The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1904-02-25

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Evening Post former President Cleve-
land urges his frank and file asso-
ciates" of the Democratic party to
unite and take advantage of the op-
portunities of next November.
81 am one of those, he writes, "who
believe that there is an opportunity
for Democratic success in the coming
Presidential election.
Though attachment to the party
i1f which am enlisted and an intense
desire for it's ascenGency make such
belief exceedingly welcome, they GER
tainly don't create it. 1t is built
upon an unshaken and abiding trust
in the patriotism and intelligence OF
my fellow countrymen."
Mr.. Cleveland's paper opens with IL
re-iteration of the declaration that
he made three years ago:
"Our fighting forces will respond
listlessly and falteringly if summoned
to third defeat in q strange cause;
but if they hear the rallying call of
true Democracy they will gather for
battle with old time Democratic en-
anu
Referring to his faith in his Demo-
cratic associates, he continues:
''This trust will not permit me to
overlook the meaning of the daily in
creasing unrest among our people,
growing out of the startling and flip
pant abandonment by the party in
power of our national traditions and
maxims, it's disregard of ournational
moral restraints, it's inconsiderate
tendency to set aside national good
faith, it's willingness to break away
from safe and accustomed moorings,
and it's contemptuous neglect of our
national mission. Surely these con-
ditiOns, together with the broken
pledges and forgotten promises of re-
side, not only abundantly explain
the popular distress and fear prevail
ing everywhere in the land. but sug-
gest that in such stress of political
weather those of our fellow citizens
who thoughtfully and constantly love
our free institutions will not be un-
mindful of such safety and quiet as
may be offered them by a patriotic
and conservative Democracy"
Mr. Cleveland thinks these cOndi-
tions justify the assertion of Demo-
cracy's opportunity. He says:
''It should be remembered, how
ever, that opportunity may be only
distantly related to actual accom-
plishment, and that it does not of it.
self, unaided and alone, warrant the
expectation of reaching successful re-
suits.
"This is no time for cunning finesse,
nor for the use of words that conceal
intentions or carry q double mean
ing. The Democratic party has a
message to send to its followers and
to the masses of the American peo-
pie. Let that message be expressed
in language easily understood, un-
confused by evasion and untouched
by the taint of iugglery. Obsolete
issues and questions no longer chal-
lenging popular interest should be
manfully abandoned"
Mr.. Cleveland urges tariff reform,
pleads for economy in the eXpendi-
ture of public money and charges the
opposition with having made prom
ises and broken them. He arraigns
the administrations Philippine pol
lev and refers to the Isthmian Canal
in these words:
The Democratic party has been
consistent and unremitting in it's ad-
vocacy of inter-oceanic canal, and
has looked forward to the day whens
such a highway of commerce, built
under the auspices OF our govern
ment, would be contributed by Amer
lea to the worlds progress and civil
ization. 1t is, nevertheless, not with
in the mandates of the Democratic
creed, that even in consummating SO
noble an enterprise as this the terri
torial and other rights of any other
nation should be disregarded and
the good faith of such nations
shaken
Mr.. Cleveland concludes as fol-
lows:
"At such a time as this the Demo-
cratic party cannot with honor un-
dertake the battle of tin. people ex-
cept under a leader that Lot only
represents its best traditions and
purposes, but fully realizes what is
meant by the tremendous issue of the
conflict; and his selection should not
depend upon SO small a considera-
tion as the locality whence he comes
The Democracy's opportunity is
already in sight; but only in a cam
paign waged in reliance upon the
people love of country and devotion
to national morality and under a
leadership that personifies these SEN
timents viii be efound the Democracy's
hopes"