The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-03-04
Today'S Wished=for CHANCE

II at any time in his remarkable
career, Mr.. Cleveland had revealed
himself to the public as a man capabla
vi ana susceptible to sympathy; il
there had been in his official attitude
some semblance of regard for the fa
Vorable opinion and esteem of his conn
trymen; If, in other words, he had been
at times different in cast of mind and
manner from an obstinate and opinion-
ated pedagogue, always pretending to
infallibility and giving forth his tudg-
ments dogmatically as If they We're alb
solute, there would today be pity for
him as he retires after having scored
the greatest failure in the rec
ord of American administrations
In some respects he had ele-
ments of unusual popularity. 1t is
true that accident gave him prestige
as a man OF destiny; that parasites
stuffed his unframed ear with the full
some language of tlattery, and that the
American people in two elections
seemed to enter into the conspiracy to
elevate him, without cause, among the
1mmortals. But had he met this good
luck half way; had he acted upon the
principle that no man, not even a man
or destiny, is Indispensable; briefly,
had he kept with his creators and
moved in touch with them, he might
still have maintained himself ais a
giant factor in modern affairs.
His opportunity was great; in fact, a
atatr i
tive of free people than greeted his
eye four years ago today His major
ity had been overwhelming. His party
stood in unchallenged control of every
department of the federal government.
The internal condition of the country
was all that reason could desire. In
foreign affairs American prestige stood
nigh and American merchandise was
going into markets never entered by it
before, Not cloud menaced the clear
horizon of our national prosperity save
such as had its origin in his party s
own threats of Legislative changes. Ii
was within his power to cement the po-
litical forces to which he owed his
phenomenal election, to knit together
tionalism and class jealousy, and tC
stand for broad harmony and unity il
American development We shall mo-
weary our readers with a recapitulatior
of the various steps by which he turned
this happy prospect into a chaos anC
brought on the long train of ills thar
remains so vivZ m public recollection
1t is enough to gay that stubbornness
want of tact end inordinate self con
ceit We're his three rocks of shipwreck
and these have so alienated public
sympathy from him that in today
climax of; his misfortubeS thereJis fel
no sensation but of intense relief.
This American people. have, chosen II
William Mckinley Il man owh5 lis ii
main characteristics the direct opposit
of Grover Cleveland, and we believ
that they have chosen we'll. The ney
president has been with and of tn
people; is known to, in person, an
has personal knowledge of, the inhabi
tants and the conditions of the variou
states; has in him quiet firmness 70
emergency but none of that offensiy
protuberance Of dogmatism whicI
rasps would-be advisers until they be
come either llckspittles or antagonists
is courteous, approachable, amiable i
the best sense and possessed OF rar
tact, and is sufficiently experienced i
the ways and means of public life t
know that real success in high ofic
is necessarily won along the line Q