemies of Mr.. Cleve-
land in any save political sense, and
who exercised no more than their just
right in preferring some one else for
the party's candidate.
Tennyson more wisely and nobly
says, Glove reflects the thing beloved;'
and the truest friends of Mr.. Cleveland
love him, not for the enemies, but for
the friends be has made, for the hos
tile or Indifferent whom be has con-
verted into loyal adherents by his SIM
pie integrity and manlipess. Il is is safe
to say that, if he has personal ene-
mies, they enjoy a monopoly of their
unsatisfying passion; he does not hate
them. Of one who pursued him for
years with bitter unceasing malicious
vitupsration, he has said, without a
particle of any feeling, buG that of won
der, II do not know why Mr.. So and
So hates me. I never injured him in
any way"
For the "enenies" of his policy he
has only respect, proportioned to their
sincerity and courage. When John
Boyle O'Reilly, loyal democrat but
frank critic of his party always, died,
in 1890, Mr.. Cleveland wrote Of him: II
regarded him as strong and able man,
entirely devoted to any cause that he
espoused, unselfsh in his activity, true
and warm in his friendship, and pa
triotic in his enthusiasm" Yet 10
man had more openly and bravely
criticised the Presidents policy in many
directions.
Mr.. Cleveland is accused of being
self.willed which means either 'frm,"
if you admire him, or 'obstinate," If
you do rot. In this quality he re-
sembles Andrew Jackson rather than
Andrew Johnson. The difference be-
tween the two is as vide as that be-
tween bravery and rashness.
He has made many mistakes-lots of
them; and he will make many more.
When we have all have grown wise
enough to select chief magistrate
who can be- depended upon 10 make
none, we shall have no need OF su-
perfuous functionary. The theory
that the king can do no wrong, which
finds expression in the contemporary
literature of every European nation
only to he reversed with startling
promptness after the king or queen has
ceased to be-has its opposite in our
own country. Here the President
not only can, but does, commit no end
of wrong; and not until he has been
comfo1 tably dead for. a long time do
bis enemies begin to admit that as
Washington Was not an aristocrat,
Jefferson q French infdsl in disguise.
Jackson a Disgusting usurper, Lincoln
heartless combination of knave and
buffoon, Grant a. mercenary tyrant,
and intriguer, and so forth and so on,
ad nauseam.
Contemporary opinion of public
man, even when its honest, is apt to be
the most misleading of all guides TO the
truth of history. Least trustworthy OF
all is the contemporary caricature,
which has as much influence on peo-
pie who do not not care to strain
| their limited minds by trying to read
or think.
Thanks to the Thersites of the cra-
yon, brave and honest Abraham Lin
coin was known to millions of bis
countrymen as the "IIlinois Ape'';
Grant, the most lnagnanimous con-
queror that ever lived, and the most
generous eulogist of his comrades in
| arms, was pictured as designing Cae'
sar. arrogating to himself imperial
power, and claiming all glory for his
own behoof. I have before me cop.
per token, dated 1884, bearing on one
eide design of hog, and the legend
"Perish credit; perish Commerce; Down
with the banks;" on the other por.
trait bust Of the inscription my SUBJ
stitute for The U. S. Bank; MY expert.
ment; MY currency; MY glory" The
bust is that of Andrew Jackson, who
had as much thought Of being usurp'
er as of being Grand Lama of Thibet.
The heavy wits of our own times
are equally addicted to uslog the
sarcastical "MY" and "ME" when
they wish to ridicule man with opin-
ions of his own, only they use rags in
stead of copper to immortaIize their
satire.
The President was obstinate on the
silver question, and he is obstinate on
the tariff question. Obstinacy may be
merit or fault, as it is employed;
but it is blessed quality wheH used
for the settlement of an economic
question wherein the worst of all
things is indecesion disturbing all
business and driving the country into
a condition of panic.
If congress would pass a tariff
measure of any kind, settling the
matter once for all, the country would
soon adjust itself to the altered condi-
tions. The trouble is, that the Presi'
dents frmness of purpose finds no re.
I