The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-05-17
Mir. Cleveland.

New York Times.
 The remarkable popular welcomel &C., corded to ex-President Cleveland wher- ever he goes is one of the most deeply interesting and suggestive signs of these present times. It is natural that just minded people should admire man of Mir. Cleveland's character and achieve ments; 1t is to be expected that warm hearted people should make a generous showing of their esteem and affection for a statesman who has twice filled the Presidential office It goes much beyond this. Wherever the people meet MT. Cleveland and wherever he is talked about, there Is exhibited an unmistaka- bs and ardent desire to connect his name with the Presidential nomination next year. -Four years more" is the cry that greets his ear: and genuine as is the admiration of the people for President Roosevelt. his distinguished predecessor at St. Louis fairly divided with him the honors of the occasion and the cheers and enthusiasm pf the great multitudes.
 It proves seyeral things. In the Irst tician are not essential to the winning of the confidence of the people. Mir. Cieve- land Is not in the least a politician. His notions of duty his manner of proclaim
 ing the faith that Is in him and of acting upon it, Are indeed often of a sort to un- make friendships rather than to create them President Roosevelt, on the other hand, is an exceedingly good politician. Perhaps we do nobody injustice when we say that he Is the ablest as well as the most conspicuous eXpJnent of the best class of machine politicians in the coun- try. Yet MT. Cleveland stands ss near to the hearts and as high in the con- fidence of the people. perhaps. as the statesman's record speaks of him to the people in tones they like they will hear and attend. It needs no literary bureau, cabal of intriguing politicians, Tt ot far yaa a or public activity, to create that general state of mind We call popularity. MT. Cleveland lives in rather severe retire ment, with no organization or organs to say a word for him, until the people be- gan to say so many words about him that everybody took notice. It proves, moreover, that the political calumniator is about the feeblest as well as the most despicable creature among us MT. Cleveland and MT. Cleveland's second administration have been monstrously lied about. The Republican contention that the hard times of the last decade were due to MT. Cleveland and to the Wilson tariff bill Is as familiar as it is false. It has been everywhere repeated in public speeches and public prints, and yet mani- festly nobody believes 1t. MT. Cleveland without effort triumphs over his enemies and defamers.
 Whether the renomination of MT. Cleve- land would be an event natural and to be expected, or astonishing and miracul- ous, is at present so far as we are con- cerned, beyond the sphere of discussion. The interesting and significant thing is that his renomination should be demand ed. And here the interest relates not so much to MT. Cleveland as to the people. That they are turning in such numbers to a statesman of his high and proved fit ness for public trusts bears testimony, whatever may come of 1t, to the fact that the American people are sound in heart and brain.