The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-06-29

self a brilliant orator, once con-
fessed that he was stricken dumb
with wonderment by Mr.. Cleve-
lands display of self-confdence
at his first Inauguration. With
40, 900 people in hearing and 70,
OOO,OO waiting to read the
words he was about to utter, this
man, altogether new to Washing
ton and to the national arena,
stood forth to deliver his iuaugu-
raj address offhand. He held
in the palm of his left hand a
scrap of visiting card on which he
had noted the merest catchwords
of his address. The sight cf
this scrap of card caused Senator
Ingalls, to say:
Suppose his memory had fail
ed him. Such things happen to
speakers skilled by a lifetime of
experience; and why not to Cleve-
land, a novice in the art? Yet
he stood there, with all the con-
fidence Of a prophet Of old, and
without manuscript spoke for an
hour to 7O,O0O,OOO people"
This courage, this self-confi-
dence, characterized his entire
career as President. He seemed
always prepared, and when he
got ready to fire he fired. Dur
ing his first term he vetoed 413
bills. This unprecedented exer-
cise.of veto power astounded Con-
gress and caused the people to
sit up and take notice. No ad-
verse criticism swerved him.
Among the bills vetoed were 297
private pensions. Cleveland,
who helped to support his mother
during the war on a meager sal
ary as assistant prosecutorinBuf-
falo, had hired a substitute wher
he was drafted into the army.
This was brought up against hin
by indignant Grand Army men,
but he believed that the pension
bills he was vetoing were i'm
proper under the laws, and he
ignored the insinuations.
Mr.. Cleveland devoted his en-
tire congressional message il
1887 to the tariff. He character
lied the then existing tariff law
as vicious, inequitable and il
logical" His bold stand for ;
reduction of duties contributed
largely to his defeat for re-elec
ton the next year, though he re
ceived a majority Of the popula
vote.
1t was in his second term tina
Mr.. Cleveland's policy or princi
pie of standing pat with his ow1
convictions split his party wild
open and made him millions O
political enemies. He was un
alterably in favor of the gol
standard. In the summer O
1893 he called a special sessio
of Congress to repeal the Shel
man act requiring the governmer
to make large purchases c
) silver bullion. Succeedin
chapters in the none
tary struggle are of such recer
history that it is unecessar
to mention them.
; Perhaps the one act Of Pres
. dent Cleveland which arouse
i the deepest indignation in son
! quarters and evoked the highe'
commendation from other qua
: ters was the sending of FEEDER
u troops to Chicago during Il
> great railroad strike of 1894 a.
! prevent obstruction of Unite
e States mails" against the prote
IL Of Governor Altgeld of Illinoi
who held that his State fore
,, were adequate to cope with Il
Il situation.
~ MADE HIM A NATIONAL HER
v His vigorous assertion of Il
e Monroe doctrine in the Venezu
r Ian boundary case, even to t
It extent of inviting war wi
S Great Britain, swept away par
e san prejudices for the time al
S made President Cleveland a n
% tional hero.
s "A public office is pub
-e trust, " in seven words, is N
a. Cleveland's noblest literary ere
: ton.
l. Time softens even political 6
= perities. 1t is yet too early f
J. unbiased history to be writ
around the Cleveland admin
a. strations but one may ventU
s the prediction that, when t
r. scroll of history is made up
e the list of the greater Americ
1e Presidents will be the name
is Grover Cleveland "the most d
re tinguished private citizen in Il
I world" for many years iowa
at the end of the nineteenth and
n. the beginning of the twentie
ce century.
af a., Proverbs and Phrases.
Nv If you wish to reach the his
us oct ho0in ot tho lowest -SVr