The Saint Paul globe., 1904-05-22

most impossible to forgive him the things
l have said about him. OF course. it.
must be admitted that the existence OF
this opposition to Mr. Cleveland in his
own party to some extent impeaches his,
capacity for leadership
Mr. Cleveland served two terms as
president. After the first he left the
White Hounse with his party unanimously
and enthusiastically attached to him
AFTER the second he left the White House
with his party inaamed against him with
almost equal unaninnity. l served i'm con-
SfeSS during half of each administra ton
ana enjoyed more or less intimacy with
an us members, especially during the
hISt haf of the second term.
CleUeiand as an Obstacle.
From my observations, 1 should say
that MT. Cleveland's greatest quality is
not as leader. but as an obstacle, II
tnere Were now prospect that the party
should obtain possession of both houses
OF congress, l should not favor his nomi-
nation myself because his second term
SHoWed that he does not possess the quaH-
ties OF encouraging men to cooperate
with him in affirmative measures. of leg
lSiation, and this quality is the verv es-
sence Of leadership in man charged
with the first place in a representative
government. This Inability to control or
lead his associates does not show any
AAACAe e1l 0C4GCl-IiluGSQ, II may be the O.
suit OF his virtueS-but without if he
cannot lead political party. He NAV
be too good for leadership, but he is not
a leader
During Mr. Cleveland's second term the
tariff issue, which, if he did not create, he
certainly succeeded in bringing to the
front was almost hopelesslY discredited
by the divisions and dissensions which
overlook his party. These are what a
leader would have avoided His failure
to avert them left his second administra-
tion source of defeat and disaster to
his party
During his first term, however. the SEN
ate. was Republican. Mr.. Cleveland's
junction then was to arrest senatorial aa-
gression and defeat senatorial usurDa
ton There his success was decisive-I
may say extraordinary. There his mart
was not to make men do salutary things
In cooperation with him, but to prevent
them from doing mischievous things in
spite of him. His part was that Of an
obstacle. and he played it admirably
This year there is no prospect of carry
ing the senate. No policy distinctively
Democratic can be inaugurated but
vicious Republican policies can be
checked, suppressed, stamped out forever.
Inc qualities most necessary in a
Democratic president now are essentially
the qualities of an obstacle-sturdy un-
compromising honesty that cannot toler-
ate fraud even when fraud is subservient,
adulatOry or uSeful-a cleanness OF
thought displaying itself always in clean
political acts; an atmosphere of Demo-
cratic simplicity and candOr which Mr.
Cleveland always generates wherever he
goes, and which, entering the executive
mansion now. would be like letting the
air and the sunlight of heaven into a room
superheated and overcharged with dan
gerous atmospheric quantities.
Mr.. Cleveland's greatest availability.
however, consists in the certainty Of his
success, which would afford a very favor
able opportunity of putting a Southern
man on the ticket. Until a Southern man
is successful at a national election, we
cannot consider the war as settled. recon-
Citation complete. peace fully established.
The people, having taken the first step
in electing a resident of the old seces-
sion states to the vice presidency. would
easily repeat the experiment on a larger
scale, and the election of a Southern
man to the presidency would follow.
naturally, inevitably and agreeably. Who
ever may be nominated it is to be hoped
that the result of superior Importance
may follow.