Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-08-09
On. Consistency. Thou Art Jewel

On. Consistency. Thou Art a Jewel
Had President Cleveland ever shown
A tithc @: the zeal III support OF his
party that II" has for maintenance
% the gold standard ior measurement
az property values, !: would not to-
day lee weakened hy divided counsels
or the chief executive occupying the
position ui Il teacher OF party iealty.
SUch a question a. what constitutes
party duty would not have arisen had
there not been q disposition on the
part OF the Pres idcnt To- lead the party
in new and untripd paths, and had he
paid due respect to those who hon
e,tly differ with him on policy that
seems at least Il matter upon which
the people, and their delegates in
convention assembled, should be left
to formulate policy, free from FEEDER
al dictation.
IL will he remembered with what te-
merity he rejected the claims of the
party, outside OF a small circle Of per-
sonal friends, when he first held the
reins oi power, and with what empha-
sis he denounced what he termed
pernicious activity" whenever any
OF his appointees took an active part
in perpetuating the principles whose
final triumph had made his own cleo
ton to the Chief Magistracy possible.
He ignored the time-honored custom
of all parties of calling to the aid of
his administration those who had won
recognition for integrity OF purpose by
fidelity to principle that had ex-
tended over many campaigns, and re-
rewarded with office mugwamp politi-
clans fresh from the Republican ranks,
vino had left their party simply because
their claims for preference had not
been, in their opinion, sufficiently
recognized by their own party.
With magnamity unparalleled in
the history OF party organization, and
an unselfshness as rare as it is COM
mendable, his party condoned this
fault, while admitting its magnitude,
by a second and third nomination as
their standard bearer. In 60 doing
they had right to expect that sc
well-defined line OF policy would be
maintained, so far as his own acts were
concerned, but alas! in this they are
again doomed to disappointment.
Pernicious activity" now seems to be
at premium in outlining the future
policy of the party and we find lead
ing cabinet officers undergoing the
process of radical change of senti'
ment upon the leading issue of the
day, to qualify them to take tht
stump in support of the Presidential
idea upon that question. If zeal II
support of the well-de6ned tenets o
Democracy was offensive partisanshiT
in 1885, why should not enthusiasm
in outlining a new doctrine be equally
offensive now, ten years later. when 1
new and untried experiment which has
so far, been attended with such dis
astrous results, is the fad which ha
enlisted all the power of the Admins
tration to maintain?
Nobody blames Mr.. Cleveland fol-
possessing a positive nature. There
are times when it is necessary ant
highly commendable for one charged
with the mighty responsibility of en-
forcing the laws of great nation, t.
possess the nerve of a jackson, but it j
not according to Mr.. Cleveland's owl
showing, power to be used at the hus
tings, or in coercing his party int
accepting dogmas upon which it
leaders are honestly divided in sent
ment.