Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-04-23

merous arguments which the democrats
formulated and coined for use against
a third term for Grant will inevitably be
marshalled against Cleveland with tell
ing effect.
In the second place Grover Cleveland
will enter the field under the shadow of
the terrible disaster which followed his
championship of the idea of smashing the
tariff. 1t is true that his defenders have
| endeavored to show that the panic and
his famous free trade message were mere
| ~ concident and bore no relation of
cause and effect; but laying aside all of
the reasons for holding his free trade
message responsible for that terrible bust
ness, industrial and financial disaster. it
is no longer secret that good democrats
pointed out to him that just such a cal
amity would follow the publication of
such message. and those men will not
undertake to deny that they were good
prophets. The business and industrial
and financial interests of the whole coun-
try outside of a few great combinations
controlled by a group of multi-milion-
aires will inevitably remember the les
sons of a decade ago, and seek to render
it impossible for our banks and industries
to again go Cleveland democratic.
In the third place Cleveland will enter
the national campaign as the historical
| supporter as we'll as the avowed future
hope of the Morgan trusts Tho files of
certain New York paper will show what
tremendous pressure Of publicity was
necessary to force President Cleveland to
withdraw the concessions that he had
granted to the Morgan financial syndi-
cate in connection with the bond issues
rendered necessary by his financial
policies; and from that time to this Cleve-
| land, In the popular mind has had to bear
the odium of being the tool of corporate
influence. The Sherman antitrust law was
on the statute books while he was in
power but he never raised a finger to
secure its enforcement against monopoly
breeding combinations and it will be i'm
possible to wipe out or explain away this
fact in connection with the trust issue.
| More than this. it is no secret, or it
will be no secret, that the trusts and their
organs have championed the interests of
/
good democratic newspapers have helped
to educate the people against trusts dur
| ing the past few years, they will probably
experience some difficulty in undolng their
! own work so as to be able to prove that
a champion of the interests of the trusts
can be trusted to champion the interests
of the people against the trusts.
/ In the fourth place Cleveland, like
Roosevelt. has an element of weakness in
his own party, but unlike Roosevelt he
himself is the source OF that weakness.
Cleveland will never be able to conciliate
/ the Bryan faction in view OF his open
and avowed refusal to support the popo-
cratic candidate and platform in no less
than two presidential elections. While
Bryan Is no longer the popular idol of a
majority of his party, it is acknowledged
| that he remains a power in the democratic
camp, and Bryan has educated his fol-
| lowers to hate the very elements and cor
poratc interests which Cleveland will rep
resent. Bryan will knife Cleveland in 1901
just as Cleveland plunged the steel into
bryan in 1896 and again in 1890, and Bryan
will be able to influence more democratic
votes next year than Cleveland was able
70 ALLEVIATE from Bryan in both of the
latters campaigns combined
Cleveland with all his weaknesses is
probably the strongest man the democrats
could nominate, and yet he has not a
single element of strength which is not
possessed by Roosevelt and in still greater
degree Cleveland's chief claim to pop
ular favor was Il reputation for honesty.
Roosevelt went into the presidential chair
with a reputation for honesty and he has
| shown by his works that he is honest
Cleveland gained reputation for being
a civil service refor.iler. but he took care
that n host of democrats were put in
snug bcrths before he threw about them
Roosevelt has demonstrated that he is a
true friend of civil service reform and
he has in no way sought TO juggle with
the rules so as to gain partisan advan-
tage while at the same time continuing
to wear his civil service halo. Cleveland
by his Venezuelan message gained the
reputation of being a champion of tie
Roosevelt has strengthened the Monroe
doctrine as it was never strengthened
before, and In addition % the fear Cleveland
inspired abroad he has gained a degree
of respect for American diplomacy and
American prowess of which Cleveland
never dreamed. Cleveland had back
hone. but 1t was no straighter nor un-
yielding than is Roosevelts when nee
essary. and the latter has shown that he
has in addition a conscience and a heart
and a disposition to listen to advice
which are at times moro valuable even
than mere vertabrae. Cleveland had the
respect and the confidence of the people
where Roosevelt commands their admira-
ton and their enthusiasm as we'll as their
confidence and respect. In short all the
issues as well as the personal advantages
are on the side of Roosevelt as compared
with Cleveland, and the President may
well wish for Cleveland as his antagon
list in the national election of 1904.
Distress