Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-28
BENJAMIN Harrison.

Not word spoken at Indianapolis yes
terday in praise of Benjamin Harrison
lacked confirmation by the record. He
was a high-class man and public servant
In every particular. He did his duty, and
had clear perception of it. wherever
placed. He was a model citizen, a brave
soldier in the war for the Union, and,
reaching the highest office under the gov
eminent, administered 1t to his own
credit and the public welfare. He found
room for his talents, and employed them
well. all through busy and distinguished
life.
The Star expressed the opinion the other
day that the defeat of Gen. Harrison for a
second term in the White House was the
most stupendous blunder the American
people ever made at the polls 1t was
Just that Matters in the main were
moving along we'll. If the financial prob
lem was difficult the situation had grown
out of an effort on the part of the Presi-
dents opponents to make it worse. At
that time Mr.. Bland of Missouri was the
democratic leader in Congress on the
money question, and his one persistent
aim was the free coinage of silver. And
for awhile he had his party In the south
and west solidly at his back. There were
republicans even who trained with him,
or secretly sympathized with him. But
Gen. Harrison in the White House and
Mr.. Reed in the House of Representatives,
acting together. defeated free coinage, and
had they been supported by the country
later would have rescued matters from
the embarrassments that had been forced
by the compromise.
The people, however, forgetting all this.
and acting largely under the inspiration
of a tragedy with which the administra-
ton had nothing whatever to do, voted
out the existing good order and ushered
in what proved to be the most unhappy
four years in the history of the country
in time of peace. For unsettled condi-
tions and bankruptcy in the business
world and want among laborers marked
the whole of the second Cleveland term.
The tragedy was the terrible and re-
grettable Homestead strike. Men were
killed and property was destroyed, and
much unreasoning excitement followed.
AS the Homestead industries were profit
ing by the policy of protection, the demo-
Gratis seized upon the episode for cam
paign purposes and made capital out Of
It. Such, they charged, was one Of the
fruits of protection. Industries assisted
by it grew arrogant. Many wage-earners
were caught by the cheap sophistry, and
gave their votes to the heterogeneous
combination led by Mr.. Cleveland on a
platform denouncing protection as rob-
berry and promising to put an end to it.
Out, then, went Gen. Harrison and in
came Mr.. Cleveland. Had the former,
whose sympathies were all with the wage
earners. and whose policies had regard to
their welfare as to that of all other citi-
zens, been reelected, instead of four
years Of unparalleled adversely. the coun-
try would have enjoyed a continuation
of it's prosperity. If ever a public servant
deserved approval he did. for. although
working at times against a vigorous
democratic opposition. assisted secretly
by a faction of his own party, he had held
the ship on a safe course and within the
reach of friendly winds.