Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1897-03-11
THURSDAY, MARCH j, 1897,
WHO is BLAME.

The readiest men TO admit or charge
that the las; administration of Mr. Cleve-
land was 4 failure are tie Democrats who
nominated and elected him President
Is he to blame or is the party which
elected him responsible for the failure ?
Mr.. Cleveland, in dignifed way, would
place the responsibility upon the leaders
of Democracy, who, by diverse views on
all important National questions, produced
confusion and consequently msuccess.
Upon the other hand his Democratic
enemies (his former friends and adnircrs)
assert that failure has res lied from his
effort to set up personal poicy ofhis own
not in harmony with the principles OF
policy of the party organization that NOM
mated and elected him Chef-Executive.
If these two, respective, charges OF the
Ex-President aud his party should he in
vesligated 10y disintarcsted persons, we are
inclined to think Mr. Cleveland would
have the advantage of his adversares in
the making up Of the verdict.
From party standpoint Mr.. Cleveland's
second administration has been a dismal
failure He was elected Pre- ident for a
second term by great popular and cleo
toral majority, hut not without giving
decided, emphatic publicity to his views
on the financial ami tariff questions. He
was known to be relentIessly opposed 70
the free coinage of silver and an earnest
advocate of tariff for revenue. No sooner
was he elected than liis party became
hoplessly divided on these two important
questions, as we'll as others on which he was
known TO nave lie ,ide convictions, The
Wilson bill, which was claimed to rep
resent his views on the tariff. was OBJ
structed and deformed by a faction Of
scmi-potectionist Democrats in the Senate,
and the Wilson German act, 4 compromise
measure, was substituted for the revenue
bill OF tie administration.
The repeal oftl c Sherman Silver Pur.
chase law, which law WIS denounced in the
Democratic platform of 1892 as "a COW.
ardy makcshjft", vas suggested by Mr.
Cc,el.nd, and an extra or special sessio.
of Congress convened for that purpose
The fight which was made in Congress ovcl
the repeal Of that act disclosed that the
administration was not supported hy the
Democratic party as represented in Con
gress.
When Mr. Cleveland, in the exercise Of
his authority as Chief Executive of the
Nation, ade use Of the military power oi
the government 10 ,u2l ressfiot and bio, d
shed at Cn.cteo, he was 'audcd by Demo.
crazy as hay;rg performed patriotic'and
strictly lc: al act 1t was not long, how
ever, until the Democracy !ie!del 10 the
Populist;c and Anarchistic sentiment of
Tillman, Dcbs, Ateeid ard others and
blamed the President for performing the
very worthy act they had first commend
ed him for.
No President can have successful adj
minisirltion who is not in harmony with
the Reprcs entatiyts Of his party in Con-
gress On this line Mr. Ceyelands from
start to finish was a failure lie was de-
serted by his party on the tariff, on his
well known views Of finance, was denounc-
ed for protecting interstate commerce from
obstruction by the lawless and seditious
Clements in the West, and was made a
target for tie contempt of these who
formerly were his most ardent worshipers.
We have no sympathy with the admin
isfrat on of Mr. Cleveland, but weare fully
persuaded that his party is to blame more
than he is for its lack of success.