The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-07-20
1ad convinced himself to be

right. 1t was not very surpris-
ing, after all, that he should
come into conflict with Senators
of the very practical" type
who represented New York,
Maryland and New Jersey dur
ing his administrations. Mr..
Cleveland was a politician who
believed in organization and all
methods to achieve party victory.
He never pretended to be a
statesman Of so exalted a type
that he must hold aloof from the
men who organize political vic
tories, who carry on campaigns
of education, who get out the
vote by legitimate means. In
his early days in Buffalo Mr..
Cleveland was an energetic and
resourceful party man. But he had
little in common with the "Sena-
tors from Havemeyer", and the
Senators from Rockefeller"
who blocked the reforms to
which the Democratic party was
solemnly pledged. Mr.. Cleve-
land was honest to the core. He
believed that a pledge was not
to be lightly ignored. His SYM
pathies and his convictions were
in accord with those of that able
and high-minded Democratic
statesman, the late William L.
Wilson, of West Virginia. For
Mr.. Wilson President Cleveland
had sincere admiration and re-
spect. The men were of entire
ly different types, but they were
as one in their honesty and their
loyalty.
While Mr.. Cleveland had no.
thing in common with Demo-
cratic Senators from Havemeyer
and Rockefeller, it seems strange
that he should not have received
the loyal support of most Of the
Senators from the South. There
were Southern Senators, men of
strong convictions, men of integ-
rity, who had no tariff axes tc
grind, who ought to have been
staunch allies and unwavering
. supporters of the first Democrat
ic President since Buchanan. Ye'
Mr.. Cleveland did not get theil
\ support in the measure in which
! he was entitled to it. The late
= Senator Morgan. of Alabama
= who was never an exponent O.
v peanut politics, =" who was al
: ways guided by a sense of dut!
/ and his own conception of wha
n was right, opposed certain of Mr.
q Cleveland's policies with NOR
a bitterness than the President
q Republican opponents. Becaus'
q of differences on the tariff in tn
v Democratic party-the platforr
!, declaring for a tariff for revenue
q while many men who were eX
J. pected to put that platform int
J. Legislation were opposed uncO1r
. promisingly to the principl
# when it touched their local inter
~ ests-Mr. Cleveland found hin
: self in an almost impossible pos
al ton as a stalWart tariff reformel
il Later, when the silver questic
70 became acute-when financi
" conditions were so alarming tn;
+; the repeal of the Silver Purchas
Is act was demanded by the bus
,d ness and financial interests, M
~ Cleveland was compelled to arrs
himself against a large elemel
81 of his party. Having convince
in in himself that it was his duty
a. secure the repeal Of the Sherms
~ Silver act, he met his obligatiC
th to the country in the spirit of I'll
r. finching patriotism. There we
No honest differences of opinion
m ne regard to the necessity for t
Of repeal of the silver act. M
ad Cleveland was entitled to respe
"a, a. for the courage which he mar
# tested in subordinating pa
to ty prospects and political oppo
%. tunism to what he regarded as
or urgent public duty. Those w
w consider the subject dispassio
nv Nv ately now, in the light of t
To- To- country's experience since 18e
# will scarcely deny that the natl
an owes a debt Of gratitude to N
he Cleveland for his courageous {
is M forts to avert financial disaste
1s- @ Mr.. Cleveland will have
". place in history as one of t
,S ,ss most determined, conscientioI
es M incorruptible men who have SCI
~ ~ ed the people in the Office
ID President. The people of t
of South ought certainly to cheri
bv his memory. He brought to /
he Cabinetmen distinctionfromt
1n South, and he seemed to delight
.ho honoring them. He sent Sout
in ern men to represent this natl
abroad in diplomatic position
ha 1t had been more than Is ye;
ue- since a President of the Unit
ar States had recognized that
bic South was entitled to a voice
,av the government. It has be
at said that Mr.. Cleveland was !
hae a brilliant man; certainly he v
md not a snowy one. But he /
Of the ability to grasp public gu
MT tions and to discuss them sobe
,aI and forcefully. He was ne
aIf spectacular. It is impossible
# recall any instance in which
!, 1a.i Cleveland deliberately sought
be m center of the stage and posed
~ limelight. It has been sugges
90 that his message to Congress
be the Venezuelan boundary c
east troversy between Great Brit
has and Venezuela was spectacu
ana DIT +hnco ,rh innrod M. Clc