Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-12-30
SIXTEEN PAGES
SUNDAY. pEcEMDER 50. le0o.
CRITICISM FROM AN
UNEXPECTED
QUARTER

The Brooklyn Eagle has been so
staunch In its attachment to. and so
unreserved in admiration OF. Hon.
Grover Cleveland that it had come to
be considered as in sense. the organ
OF the ex-President. It's editor, Mr.. ST.
Clair McKalway, is one of the ablest
newspaper writer's Of the country. and
the Eagles adverse criticism of Mr..
Cleveland's recent pronunciamento is
both interesting and unexpected. The
Eagle points out, as the Virginian
Pilot did some days ago, that Mr..
Cleveland confined himself to generali-
ties. 1t wishes that he had been more
specific and proceeds to supply his
omission by declaring that Demo
cracy's ancient ways were ways of
hard money, ways OF expansion. and
ways of gay and efficient aflirmance
of the nations rights in and against
foreign countries. Those were the ways
the party trod under Jefferson, Monroe,
jackson, Polk and Pierce. They are
the ways the nation is treading now,
but not under Democratic guidance
and, we regret to say, not under Mr..
Cleveland's example, encouragement
or support"
All this Is the more precious because
ii constitutes the first attempt we have
seen TO state what are the time hon
ored" principles the Democracy is al
legged to have deserted. Is the Demo-
cracy now opposed TO "hard money?"
On the contrary, 1t favors an increase
1 in the supply OF hard money" Is it
opposed to Expansion? On the con-
trary, 1t favors Expansion, but not
imperialism. Does II advocate the sur
render of American rights to foreign
nations? Democratic Craftsmanship
is not responsible for the Hay-Paunce-
fote treaty and the surrender of a strip
OF Alaska to Great Britain. 1t was
Democratic Craftsmanship that com
PEELED Mr. Mckinley to reluctantly as
sert the dignity of this nation when
Spain was traInpling on American
rights and throwing American citizens
into Cuban dungeons. But TO return
Z to the Eagles criticism:
And when Mr.. Cleveland undertakes
to speak the word of Restoration or to
openSup the path of Return, he fails
to particularize the principles or the
policies which he would present. And
when his suggestions are examined
they are found to be involved in the
very things which Republcansm is
now doing in It's name, and not in the
Democratic name, for the country and
for the world. On the line of issues a
: Democratic campaign is made difficult
by the fact that Republicanism itself is
administering essential Democracy at
this time"
The yirginian-Pilot does not admit
khat 'Republicanism is administering
essential Democracy az this time" but
3 1T WOULD CALL ATTENTION TO
THIS CONFESSION THAT THERE,
is NO VISIBLE DISTINCTION RE
TWEEN THE CLEVELAND WHIT
4 NEY-CARLISLE DEMOCRACY AND
REPUBLIcANIsM. This likeness was
not brought about by Republican adop-
tion OF Democratic principles. hut nv
the desertion of those princlp,es nv
Democratic leaders. The Eagle is scor-
Ing MIR. Cleveland because he did not
have the courage to say plainly thai
ne advocates making the Democracy
a cheap imitation of Republlcanism
n and adds that Mr. Bryan's hold "has
rot been seriously shattered by the
sonpsous euphemisms and the reson.
ant emptiness IS Mr.. cleyelands state