New-York tribune., 1908-06-25
GROTER CLEFELAND.

As the only Democratic President elected
since the Civil War, Grover Cleveland WIS
long an exceptional and notable figure III pup
lie life. Nominated three times in Succession
for the Presidency and twice elevated 10 lla'
office. he will be accepted by history as the
dominating force in Democratic politics In tne
period from 1874 to 1894, when the Democratic
marty recovered for time its lost vitality and
prestige With him as its leader the Democ-
racy came again into control in a majority OF
the states and in the nation as well, although
the groundwork of that success had Deen laiu
under Samuel ]. Tilden.
In the discharge of his duties as President
Mr. Cleveland lived up TO the best TRADITIONS
of the office. He never failed TO respect the
trust imposed upon him. He exhibited In the
White House high degree OF courage, nrli-
ness and dignity. He undoubtedly did much
10 enlarge the powers of the Executive and to
free il from the appearance of subserviency
10 the leaders in Congress- Mr.. Cleveland had
nnver mastered the arts Of the politician He
was impatient of restraint and resoiutely de-
+ar,,ined 10 assert his own Individuality. IN
fact. he owed little to the politicians. a Re-
nuhIican schism in this state in 1SS2 electeu
him Governor and his promotion TO the fresl
dency in 1884 was also due iargelN 10 lhe oo-
operntion of disaffected Republicans. AS ooF
e1nor he fought Tammany Hall ana as ffesi-
dent he treated the spols hunting element III
the Democratic party cavalieriy. lie was re-
nominated in 1892 over the head OF the Demo
cratic machine leaders in this state not get
ting a vote from New York III the natloilai
convention He worked consistently for the
extension of the merit system of appoint
ments in the Civil Service. and his personal in.
cIiuations were all toward clean politics anu
cIoop administration He did the nation a
graat service in resisting the efforts OF Demo
cratic politicians to force return to the SpollS
system and he did il another great service III
defending the national credit against 1he as
saults of acitators for cheap money and the
establishment Of the silver standard. Ihe
country. though it may have disapproved many
of his political policies. never lost faith IN MS
conscientiousness. his integrity and his deep
grounded patriotism
AZ President Mr.. Cleveland left a record
which does him great personal credlt. AS
r,olitical leader however. he was far less fortu-
ro+a He was the foremost Democrat of his
day Yet even before he left the Presidency
he had lost the support of his party and had
coon II fall prey to bitter factional strife. He
1ros no Jefferson and no Jackson. He had
grown ND in a period OF Democratic decadence.
From Jackson's administration on. the Deho-
cratic organization fell more and more into the
hands of the Southern slave owners, ana Irou
being a party of popular rights ana radlcdi
progress it became the defender or the most
obnoxious of special interests-the institution
of slavery During the war and in the period
following the war the Democratic party had
no fixed ideas beyond opposition TO whatever
,-os Re,,uhlican. It was hardly to be eX-
nec+ed that such conditions would produce
leader qualified TO bring the party again III
touch with the programme Of Jefferson ana
Jackson Mr. Cleveland was certainly Itte
of a Jeffersonian or a Jacksonlan. MS lirsC
administration was negative and coioriesS'
When he WAS forced in the second adninlstra-
zion 10 ATTEMPT constructive legislation he broke
the PARTY organization into flinders.
As a nolitical leader Mr. Clevelands S limitation
was largely that he did not fully understand the
foroas ,virh which he dealt He yielded in
1888 10 the South's demand that the protec-
five tariff should he greatly lowered for us
! tona6+ Rut be never realized when he Joined
hands with the Southern leaders to try TO re-
( s+ore antp-hellum industrial conditions what a
/ radical and destructive spirit had come over
tho Southern and Western Democracy HIS
| election in 1892 unlOOsed that spirit ana lie
could then no longer control it. With Repuo-
! Iicsn aid he fought off free silver coinage ana
! slammed purchases of silver bullion. but the
south and West turned on him thereafter as
an enemy and supplanted him as leader "lth
William ]. Bryan.
After his retirement to private life, in 1897
Mr. Cleveland gave little attention TO politics
He made his influence felt, however, in advo
cacv of movements of an educational ana
charitable order and bore himself OF all ocra
sions in which he appeared in public Win
serenity and dignity. He retained the respect
Of the country, and its good wishes have al
wavs been with him. His death Will be sin
cerely nourned. He will be remembered II
not as great political leader, certainly as
worthy and forceful President and as a thor
oughly representative American