The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-02-03
MONDAY. FEBRUARY 3. 1896.
This pope is Democratic in principles
and Is independent in its rie,cs on all local
questions.



tensify the admiration which sensible
and patriotic men entertain towards the
President. because it accentuates the
contrast between the wisdom, the unset
fishness, the patriotism of his uniform
course and the madness. greed and reck-
lessness of a majority of the public men
who control the destinies of the eoun-
try.
of President Cleveland's policy since his
election to his second term which mode
rate men who ave some regard for the
future should not approve. On foreign
and domestic questions alike he has
shown sound conceptions of principles.
acute appreciation of the practical, clear,
and far sight, a chivalric sense of honor.
an u~ndaunted courage, a total disregard
of all personal considerations.
His term has been troubled by foreign
complications beyond most preceding Pc
made difficult by the development of two
vicious extremes in public opinion. Yet
he has steered the ship of state through
many difficulties to fair Ravens, and
those who really observe the current
signs and tokens. must agree that where
the end of his course has not yet been
reached, the waters are broadening and
clearing before his mastery pilotage.
The total oblivion into which the Ha-
waiian excitement has passed, we think
it must be agreed, is a final vindication
of his refusal to listen to the extrava-
gances of the lingo element. AN that
has come to light of the later politics of
the island bears out the estimates which
he formed of the men and the motives
that controlled the revolution. But this
is a secondary matter. The great point
is that the annexation craze has died
away. and, frantic as this present Re-
publican Congress is, it is not credible
hat a corporal's guard could be mustered
in either House to vote for taking the
Islands into the United States.
In the two collisions which have taken
place between Great Britain and semi
civilized republics of Latin America, the
President has shown a truly statesman
like faculty of discrimination. When the
British sent their warships to Corinto
to demand from Nicaragua compensation
for outrages upon her subjects, the Pre-
sident refused to interfere, and ignoring
the sclamor of a hostile press which IN
cIuded not only all the organs of the op-
position party. but many of his own, he
maintained the obvious truth that the
issue was not one in which the Monroe
Doctrine was involved, and that as the
facts existed the United States should
not Intervene. On the other hand, he dis
lcefned in the Venezuela boundary dis
pute the clear fact that the English pre-
tension contravenes the Monroe Doctrine
unless the claim to. the territory was
founded on circumstances antedating the
present century. Here was a clear case
where the pledges of the United States
were involved, where the honor and the
interests of the country were at stake.
controversy in spite of villification he took
a bold and assertive position in this one.
regardless of the astonished rage Of for
eign foes and of the excited malice Of
domestic cowardice. Even his method
of dealing with the question has been
largely INDICATED BY results. The fear
less manner in which he asserted fhe
rights of the country and the effective
method in which he rallied its manhood
to the support of his policy have created
an impression abroad such as has not ex-
listed since Abraham Lincoln compelled
the withdrawal of Marshal Bazafne's
from Mexican territory. The
mere voice of the President speaking for
the American people and their traditions
It convinced that nation from the Prime
Minister down to the mob that she was
dealing with no weak country that could |
be bullied or ignored. but with a great
power, ner own equal II not superior,
rights had to be respected under
dire penalty.
A third feature Of the Presidents
foreign policy has been his conservative |
ATTITUDE towards Cuba, and 1t is note
worthy thai the only praise which Con-
gress has won since it convened has BEEN
IN following the exact lines of S1e Presi-
dents Message in the resolutions which
It has adopted III regard to the insur.
recticn in tina Island. How different IS
its action. and the popular approval
thereof. in this matter, from the inx
sanity of its course upon the Armenianj
and the universal condemnation
that has fallen upon It from every party.
Coming down TO the great questions Of
concern which have caused SO
much agitation II the last three years.
W. find the President eQually ssund II