Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-03-04
EASTERN MAINEIxsANE HospIr.



Biundssins Out Of Office.
Anything which may tend to discour.
age an exhibition Of charity in the mo-
ment Of the contamination of victory
is to be deplored: so that now, when Q
brief review of the Cleveland admin.
istration. which ends today. seems ap-
propriate. there is a feeling of reluc'
lance to recall the unpleasant features
and disposition to abide by the OLD
maxim. de mortuis nil nisi bonum
But Mr.. Cleveland would not have II
so, or if he would has SO Numbered
that it is impossible. Not that one
can nationally find fault because he
blundcrs. That has been character
istic of him ever since he Numbered
into the presidency, but it is impos-
.sible not to find fault with his blum
ders-we call them blunders onl the
assumption of some, people that Mr..
Cleveland is heroically right in his in
tentions en- every and all occasions and
that whatever of wrong he may''do is
blunder on his part. Accordingly,
as Mr.. Cleveland is going to Prince
ding crowd and the country is to go on
to better days and conditions we will,
to avoid argument look upon the veto
CT the immigration bill as a blunder.
timely in the sense that it enables him
to conspicuously blunder out of the Of
flee into which he blundered in the
first place.
The veto was not unexpected. for
there was that about this measure
which promised protection to the peo-
pie already in this country against the
worst elements of. foreign society.
the victims Of the old world tyrannies
and injustices. The bill is designed to re-
strict the coming of those people, who
inevitably gravitate into the great
cities and there exc out that which is
called existence for lack Of better de-
scription, in the sweat shops and un-
der conditions that make their off,
spring, q menace to any good commu-
nity..rft may be that the measure was
not as near perfect as. it can be made,
but the President suggests. no amend
ments; it may he that the Corliss
amendment excluding Canadians who
are accustomed to fit across, the line
for a. days work, is not practical.
though in matter of justice it is a very
salutary feature. The point is, Pres
ident Cleveland vetoed the bill on gen.
eral principles because he would have
us believe that it is narrow and un-
American to restrict immigration.
Well this is not SO very surprising in
a man who was instrumental in the
sale of 1924, OOO, 900 in bonds in time of
pcace.and used about half of that
amount to pay the running expenses
of the government and. warned the
people in a recent message not to get
in the possession of a sur
plus. for that was what he termed the
half of the bond proceeds remaining
unexpended. This is the same Presi-
dent who said the Wilson law was a
vantage ground for further assaults
uponlthe policy of protection, the rep
resentative measure of which he was
pleased to call "the eliminating afro
city of class legislation" This is the
same man who says. that because we
heretofore have welcomed all we
should continue to do SO; The sight Of
ignorant and destitute foreigners COM
ing in here. fitted to become the tools
of the INSCRIPTIONS and the destruc-
tive competitors of those who are striv-
ing to live up to an American stand
ard. seems to him eminently proper.
We owe nothing, according to his
ideas. to the immigrant who has come
among us and become part of us, but
who Is not under existing conditions In
a position to compete equally with the
newcomers ready to work for an ex-
istence. which is unbearable to the i'm
migrant that has become American
lied. This need of protecting the i'm
migrant already with US does not APP
peal to Grover Cleveland 1t never
has. But he is almost moved to tears
to think that possibly an Immigrant