Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-25
GROVER CLEVELAND

efficient men, who were a credit to their
country, and large percentage Of
names of men whose inefficiency was
equaled only by their moral irrespon-
sibility as far as matters pertaining
to government were concerned, the
Democratic national convention met and
nominated for president of the United
States a New York politician whose
rough and ready manners gave no in
longed to the Brahmin class, and was q
minister's son. bred in library at
mosphere. But behind the rough and
ready manners was quality which
impressed even his bitterest opponents,
that of rugged honesty. 1t was inn
possible to question MIR. Cleveland's .
motives. His aim In every office which
he held was to find out what was his
duty in connection with that office, and
do that duty. His first opponent for
the presidency was the most gifted
man the Republican party has ever
produced. but the dazzling briliiance
and the awe-inspiring intellectually Of
AEs
the Carnegie millions behind him, did
not appeal to the workaday Ameri-
can people and attract them: while the
obvious sincerity. the courage and the
plain, blunt Americanism of Grover
Cleveland did.
President Cleveland went into Of
fee with firm determination to make
the country better. He elected all the
Republican officeholders, replacing
them by men who were chosen for their
qualities and qualifications rather than
for their backing. He introduced civil
service reform, revived and illustrated
the doctrine that public office of any
kind is public trust. and was the first
man since Lincoln to appeal to the
republic to realize it's responsibilities
and make the endeavor to live UP to
the first principles of Americanism
The moral uplift which came to the
United States with the first Cleveland
administration was great and signifi-
cant, and curiously enough. as IL in
obedience to g. supermundane univer-
sal law, with the moral uplift came
material progress and prosperity. The
bad old order yielded, giving place to
new, which it was hoped would be
permanent. With more material re-
sources to defend than any other coun-
try, and with more human beings to
protect than any of the lands which
use the language of Shakespeare,
America was more defenseless than
any The navy was laughing stock
at home. and European testers dsrided
it. Mr.. Cleveland strengthened him.
self by selecting the most brilliant
cabinet in American history. and to
w. C. Whitney, the greatest modern
secretary of the navy, was entrusted
the task of laying plans for the great
armada which now defends our do
mestic shores and foreign possessions.
We cannot here review all the
achievements by which Cleveland won
the well deserved title of the FORE
most American of his day, but we pre-
dict 1t will not be long before the
country awakens to the fact that he
was the greatest since Lincoln. and
that as Lincoln preserved the Ameri-
can Union and reasserted the princi-
today makes the federation of all the
English speaking countries possible
and probable. so Cleveland asserted the
first principles of Arnericanism. and
by his frmness in a controversy with
Britain averted what might have been
deplorable and inopportune war. This
was the last serious quarrel between
the two great English speaking pow
ers, which, after thinking over what
might have happened. fastened to en-
ter into conventions, agreements and
arbitration treaties by which their mu-
tual concerns are protected and the
unpopular, sordid interests which might
become antagonistic are held in check.
1t is certain that had the theories Of
Cleveland with regard to sane and
just tariff prevailed, the peace Of the
country would not now be menaced
by predatory trusts, while its. future
happiness would not be imperiled by
the fact that large number of chill
dren, estimated at about two millions
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for the workshop. Mr.. Cleveland was a
believer in education for everybody. He
was old fashioned enough to realize
that the little red school house at the
cross roads was the real foundation
of the countrys greatness; that edu-
cation was needed in order that liberty
might be appreciated. might be used
but not abused. and that the greatest
good and happiness might be secured
for the greatest number of the greatest
free population ever in the history Of
the world assembled in one territorial
area under one glorious protecting
flag.
In the coming campaign his voice
would undoubtedly have been raised
and his influence exerted In order to
rally a United Democracy around the
platform of the Democratic national
convention and the candidate Of it's
choice. His counsels would have been
invaluable in trying periods which may
mark the national history in the near
future. An ideal family man." he did
not believe that any kind of states
manship or governmental policy was
constructive or could possibly be called
constructive which was destructive of
the American home.