The Washington herald., 1916-06-02

Mr.. Cleveland had given his party a
distinct, unmistakable policy with which
to go to the country in the presidential
campaign of 1888. 1t accepted the issue
under protest; but it accepted 1t.
Mr.. Cleveland had not taken counsel
with the congressional leaders of his
party before uttering his imperative
message; had asked advice. indeed. Of no
one; had acted wholly upon his own
conclusions as to what was necessary for
the relief of the country. His action in
the matter had filled the leading poll
ticians of his party with dismay, its
rank and file with confusion.
He had been warned that to attack
the protected interests of the country
might cost him his reelection; but that
consideration had not moved him. He
believed that his party could win upon
such an issue at the polls. but he would
not walt to make any nice calculations
on that subject; he would at least do
his party the service of putting 1t in the
right. The country relished mis- courage,
whatever timid politicians thought of 1t.
He stood for the moment the indisput-
able master of all action within the
Democratic party. Its nominating con-
vention nominated him as of course for
a second term.
The Republicans nominated General
Benjamin Harrison, of Indiana, grand
son to William Henry Harrison. whom
death had taken untimely away to make
Mr.. Tyler President: and the two parties
went to the country on the issue Mr..
Cleveland had made.
The Democrats were defeated The
popular vote for Mr.. Cleveland. indeed.
exceeded that for his opponent by some
one hundred and ten thousand. but Mr..
Harrison had majority of siNty-five
in the electoral college (233-l6S). New
York and Indiana had turned again to
the Republicans. No northern States
except Connecticut and New Jersey had
voted for the Democratic candidates.
Even the control of the House of Rep
resentatives was lost by the Democrats:
the congressional elections gave the Re
publicans a working majority OF about
twelve. The tariff system had come 10
seem to that generation OF voters very
like a fixed part of the law of society. or
the national life itself; Mr.. Cleveland had
not given them time enough to adjust
their thought to the change he urged.
There had been nowhere any sharp re-
a ction Of opinion. but everywhere in the
North reaction enough to shift the bal
anCe Of power once again from the Demo-
C-ats to the Republicans.
On the 4th of March. 1889. Mr.. Cleveland
quietly gave place to Mr.. Harrison and
the government passed once more in all
its branches into the hands OF the party
which had made the policy of the last
!twenty-eiGht years.
But II was not the same government It
had been when that party met its first
serious check in 1919. 1t had steadied the
judgment Of the country in respect OF
parties to have a Democratic President
for four years. and that President Jnan
like Mr. Cleveland cOmDaCt Of frank
ness. conviction, and force. no mere par
t!san but a man of the people, with the
spirit of service strong upon him. The
people mad for long time endured the
deterioration of affairs under the Iater
Republican administrations because they
doubted the capacity and the principle OF
the Democrats They had now learned