Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-06
GROVER CLEVELAND D
A Former Supporter Sizes
Him Up.
WHAT HE STANDS FOR
Low TARIFF, WHICH SWEPT HIS
PARTY FROM POWER.
he Has Not Advanced From His Form
er Position-His Election Would
Kill Present Prosperity.

"As this Grover Cleveland boom seems to
be getting serious. I think it is about time
for us to stop and consider for a moment"
said former democrat and supporter OF
Cleveland, to Star reporter, today. 1--WE
are an emotional people; we also are for
getful and, if you please, forgiving people.
But don't let's permit forgetfulness and
emotion to blind our eyes to few painful
facts of the past in connection with Grover
Cleveland.
"There are some serious considerations
in connection with Grover Cleveland's can
didacy. His would be a personal candi-
dacy. He would be expected to command
the votes of men who admire his person
ality, if not in accord with all the tenets
of his party. He would stand for dignity
and conservatism and safety they say.
What He Would Stand For.
"Well, now, would he? We don't know:
but we do know some things he would
stand for, and those certainties ought to be
considered. I would like to enumerate a
few of them for my erstwhile democratic
friends to chew over before they get to
throwing up their hats and shouting for
four more years of Grover.
He would stand for low tariff, the issue
power after the passage of the Wilson
German act. He would stand for free raw
material and take away the farmers good
prices and the livelihood Of the workers in
lumber, ore and COAL
He would stand for a more radical tariff
reform than the Wilson bill provided, and
the country rebuked the democrats for that
bill. Have we forgotten that Cleveland
was dissatisfied with the need of tariff re-
ducton which that disastrous measure
dealt out and would not sign the bill, but
let it become law by the lapse of time?
Have we forgotten that he would have
gone further in the way of crippling Ameri-
can industries and prostrating American Ia
Dor than even that fatal measure contem-
plated?
Il believe that the democratic party of to-
day has learned a lesson from that disas-
ter, that 1T will not again advocate free
trade, or If it does that 1t will not secure
a following in this country. But Grover
Cleveland is today just where he stood
August q, 1894 when he wrote the letter
to My Dear Catchings,' in which he
marked the places where the deadly blight
of treason has blasted the counsels of the
brave in their hour Of might
His Letter to Catchings.
cleveland wrote in that letter to Catch
ings: I take my place with the rank and
file of the democratic party who believe in
tariff reform and who refuse to accept the
results embodied in this bill as the close
of the war. The trusts and COM
binations-the communism of pelf-whose
Vaccinations have prevented US from reach
ing the success we deserve should not be
forgotten nor forgiven. cannot be
mistaken as to the necessity of free raw
materials as the foundation of logical and
sensible tariff reform. Free raw materials
and a just and fearless regulation and re-
duction of the tariff to meet the changed
conditions would carry to every humble
n he a nd tha Cnp Of
comforts and cheaper living
He was mistaken about it, though The
reduction which the bill did provide, INSULT
cient as it was, according to his ideas, car
ried not blessings to every humble home
but disaster and the humber the home
the keener the misfortune. I acknowledge
that stood for the bill then, but 1 went
through the practical experience of the
bitter years that followed. l was surfeited
with the husks of democratic theories.
Now, those are the sentiments of the
man we are talking of taking up again.
He wants to go further than his party was
willing to go in 1894, and his party was
whipped for going as far as it did. II he is
likely to be nominated he will dictate the
platform and it will be a platform of free
trade.
I'VE found fault with Cleveland In the
old days because of his boorishness-now
we call 1t dignity; because of his exclusive
ness-now call it dignity, although then
we knew it was Grass Indifference and
Sel1ShneSS; because or his -headedneSs
and obstinacy, which now we call frmness
Things to Be Remembered.
II wish my enthusiastic friends would
remember all these things before they get
to shouting for him. If he is nominated he
may be elected; he will come nearer to it in
my opinion than any other democrat. If
he is elected. he will try to wreck this
country again with his free trade IDEAS
my objection to Cleveland's candidacy is
the menace it will present to the prosperity
of the country. I am not tied to Roose-
velt's chariot: there are many things about
him don't like-his instability his emo
tionality, his mercurial disposition. But
he is In the hands of wise and conservative
advisers, and. anyhow, he cannot sweep his
party away from its moorings.
II don't want to see anything happen
which will stop this wonderful tide of pros
perity. Roosevelts reelection will not stop
it. Cleveland's election will certainly do
1t as the election of no other democrat
would. He is too big, too obstinate, too
set in his opinions to be placed at the
head of wavering. undisciplined and easily
Influenced host"