New-York tribune., 1909-03-19
TAFT ON CLEVELAND
Continued from first page.

r,s Is.da-sLin Tsu+ an strong a hold had he
upon the affections and confidence OF !he iGlla 3a
and file Of his party, and so sure nec+orai
he was stronger than the party ID an aL tiri
contest that he was nominated IN the nau%onaI %
convention against the desires OF most Ui ~
state organization leaders, ana IN the t+
which followed he led his party to the greatest
victory in its history.
In this campaign Mr.. CleVeiand stooo loI 81 81
affirmative idea, that Of reduoton OF lle tsiItt'
40 as to make il a tariff for revenue he a.
tackled the protective theory ana system rs
stood for something aggressive and aT1r I
It was in accordance with the ancient uaol'ioiiS
Of the party.
I do not need 10 enter into discussion OF the
merits Of the issue but comment on 1t oniy as
illustrating Mr.. Clevelands character. ne MaS
positive. He Affirmative. He was cogFa a.
eeous He believed IN parties. He believed IN
party policies and he believed in consistency IN
regard to them, and he did not believe IN trim
ming down q policy to catch the votes OF lHose
who really did not agree with It.
The first time Mr.. Cleveland vas in power he
opposed by a Republican Senate rms rms
gave little opportunity for any Tadica! chahse
by legislation in the previous policies of Repuo-
lican administrations but IT did offer an oppor-
tunity for Mr.. Cleveland TO point out 10 the
country the fact that our government is gov
eminent Of three distinct branches, the exeeu-
tive, the legislative and the judicial. and that
the executive has a sphere which the legislative
branch has no right TO invade
UsURPATIoN OF FUNCTIONS.
The President here spoke of the danger Of the
usurpation of the functions Of the Executive by
Congress. and continued:
In Mr. Cleveland's second term there was
large majority OF his party in the House and
working ma jority in the Senate. so that the
whole responsibility Of government fell upon
the Democracy with Mr.. Cleveland at its head.
The significance OF his second administration
centres about three issues. The first was the
tariff: the second free silver, and the third the
suppression of laElessness directed against fed
eral authority by Of the process Of federal
49, <oSa T-op 10
ences IN his party which had sought 10
defeat Mr.. Cleveland for noninatio IN his third
canvass he found intrenched in the Senate so
strongly as TO be able to defeat the declared
policy Of his party in favor Of a revenue tarifr,
and he refused to sign the Gorrnan-Wilson bill.
but allowed II to become a law after denouncing
It as the result of perf1dy and dishonor. This
doubtless the greatest disappointment Of his
political life for il destroyed the opportunity to
test the wisdom OF the party policy advocated
by him and declared in the party platform.
While the business depression which existed
ton his political opponents, who did not hesi-
tate to argue that the prospect OF revenue
tariff. the one hand and the passage Of the
actual GOTTnan-Nllson DILL on the otner. mao
paralyzed the industries Of the country. What
ever ones views upon the tariff, whether he be
a protectionist or a free trader. he cannot but
have the deepest sympathy with Mr.. Cleveland
in his deep indignation at the party disloyaity
which defeated the Wilson bill it passed the
House, and gave us the nOndescript bill when
became the law.
But there was rising in the Democratic party
at the time especially in the Western and South
ern parts OF the country, q desire for economic
remedy which should cure everything in our
business and body polite. This was the move
,nent in favor OF the free coinage of silver. The
Republican party and some Of its leaders IN the
West and South hard not been free from weak
ness IN this respect. and the law for the monthly
purchase of $2.O00000 OF silver hung like stone
around the neck of the country Mr.: cleveland
used all the authority that he could command
the Executive to bring about repeal OF TINS
law, and he finally succeeded The deep greti-
tude Of the country is due TO him for this result
Without It disaster would have come without
II the credit Of the country could not have been
sustained, and there would have been DIot on
our financial escutcheoa.
LOSES CONTROL OF PARTY.
But when Mr. Cleveland succeeded in securing
the repeal Of the Sherman act It seemed as IT
his control over the party with respect 10 the
monetary issue had been exhausted. His party
became hopelessly divided. and the majority of
Il declared in favor Of the free coinage of silver
a policy which know to-day and which we
ought TO have known then. was nothing but
policy Of repudiation- II vas policy com
pletely contrary to the ancient and traditional
views Of the OLD Democratic party. 1t was
departure from the plainest principles Of hon
esty TO those who foresaw its effect in repudia-
tion and scaling down Of public and private
debts by legislative fat. II policy which
confidence of the business community, whether
previously Democratic or Republican 1t pre-
sented a moral issue sharp, so clear, as COM
petely 10 destroy party fealty and party at
tachments. II took away from the Democratic
party that strong, conservative element Of which
Mr.. Cleveland was the leader, and IT made It, for
the time a party which seemed to threaten the
foundation of honest business and Of honest
government. 1t seemed 10 make its campaign
in 1895 and 1900 an assault upon that which
was best in our civilization. In my judgment
the safety Of the Republic threatened by
the breaking up of the Democratic party into
its radical and conservative elements.
In the campaigns of Mr.. Blaine and MI Cieve-
land and OF Mr.. Cleveland and Mr. Harrison
every felt, however deep his partisan de-
sires. that the institutions Of the country,
established by the fathers would be preserved
under the leadership of either party, but in the
campaign of 1895 and the one which followed IL
there was certainly no such confidence the
part OF the who voted for Mr.. Mckinley. 1t
seemed TO be an issue in which the perTnanence
of our institutions was involved. In this light
IL wss unfortunate day for the Republic when
the leadership Of the Democracy passed from
Mr.. Cleveland.
The patriotic spirit which moved those under
Mr. Cievelsnd's leadership TO break from party
ties and save the country from reputation en-
titled them and him 20 our everlasting gratitude
DEFENCE OF FEDERAL JURISDICTION
Another great debt which the country owes m
Mr.. Cleveland is the assertion made through
him as its Chief Executive of the power OF the
federal government directly TO defend the fed
eral jurisdiction through the process Of federal
courts and by federal troops against the lawless
invasion of a mob. Mr. Cleveland was a Demo-
Crat and, Of course, respected the traditional
construction OF the Constitution by that party;
but no fear Of apparent inconsistency prevented
him from asserting the full federal power 10
maintain its authority TO suppress lawlessness
when directed against federal right and federal
jurisdiction: and so he instituted proceedings in
the federal courts to restrain the Debs boycott
of the country, the tieing up of interstate COM
merce and the interference with the mails and
he sent the troops under General Miles TO Chi
cago 10 make his assertion OF the power effective.
II cost him the support Of the thoughtless
whose sympathy against the unjust aggressions
of corporate power and wealth make them wink
at the laSgess invasion Of vested rights. But he
succeeded In stopping what had really grown TO
the nrnnOrfinns Of inaiirrncfinn The highest