Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1897-03-04
GOOD BYE, TER.


 land lays down the reins of Govern ment and retires to private life. Yesterday he was the President of the United States, Commander-in Chief of the armies and all powerful; today he is only private citizen with no more power than the hum blest citizen in the land.
 For eight years he has been President of the United States and ruler of one of the most powerful nations on earth. In 1885 he as- snmed the reins of government by one of the largest popular majori- ties ever received by Presidential candidate. For quarter Of a century the policy of this Govern ment had been conducted by an opposite political party, and Mr. Cleveland was the first Democratic President since the late war. He had been Sheriff of Erie county,
  Mayor of Buffalo and Governor Of New York, holding the latter pc sition only short time before as suming the Presidency. He was regarded at that time as a novice, but he soon displayed sagacions statesmanship and a wonderfully strong spinal column. Early in his term the politicians fell out with him over the spells of office, and his administration soon became un- popular in political circles. Being renominated in 1888, he was defeat ed in the National election of that year by the Republicans because of the dissentlons in Democratic ranks. In 1892 the Democrats were without a strong leader. The politicians were bitterly opposed to the re- nomination of Cleveland, but he held the condolences of the common masses and at last the politicians were set aside, the voice of the people was heard, and Mr Cleve- land was triamphantly renominated and elected. But no sooner had he assumed the reins of government than his old enemies, the spells seekers, the politicians, the dema gogues and disruptionists, began their captious opposition to his ad mlnistration with the result that he was made the target at which every lance of envy, jealousy and hatred was hurled; that ingenuity could devise and hatred conceive. His cabinet advisers, who had long been the leaders of the Democratic hosts and who had led the party from overwhelming defeat to victory, and who had led it out of the wilderness that followed the war, were also made partes to this abuse and vituperation. This led to a dis sension in the party which resulted il it's overwhelming defeat in 1896
 When history comes to be written in the future, when the hatreds and prejudices of the present are forgot ton and his administration comes to be measured and summed up, we
 
 believe the impartial historian will set down Mr. Cleveland as one of the country's greatest Presidents. True, he has been conservative, and it is conservatism that has caused much of the discontent; but in these changing and trying times, when the world seems to be passing through a period of transition, con seryatism is what is most needed
 The really dark spot upon Mr. Cleveland's administration has been its toadying policy during its dying days to the Spanish government in relation to Cuba.
 It's policy in dealing with Spain and its failure to protect Americans in Cuba has been characterized by dalliance and timidity that is hnmil- iating to the American spirit and has brought this nation in disrepute among the nations of the earth. Mr. Cleveland is one who evidently believes in the established order of things, which is clearly manifested by his dealings with Hawaii and Spain, and in this respect his con seryatism has been carried to an extreme It was no doubt the same motiyes that led to the ar filtration treaty with England,