The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-12-28
MR.. cLEvELAND's VIEWS.

Grover Cleveland h as written an ar
ticle for the Saturday Evening Post,
of Philadelphia, on Democracy S
Plight, - in which he reviews the
causes, as they appear to him, for the
defeat which overcome Democracy.
The cause of the present unsatisfac-
tory condition of Democracy is, he
SAYS, because of it's fusion with Popu-
Esm. Once before, he says, it had such
an experience, when it strayed off
after the fallacies of greenbackism in
the early seventies, but one lesson in
the realm of defeat was enough for
them, and it returned to more virtu-
GUS paths. But while there is pos
sibility to excuse the wandering of
Democracy away from its true prin-
ciples in 1896, he can see no excuse for
it since. On this point he says
But the extent and persistence of
our wanderings in 1896 is illustrated
in most astounding way by the COM
mand, issued on the day of our rout
and discontinue, that a second battle
should be fought on the same field,
with the same false war cries and the
same leadership that had brought us
to the surrounding gloom of defeat.
The falIacies and vagaries Of the past
few years, he says. must be abandon
ed There must be return to first
principles. Reorganization, he claims,
is not necessary but return from its
late wanderings is absolutely neces-
sary. He touches in turn free silver
and the federal courts and believes
that true Democrats are against con-
demning the government for protect
ing itself in the exercise of its func
tions He would return to his old
slogan of tariff reform and believes the
country should abandon the policy
which has made us great industrial
nation, for simply rev enue tariff.
His summing Of the whole difficulty
that confronts Democracy is to ''give
the rank and file chance This last
will not strike Mr.. Bryan at all favor
able. For while he has posed as the
friend of the great common people,
his real place in his party has been
that of a dictator and against the idea
of the rank and file of his party hav-
ing anything to say in its conduct.
But Mr.. Cleveland does not seem to
have learned in full the lesson that
was spread by the effects of his own
administration. No party that advo
Gates the breaking down of our pro-
tective policy, under which our present
industrial greatness, and fast growing
supremacy has been brought forth,
can hope to be popular with the
American people. 1t may win on
other issues which for the momen t, as
it were, may obscure the real object of
the putting of its radical economic ideas
into force, but this will bring about its
downfall The present condition of
the Democratic party is primarily the
result Of its economic policy as set
forth by Mr.. Cleveland and his imme-
.diate followers in 1892. The reaction
against that policy brought on condi-
tons that followed. 1t gave rise to
leaders who cast about for any straw
that would catch the people. When the
real cause of the present misfortune
of Democracy is fully realized and it
is recognized that the people will
have no radical tampering with our
economic conditions or policy Demo
cracy, after abandoning its Bryanistic
vagaries, will have taken its first i'm
portant step toward return to
sounder principles.