Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-18
RV|A HEEDS ADVICE in CLEVELAND'S HONOR
Couch RenIv to Austria President Taft Attends Me-
hungary in Pacific Strain. mor'a MeetIr9 IN New YORK.
TIER READY TO DISARM MAKES CHIEF ADDRESS
ade Renor That Psuasons Praises the Sturdy Integrity the
,,,,, -, Democratic Leader.
TRACES HIS POLITICAL CAREER
TG PETER IS OFF TO NIsH -
Large Throng Greets the Chief
cnes IN neichsran a. 'ina
Of Peace-Conference Of nv, pro+har.s uors.
Nation Nav Be
President Taft Attends Me-
mortal Meeting in New York.
MAKES CHIEF ADDRESS
Praises the Sturdy Integrity of the
Democratic Leader.
TRACES HIS POLITICAL CAREER
Large Throng Greets the Chief Exec.
utive in Metropolis and Escorts
Him to Brothers House.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

special DlSpatch 10 Inc Star.
NEW YORK. March 1S.-President Taft
arrived at Jersey City at pm. to attend
the Grover Cleveland memorial services.
large crowd greeted him at the rail
road station. The President was escorted
to the sd street ferry and thence to the
home of his brother, Henry w. Taft. No.
So West 4Sth street. for luncneon.
Tonight the President will be the guest
of his brother. The President does not
expect to return to Washington until Sat
urday morning, as he will go on to New
Haven tomorrow to attend a meeting of
the Yale corporation. Late that afternoon
he will return to this city for the Yale
alumni dinner in the evening.
1-eeting in Carnegie Hall.
Two memorial meetings were arranged
for today In celebration of the seventy
second anniversary of the birth of Grover
Cleveland. President Taft's address was
the principal one in the first of these, in
Carnegie Hall this afternoon, and the
President Is also expected to attend the
memorial meeting to be held in the Col
lege of the City of New York this even
ing. although he will not speak there
Mayor Mcclellan will preside at both
meetings.
President Taft said:
Grover Cleveland was as completely
American in his character as Lincoln
Without a college education he prepared
imself for the bar. His life was con-
fined to western New York. His vision
Of government, and of society was not
widened by foreign travel. He was
pure product of the village and town
life of the middle states. affected by
New England ancestry and the atmos-
phere of clergyman's home. His chief
characteristics were simplicity and di-
rec,ness of thought, sturdy honesty.
courage of his convictions and plainness
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 a private or pub
lie communication. that the obligation
of all men to observe the public inter-
est was not his chief theme.
His career was most remarkable one
By his administration of the affairs OF his
city as its mayor he showed his power Of
resistance to and of overcoming the in
negligence in city government, both in
his own party and In the party OF his OPP
ponents. His reputation in this regard
spread over his native state OF New York
seemed exceptional. and his standing be-
fore the community became a political
asset for the democratic party that even
those who had but little sympathy with
MS pflnClpieS were SldQ 10 seize upon dS
a means Of getting into power. Accord
ingiy he was nominated for the governor
ship and was elected by the votes not only
OF his own party, but of hundreds Of
thousands Of the republican party.
'"The discharge of his duties as gov
ernor confirmed and strengthened the
reputation that he had acquired as a
mayor. Before he had ceased his Office as
mayor he had been elected governor. Be-
fore he had ceased his Office as governor
he h4l all fo1 nf hn
The presidential campaign of 1854 de-
generated into one of slander. scandal
and abuse. but Mr.. Cleveland came
the American people in his courage and
honesty and his single purpose to better
the public service.
A Practical Reformer.
Mr.. Cleveland was a democrat. He
was partisan. He believed in parties, as
all men must who understand the ma
chinery essential to the success and eff
cheney Of popular government. His i'm
pulses were all toward the merit system
of appointments In the public service, and
against the spoil system, but he had a
practical common-sense view q the prob
lens before him. He dealt with the in
struments which he had and he not in
frequently was obliged, in order to ac-
X
demands of those who had no ideals. and
who were impatient Of anything but the
use of government offices as a purely po-
Iitical 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.
MIR. Cleveland's political career was so
short that he had 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 political quantity his history
began during the corruption and demorali-
zation in the republican party which were
a necessary result of continued power dur
ing the war and the decade succeeding it.
He represented In sense a new democra-
cy. 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.
Led to Great Victory.
AT the end of his first term he was
renominated, but was beaten by Gen.
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 desire TO continue his
leadership. But so strong a hold had he
upon the affections and confidence of the
rank and file of his party. and SO sure
were they that he was stronger than the
party in an electoral contest, that he was
nominated in the national convention
| against the desires OF most of the state
Organization leaders: and i'll the election
which followed he led his party TO the
greatest victory in its history.
In this campaign Mr.. Cleveland stood
/ for an affirmative idea, that of reduc-
| tion of the tariff as to make it a
| tariff for revenue. He attacked the pro-
! tective theory and system. He stood for
| something aggressive and affirmative. 1t
/ was in accordance with the ancient ira
/ ditions of the party.
| In addition to the address by the Presi-
dent. the tribute in Carnegie Hall in
| cluded speeches by Chief Justice Fuller
of the Supreme Court of the United States
and others and music furnished by a
chorus of 120 voices from the Liederkran7
1 Society, supported by Walter Damrosch'
/ orchestra. Richard w. Glider read a
poem which he composed for the occa-
| sion.
This Evenings Meeting.
| OF almost as great interest will be the
second meeting in the evening. for which
Gov. Hughes has been announced as the
principal speaker. Other addresses viii
be made by Elihu Root. United State:
senator from New York; Judge GeoTg,