Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-03-19
President Taft, Chief Justice
Fuller, and Statesmen Re-
CARELESS of Party, Speak at
Memorial.
MAMMOTH ORCHESTRA ~
AND BIG CHORUS BOTH i
GIVE MUSICAL PROGRAM
Governor Hughes and United Statesf
Senator Root Were Among thep
Speakers-Richard Glider Paid
Tribute in Original Poem.
(sy Associated Press.Y

Tribute in Original Poem.
Csy Associated Press.Y
NEW YORK, March 1S.-President
Taft came to New York today to makB
an address today at the Cleveland me-
mortal meeting, held in Carnegie hall this
afternoon.
His trip from Washington in private
car, attached to a regular train, was un~
eventful.
Judge George Gray. of Delaware. was
fellow passenger with the presidents
from Wilmington to Jersey City.
Crowds Cheer Taft
President Taft was met by a Iargs
was escorted by a Gordon of police to
waiting automobiles, in which the trip
was made by the 2Srd street ferry to the
home of his brother, Henry w. Taft. In
West 4sth street.
It was Mr.. Taft's first trip as president.
and there was considerable curiosity a.
to whether or not he would shake hands
with the engineer. He did not.
! The president will attend a second
Cleveland meeting tonight, but will not
speak.
Tomorrow he goes to New Haven. =
Taft Lauds Cleveland
at the exercises. He said:
Grover Cleveland was as completeln
American in his character as lincoln
Without college education, he prepared
himself for the bar. His life was confhed
to western New York. His vision OF gov
eminent and of society was not widened
by foreign travel He was a pure produce
die states, affected by New England an
aafr nd ha afr of IL
mans home.
His chief characteristics were simplfcs
ity and honesty. courage OF his convic-
tons, with a sense of public duty that
has been exceeded by no statesman within
my knowledge. 1t was so strong in him
that he rarely wrote anything whether
in the form Of private or public comun-
nieation, that the obligation OF al men
to observe the public interest was nor
his chief theme.
A Remarkable Career
His career was a remarkable one By
his administration of the AFFAIRS Of his
city as it's mayor he showed his power
of resistance to, and of overcorning the
influence that made for corruption and
negligence in city government, both in
his own party and in the party OF his
opponents.
His reputation in this regard spread
over his native state Of New York at
time when such an attitude of his SEEM
ed exceptional, and his standing befors
the community being public asset FOR
the Democratic party than even those
who had but little sympathy with MIS-
principles were glad to seize upon as =
means of getting intopower.
Accordingly he was nominated for the
governorship and was elected by the votes
not only of his own party, but Of hun
n de- ,F H.
party.
His Rapid Promotion
1.-The discharge of his duties as governors
confirmed and strengthened the reputation
that he had acquired as a mayor Be-
fore he had ceased his Office as mayor
he had been elected governor Before he
had ceased his Office as governor he had
ben elected president OF the United
States.
1.-The presidential campaign of1s84degen-
Grated into one of Islander, scandal ana
abuse. but Mr.. Cleveland came through It
retaining the confidence OF the American
people in his courage and honesty, and
his single purpose to better the public
service.
Cleveland Democrat
"Mr. Cleveland was a Democrat He
was a partisan He believed In parties. az
all men must who understand the ma
chinery essential to the success and eff
hciency OF popular government His I'M
pulses were all toward the merit system
Of appointments in the public services
against the spoils system; but he had a
practical, common sense view OF the prob
lens before him.
HE dealt with the instruments which
he had, and he not infrequently was
obliged, in order to accomplish greater.
objects, to yield to the demands of those
who had no ideals and who were in,pa-
tient Of anything but the use of governs
ment offices as purely political reward.
Every time that opportunity offered. how
ever, and there vas not some greater OBJ
ject in immediate view, he Strengthened
and assisted the movement toward the
merit system.
Mr.. Clevelands political career was so
short that he had a great advantages over
the prominent men of his party whose
records reached back into and were gov
erned by the bitter quarrels of the civff
war. AS political quantity. his history
began during the corruption and demora1-
ization of the Republican party which
were necessary result of continued Dow
er during the war and the decade sue
ceeding il. He represented in sense a
new democracy, about which all the older
elements rallied, both those strongly in
sympathy with his reform views as well
as those elements without such sympathy.
who were anxious to secure party power
'At the end of his first term he was re-
nominated, but was beaten by General
Harrison in a close vote. By that time
the politicians of the old school in the
Democratic party had drawn away from
him, and had no desire to continue his
leadership.
Strong With People
But so strong hold had he upon the
affections and confidence Of the rank ana
file of his party, and so sure were they
that he was stronger than the party in
an electoral contest that he was nominate
ed in the national convention against the
desires of most of the state orgs uization
leaders; and in the election which foIlow~