Birmingham state herald., 1897-03-04
OUR LETTER BOX.
EXIT. CLEVELAND.

At high noon today Grover Cleveland will retire from the presidency of the re- public, and sink into political obscurity and oblivion.
 No matter how many paeans the to- res, mugwunps and cuckoos may sing, nor how many incense sticks they may burn before their fetich, the faithful his torian will record his last administration as a farce and failure in itself a ter rible scourge to the democratic party and an unmitig3ted curse to the country.
 His election to the presidency in 1884 was in a large measure an accident, due to the foolish vaporing of garrulous old clergyman who characterized his support as a combination of rum, Roman ism and rebellion But at that time, when he was posing as a reformer and as the friend of the people. he gathered around him as his cabinet ministers, men of ability and integrity; leaders who stood high in the councils of the demo- cratic party; and to that fact, more than any merits of his own, was due the fairly successful and entirely honorable admin istnation of his first term; for, notwith- standing many of it's features that were not democratic, it was, in the main, char acterized by an apparent earnest desire to serve the people, was devoid of scan- dals. and ended with credit and honor to himself and the demccrat tic party and att tained the welfare of the country. He retired to private life eight years ago, with the respect and confidence of the people, irrespective of party affiliations one of the most popular men that ever occupied the white house.
 But in the light of subsequent events, and under the analysis of following de- ve,opments even his first administration failed of what was supposed to be its great purpose He was elected upon the issue of tariff reform and 1t has been stubbornly claimed that by his famous tariff message of 1887 he gave, for the first time since 1860, the party "an issue upon which it could make a successful contest, This contention has been with out foundation in fact or reason Prae- tically that issue was made by the party in it's platform of 1876, upon which Samuel J. Tflden was elected president. That message was only a reiteration of a matured and long established doctrine of the party. It was able and statesman Nike, but untfmely and practically dis astrous to the cause of tariff reform. Had it been sent to congress two years. earlier or delayed a year longer it would have been. both timely and wise, and not fatal blow to the cause it's au- thor sought to promote. Precipitated, as it was, less than year before presiden- tial election, it aroused the tariff-beggarS, the bounty-fed monopolsts, and special beneficiaries of class legislation, to the most determined efforts to defeat the democratic party and restore themselves, through republican success. to power. The result was Harrison's election, Reed- ism, McKinleyism, four years more of republican rule. high tariff and pro- fligate extravaganza! For these worse than bubonic plagues and their disas- trous consequences, including the indefin- ite delay of true tariff reform, that fate frAl message was responsible. But for it the democratic party would have elected the president in 1888. secured complete control of congress, and been ena bled to make effective by legislation democratic doctrines and principles of government. By that messe ge the fruits of victory won by the people at the polls in November, 1884. were turned to ashes.
 But notwithstanding the blunders of his first administration, and his over whelming defeat in 1888. the people still believed Cleveland honest and patriotic and devoted to the interests of the masses