Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-08-31
PLANNED Series Of Three on Political
Conditions, and Com pleted Only One,
i When Death Cut Short His Work.
8 Endorsement Not Disloyalty to De-
,noeraey.

planned IQ0 WrItinS OF iunTee SdrIlCleS
on the presidential campaign OF 1908.
The first article was to be general
discussion Of the political field, the
Issues and the men; the second was
10 deal with the issues developed by
4 the conflict OF the two parties, to ap-
pear in September; and the third was
to deal with the doubtful states, this
to b published shortly before the elec-
tion. The frst article was finished. and
Mr. Cleveland lived long enough to
know that the lines on which the arti-
scle WAS written were justified, no un-
expected developments having dis
turbed his premises. The article fol-
lows:
BY GROVER CLEVELAND.
NCopyright 1898, by New York Times
Company.
Each quadrennial campaign is a rec
r,sdescent crisis in the affairs of the
American people; formative OF new
endeaHors In our national life from the
d, ass of the old mingled with new and
slntried. We ane overfond OF change
and amendment. end at times reckless
of underlying principles. which are not
susceptible Of change, and to antag-
onize which may mean disaster and at
least ds certain to entail stultifcation
: ana tmpadrment OF the best Of our past
and present
The campaign on which we are en-
kerinE signalizes the crNstallization OF
more that is new than any other within
forty years, and is not so important
Tor the policies that It will fix for the
next four years as for the greater
changes that dts result will be found
TO foreshadow. Over our horizon diff
the blunt heads of clouds OF storm,
and the low mutter of distant thunder
Is heard beneath the basic roar of our
eighty millions moving on. It Is the
earnest wish OF one whose heart has
long been engrossed with his country's
greatest and best In the ultimate that
the men who shall take over her ward
and keep shall fail not nor falter in
that day more than those statesmen
OF the past whose giant figures loom in
ative to emulation.
For time there were those who
feared that there was an obliquity in
I the standard Of our civic morality
which marked q degeneracy not to he
i aaverted. and greed, disintegrity. and
I lfeasance strobe unabaahed thru
kha courses Of our official functions:
1ut we have lived to realize that 1t was
merely an excrescence Of the times, that
it was something transitery, like unto
the slough of q wound, and that dts
prepalence and persisteney were need
Cd to rouse the opposition necessary to
Its anal obltteratian. So, it seems to
me, as I review the last half century,
that from the mental vision l may
draw this certain cenclusioni We as
individuals and citizens are better,
wiser, cleaner handed than we were.
md are risinE eteadily to planes high
er than we hay. yet known. 1t Is
true IN enc way tlat the "evil that men
do lives after them and the good Is too
oft inferred with their benes," but that
survival Is more in effect than in pop
Miar consciousness.
We are prone to think OF the past
as better than ,tt1e present and to for
get that which was publicly discredit-
able In the last decade or the last gem
seration Considering these matters
and conditions Of which I have had
rome opportunities Of being informed.
no hesftanoy comes In saying that the
agitation in behalf Of common honesty
IA the last few years has had a notable
effecx, not only In the Immediate con-
yiitions that underly the agitation, but
IN the broader things of our Intimate
life as g people. Never has 9 more
intelligent body OF voters prepared to
go to hhe polls, and never one more
thoroughly awakened to its moral re-
eponsibilities.
Ut ds unfortunate at all times, OF
course. that a rigid partisan spirit
should hold certain sections of the
country to whatever course OF action
as provided for them by the leaders of
the party to which they are committed.
no matter whether that principle defin-
ing the course be some innocent So
phistry or some dangerous obsession
Of q. set of blatant demogogs. TO
be specific, the population of some of
the New England states is so inherent
lv republican that the fallacy would be
palpable indeed that would not earn
their support just so 1t had the ap-
proval of the leaders OF the republican
party On the other hand, the south
has long taken a stubborn, foolish
Continued on Fourth Page.) I.