Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1902-11-27
Cleveland Again.

Ex-President Cleveland has again
emerged from his seclusion and volun-
teered his advice to his former politi-
cal associates. AS usual his speech
gave more delight to the Republicans
than to the Democrats. Ignoring the
stealthy schemes of the ~inanciers and
the insidious encroachments OF i'm
perialism, he urged tariff reform and
antitrust legislation as the only issues
before the country, but how could he
be so obtuse as to think that his argu-
ment would strengthen the Democratic
positionp He was President when the
Democrats had a chance to secure
tariff reform and to destroy the trusts,
but he did not help to do either. In
his message of 1887 he did not discuss
the principles involved In a high tariff;
he simply called attention to the In
justice of unnecessary taxation. When
he sought a second nomination latter
declaring against a second term In his
first letter of acceptance) he gave an
ante-conyention Endorsement to q plat
form which surrendered the Demo-
cratic position on the tariff question.
In 1892 the platform which came into
the convention with his approval was
so flsmy and ambiguous that the con-
vention repudiated it and adopted a
much stronger tariff reform plank than
he desired. After the victory was won
he refused TO call an extra session of
Congress to take up the subject, and
began at once to coerce his party into
the acceptance of a Republican fuan-
cial policy. Even when Congress met
In regular session and agreed upon a
bill-a very poor one, but the best
that could be secured at the time-he
not only refused to sign it, but gave
out a letter condemning it. The in
consistency between what he now says
on the tariff question and what he has
done, is so glazing that he only brings
ridicule upon the party when he poses
as a special champion of a low tariff.
But his reference to the trust question
was even more unfortunate, for he not
only did nothing to destroy the trusts,
but the campaign fund in 1892 was SO
largely contributed by the corpora
lions that his administration was
mortgaged to them.
Why, it may be asked, should these
facts be recalled at this timer Why
not rejoice that Mr.. Cleveland talks in
favor of a few Democratic pol; cies,
even though his record is out of har-
mony with his words? Because he
represents that element in the Demo.
cratic party which once betrayed the
people into the hands of the money
changers, and until he brings forth
fruits meet for repentance his active
support OF a ticket throws suspicion
upon the candidates and ~alienates more
voters than his arguments a win.
The rank and file know that ne was
false to his party pledges and that his
subserviency to Wall street terminated
what might have been a long era of
Democratic supremacy. Had he taken
the peoples side Of the money ques-
ton, as jackson did, he would have
driven the Republican party out of
power for a generation; but instead OF
doing that he alienated the real friends
of Democracy and then led the corpor-
alton element out of the party. AS a
church organization is weakened
rather than strengthened by members
whose lives give the lie to their pro-
fessions, so the Democratic cause is
retarted rather than advanced by men
who loudly proclaim their adherence
to Democratic principles and yet re-
pudiate those principles when in Office.
A principle exemplifed in the life is
worth several on the tongue, and the
distinguished ex-President's political
principles are purely lingual.-The
G%0annnnnRr