The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-03
A Good word For MIR. Cleveland.

A Good Word For MIR. Cleveland.
Tomorrow Mr. Cleveland win cease to
be President. He has said he would be
glad when the time came for him to give
up the great Office he holds to his success 4
sor and retire to private life. How much
sincerity there was in this statement It
is unnecessary to inquire. He has always
dealt frankly with the people and it is but
fair to him to accept it as true.
Now that his term of office is about end
ed there are many expressions of good will
towards him from unexpected sources. His
political enemies continue, of course, to
attack him. and they will not cease to
abuse him until long after he has become
a private citizen.
There is no doubt that he will occupy
great place in the country's history. I'm
pretudiced writers do not hesitate now to
say that he is the greatest political force
the country has known since Lincoins
time. It is undeniable that the people
have confidence in him and are willing to
trust him to any extent The people have
supported him from the time he was a
sheriff in Buffalo until the present.
The politicians have always been against
him. The New York politicians had 10
love for him when he was dfenlnated for
governor of that state, 2nd they were
against him each time ne was nominated
for President. TheY>were forced to yield
to an Overwhelming popular sentiment
Mr.. Cleveland has never had the hearty
support of Tie leaders of his party, and
apparently he never sought it. He under
I took 81 conduct the office of President in
the interest of the people. He made some
mistakes, and the politicians being always
against him he has had troub.ous times.
Especially has this been the case during
the term of office now about ended For
many months he has had scarcely any
communication with the leaders Of his par
ty. They have keptaway from him and
he has not sought their advice and coun-
sci. Some of them, particularly senators,
have endeavored to make him feel the in
tensty of their hostility to him.
But Notwithstanding the enmity of the
politicians and party leaders he has shown
the country on occasions that he was cas-
lily the greatest man of his party. This
was notably the case when he sent his eel
ebrated tariff message to congress in 1887.
At that time the democratic party was
without an issue. He gave it one, which
il accepted, and which ultimately led to
victory.
In July, 1894, when the Chicago riots
filled the country with alarm, and many
feared revolution. he displayed courage
and forcefulness of kind that command
ed general admiration. His prompt and
vigorous action checked the riots and pre-
vented what threatened to develop into
very serious situation.
Again in 1893, when the business inter-
ests, fearing money panic, demanded the
repeal of the Sherman silver purchasing
act, he showed his masterfulness by call
ing congress together and literally forcing
it to put a stop to the purchasing of silver.
The Senate resisted for nearly two months,
Offering all sorts of compromises, but he
would accept nothing but the absolute re-
peal of the silver purchasing law. The
senators were angry, but they yielded.
His settlement of the Venezuela boun-
dairy question is still fresh in the public
mind. That question had been the cause
of more or less irritation for half CEN
tury. Mr. Cleveland settled it in a very
few months, and on the heels of its settle
ment he negotiated with Great Britain a
treaty of arbitration. 1t is true that his
bold method of seeking a settlement caused
a little war cloud to appear on the horizon,
but the cloud quickly passed, and u notable
diplomatic victory was won.
Mr.. Cleveland goes into retirement with
the knowledge that he is not regretted by
the chiefs Of his party, but with the con-
seriousness that he has discharged his duty
faithfully. and with the certainty that
when the history of his times is written it
will assign him place among the great
est of those who have occupied the presi-
dency of the republic.