The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-05
TRIBUTE TO
 CLEVELAND Memory Of Late Presi-
 dent Honored NOTABLE EXERCISES HELD Association of Life Insurance Presidents in Session. The Program Includes Addresses By Paul Morton and Dr. John A. Findlay-Letters from Fora ~ Haer Cabinet Mem-
 bers Read.


 ciation of Life Insurance Presidents, of which he had been chairman dur ing the year and a half between the time of its organization and, his death.
 The program, which was brief. .in- cluded addresses by President Paul Morton of the Equitable Life Assur- ance Society and pr. John H. Finlay, President of the College of the City of New York, and the reading of let ters which had been received from former Vice-President Stevenson and Governor, Hoke Smith and Hilary A. Herbert, members of MT. Cleveland s Cabinet. This meeting has been look ed forward to as an interesting fore runner of the general memorial meet ing for MT. Cleveland to be held in this city on March IS of next year.
 The afternoon included an address entitled. "A Message from the South and West" by Samuel B Smith. Pres ident of the American Life Convention.
 Paul Morton Speaks.
 Paul Morton, President of the Equit- able Life Assurance Society, in his ad- dress. spoke of Mir. Cleveland in a personal way and of his, connection with the life insurance business.
 MT. Morton said:
 T will not attempt today to deliver a eulogy on Mir. Cleveland. l am only going to speak of him in a personal way and of his connection with the life insurance business; at the same 2 time ne the things he did while in public life, and emphasizing some of his strong characteristics.
 The first time I had the pleasure of meeting him was at Lakewood, N. J., early In 1893, at the little White House. where had gone with my fa- ther who had been requested by tele- graph to come there to see Mir. Clexe- land. and who then offered him a posi- ton in his cabinet. which he accepted l was very much impressed with the kindly manner and simple ways of MT; remember distinctly what a human view he took of things.
 The next time I saw Mir. Cleveland was the night before the inauguration of his second term as President. He was at that time nearly 56 years of age, and 1t was at the Arlington Hotel in Washington. He was in his prime, and probably never anticipated the next day with more satisfaction; for. after having been defeated by MT. Har- rison, after experiencing the chagrin of eseorting him to the capitol four years before and seeing him inaugurated as his successor; after four long years in New York as a private citizen. he was to have the extreme satisfaction the next day of having MT. Harrison per- sonally conduct him to the capitol, and hands of the AnegiGan people. He was certainly in great Ryee, not because of exnltation in defeating an. adversary. cated by the people he loved to serve.
 Three years ago MT. Cleveland. ac- companted by Mrs Cleveland, went with me to Nebraska for the express the unveiling of the public. monument erected in memory of my father. His speech on this occasion was most im- pressiye; He, said he had not come to testify to my fathers lofty civic righteousness: his simple and sure standards of public morality; his stern insistence on official honesty; his sturdy consclentiously adopted. and his pas sionate desire to serve the best inter ests of his fellow~countrymen. I know of no picture could draw of MT. scribe himself than his opinion thus expressed of my own father, and I know you will all excuse the personal reference in my quoting from that ad- dress.
 .'one year ago he was presiding at this convention and 1t was at that time that his insurance address so i'm pressed itself on everybody who heard
 Cleveland and Insurance.
 Mfr. Cleveland came into the life Insurance situation late in life-some years after he had twice. been the vic chief executive of this great nation. At the time he was easily the first citizen of the country.
 His advent first as a trustee of the Equitable and afterwards as Chairman and general counsel of this Associa- ton met with the emphatic approba- ton of the American public because every one knew that In no way would Grover Cleveland wink at any wrong doing. or in any way be connected with administration.
 ''He was a grand old pilot taken on board a very important ship that was in danger among the rocks. and at once all on board were pacihed and confidence fully restored.
 As Chairman of this Association he added character, dignity and probity to our cause. and he accepted the position more on account of it's being a great public duty than for any other reason He became intensely interested in the study of life insurance and it's bene- fits, and was greatly impressed with the fact that it Is one of the best in- Btitutions of civilization.
 "Mr. Cleveland often referred to the small policyholders In whom he took the keenest interest. and many times mentioned the unfortunate and sensa- tional publicity that frightened so many of them into surrendering their policies. It was a source of great re- gret to him that any policyholder who could afford to pay premiums was so unwise as to forego the. protection to Ulb I4uAlAE- ne frequently LdlkeQ to me about it. and wished a way might be devised to restore such policies with as little expense as possible to the insured.
 "In one of his addresses he said: Life insurance Is one of the greatest economical factors in modern fife It Is one of the boons of civilization. A policy was made to hold. Let every policYholder think twice before he gives way to the temptation of bor- rowing on his policy
 Grover Cleveland was a most con- Bcientious man. He never for one mo- ment hesttated as to what was right and what was wrong His courage m doing right was no less than his cour- age in denouncing wrong.
 Patriot and Not Partisan.
 "Mr Cleveland was a patriot-not a partisan. Ills love of country was greater than his love of party. He frequently did things which he knew would beneft the nation and which ne knew would not meet the approval of his party. If his own conscience told him a thiIg was right he acted and took the consequences. He never did things because they were expedient. Ills creed was that honesty was the best expediency in the long run. He never did things for temporary effect. He always had his eye on what was the best thing to do in the long run, and when once that conclusion was reached he followed his conviction.
 'The third and last time he was nom- mated the platform on which he stood was in every respect true to the Demo- cratic faith which ne had preached and