The Washington herald., 1909-03-19
CLEVELAND'S LIFE
PRAISED By TAFT
Continued from Page one.

pulses were all toward the merit system
Of appointments in the public service. and
agains, the spoil system, but he had a
practical. common-sense view OF the prob
lens before him. He dealt with the In
struments which he had. and he not in
frequently was obliged IN order 20 &C
complsh greater objects. 10 yield 10 the
demands OF those who had no ideals, and
who were impatient OF anything but the
use Of government Offices as a purely po-
fticaI reward. Every time that oppOr-
tunity offered. however, and there was
not some greater object In immediate
view. he strengthened and assisted the
movement toward the merit system.
Mr.. Cleveland's political career was so
short that he had a great advantage over
the prominent men OF his party whose
records reached back into and were gov
erned by the bitter quarrels OF the civil
war AS a political quantity his history
began during the corruption and demoraIi-
cation in the Republican party which
we're a necessary result OF continued
power during me war and the decade
succeeding il. He represented. IN a
sense a new Democracy. about which all
the older elements rallied. but those
strongly in sympathy with his reform
views as we'll as those elements without
such sympathy who were anxious 10
secure party power
CIeveIand's Greatness.
Chief Justice Fuller perceived in Pres
ident Taft some OF the characteristics
that made Mr.. Cleveland great. He said:
Mr.. Cleveland was indeed a great
man, and it was character that made
him great: character which Emerson
describes as a reserved force. which acts
directly by pressure and without means;
certain undemonsTable force,
familiar or genius by whose impulses
the man is guided. and accomplishes
things by a sort Of magnetism Wash
ington had it, and Lincoln had It. and
the people have always finally acknowl-
edged It.
1T Is very right that this tribute is
paid TO him
At Evening Exercises.
President Taft attended the memorial
exercises which were held this evening
IN the College Of the City OF New York
in Grover Cleveland's memory, but he did
not speak. The audience felt at one time
that they had an opportunity to force
him TO speak, but the plan failed.
The President was greeted with great
cheering when he came In. Edward NJ
chairman Of the meeting. and other
II.
ator Root, Judge George Gray. william
3. Hornblower. Rev. Father Daniel j.
Quinn. president OF the FOrdham College.
and Gov. Hughes.
Besides the addresses there was a mu-
steal programme in which Nine. Lillian
Blauvelt. Prof Samuel A Baldwin. the
Philharmonic Orchestra, and the United
German Singing Society of New York
participated.
Senator Root Speaks.
Senator Root said:
The best evidence Of nations great
ness is TO be found in its generous and
heartfelt appreciation Of noble charac-
ter. Il is TO the honor OF America that
the greatest and noblest monuments TO
WASHINGTON and Lincoln are found, not
so much in what they did as in what
they were.
Cleveland did not rise cOnspicuously
above men Of his time In intellectual
power. One OF the elements Of his
strength was that his mind worked as
the majority OF minds Of Americans work.
only more strongly. His convictions once
formed, he was absolutely immovable
them"
Judge Gray, Mr.. Hornblower. and
Father Quinn were the next speakers
Gov Hughes was the last speaker on
the list, and the final number Of the mu-
steal programme was the only thing to
come after his speech. Gov. Hughes was
applauded when he entered the hall
Gov Hughes speech dealt with Mr.