Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-06-24

lOclll SlCtCldAA0 S0DiASSp 3SSASA - A>.6--
ly interesting story Of this Bible.
II first saw it." said Mr.. Lamont, ION
table in Cleveland's law office i'll
Buffalo. When Mr.. Cleveland became
governor the little Bible was generally
to be seen on the bureau in his bed
room in Albany. Just before his inau-
guration as president I found the book
in his rooms ut the Arlington hotel,
Washington, and carried it to CHIEF
Justice Waite. requesting him to use
it when he swore the new chief mag
istrate into Office"
About 10000 witnesses saw Grover
Cleveland press his mothers gift to his
lips on that memorable occasion.
Later the little Bible lay on Mr..
Cleveland's writing table In his library
at Princeton. On the outside cover is
inscribed in gilt letters the name IS. q.
Cleveland" and on the fly leaf In his
mothers handwriting nre the words.
"My son, Stephen Grover Cleveland,
from his loving mother"
Display Of Self Confidence.
The late Senator Ingalls,, himself
brilliant orator. once confessed that lie
was stricken dumb with wonderment
by Mr.. Cleveland's display OF self con-
6dence at his first Inauguration. With
1000 people In hearing and 7OOOO,OOO
waiting to read the words he was
about to utter, this man. altogether
new to Washington and to the national
arena, stood forth to deliver his IN
augural address offhand. He held in
the palm of his left hand scrap OF
visiting card on which he had noted
the merest catchwords Of his address.
The sight Of this scrap Of card caused
Senator ingalls, to say:
Suppose his memory had failed him.
Such things happen to speakers skilled
by lifetime Of experience. and why
not to Cleveland, novice IN the art!
Yet he stood there. with all the conf
dence Of prophet Of old, and without
manuscript spoke for an hour to TO-
100000 people!'
This courage, this self confidence,
characterized his entire career as pres
ident. He seemed always prepared.
He had loaded his gun beforehand, and
when he got ready to fire he fired.
During his first term he vetoed 4l3
bills. This unprecedented exercise Of
the veto power astoundede congress and
caused the people to sit up and take
notice. No adverse criticism swerved
him. Among the bills vetoed were 207
private pensions. Cleveland, who help
ed to support his mother during the
war on a meager salary as assistant
prosecutor in Buffalo, had hired a sub
stitute when he was drafted into the
army. This was brought up against
him by indignant Grand Army men.
but he believed that the pension bills
he was vetoing were improper under
the laws, and he ignored the insinua-
tons.
Mr.. Cleveland devoted his entire con-
gressional message in 1887 to the tar
III. He characterized the then existing
tariff laws as vicious. inequitable and
illogical" His bold stand for reduc-
ton of duties contributed largely to
his defeat for reelection the next year.
though he received majority Of the
popular vote.
It was in his second term that Mr..
Cleveland's policy or principle OF
standing pat with his own convictions
split his party wide open and made
him millions of political enemies. He
was unalterably in favor of the gold
standard. In the summer Of 1893 he
called a special session Of congress to
repeal the Sherman act requiring the
government to make large purchases
Of silver bullion. Succeeding chapters
in the monetary struggle are OF such
recent history that it is unnecessary
to mention them.
Perhaps the one act Of President
Cleveland which aroused the deepest
Indignation in some quarters and
evoked the highest commentator from
other quarters was the sending Of fed
eral troops to Chicago during the great
railroad strike Of 1894 ito prevent OBJ
struction of United States mails"
against the protest Of Governor Alt
geld of Illinois, who held that his state
forces were adequate to cope with the
situation.
Made Him a National Hero.
His vigorous assertion of the Monroe
doctrine in the Venezuelan boundary
case, even to the extent of Inviting
war with Great Britain, swept away
partisan prejudices for the time and
made President Cleveland national
hero.
"a public Office is public trust.'' in
seven words, is Mr.. Cleveland's noblest
literary creation.
Time softens even political asperi-
ties. It is yet too early for unbiased
history to be written around the Cleve.
land administrations. but one may
venture the prediction that. when tbs
scroll of history is made up. on the list
of the greater American presidents
will be the name Of Grover Cleveland.
1.-THE most distinguished private cit
izen In the world for many years to-
ward the end of the nineteenth and at
the beginning of the twentieth CEN
fury.