The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-06-04

leader had backbone, the old mn
Of Greystone squeaked: "Backboss!
He has SO much Of It, it makn
him stick out Id 'front.'"
Never could any one IN politn
say no more ungraciously tim
Cleveland. His grudging, disdaip.
ful doing out of jobs robbed of,cs.
seeking OF its joy, making it q SLOW
wearisome and humiliatinr bud,
ness.
Although he was an utter strans.
er to the public men of the coun.
try, and the Democrats were with
out training in official positions,
his little gray eyes were shrevd
detectors Of merit in the posses
sion of applicants that passed b.
fore him, and he brought into the
service of the government larss
company Of able men. Not that Ill
his app0intees were wisely chosen.
But a senator or Representative
who foisted upon him an unwor-
thy constituent remained marked
man. "Well," he snarled through
his nose to one such offender who
came again with q recommends
ton, well. do you want me to ap-
point another horse thief for you!
The unresting industry Of the
president and his long hOufs
stretching far into the night, were
the despair of his subordinatss.
He was the hardest worked man in
Washington, and his attention 70
the details Of his administration
were more q fault than virtue.
HE would rather do something
badly for himself" said Tilden.
than have somebody else do It
we'll"
He did not prove to be con-
structive statesman. He ventured
upon no experiments in law giving
the only notable legislative meas
ure of his term having been the es-
Enlistment of the interstate COM
merce commission, which he ap-
proved, but did not initiate The
real service that Cleveland did was
to set up a new standard for pub
lie life and party leadership. And
the country never since has toler-
ated a descent to the old STANDARD.
His bold independence, his SELF
forgetting courage infected COVER
nors and mayors. His example
acted like a tonic everywhere. ton
ing up the politics Of the nation.
For the first time since he had
been quick to recognize ana
acclaim the genius of Lincoln
James Russell Lowell felt free 70
declare that the presidential chair
has a man in it, and this means
that every word he says is weight
ed with what he is"
At last Cleveland deliberately
sacrificed himself for the sake OF
plain speaking. The prospects Of
his reelection were bright. his
native conservatism had make nun
favo1ite in the great financlai
center of New York. and the an
powerful business interests OF tne
country were satisfied with MN
But on the eve OF the election OF
1858 he upset the entire situauon
by sending to congress his sensa-
tioual tariff message, opening WIFE
the now oft-quoted words: III Is
a condition which confronts US, MOI
q theory" .,..
High customs duties were pilins
up in the bursting vaults OF lne
treasury a huge surplus OF MONEY
that ought to have been IN cllea-
lation. where it was badly needea
and Cleveland devoted his annua'
message wholly to an earnest ~
peal for a reduction in the talll
Friends begged him to let Inc tIUa :,
blesome question alone until al w.
he should be safely reelected. n.
regarded this boarding of money :,
perilous. and, ignoring the enecl !.
the message on his own FORTUNES
he challenged the great protee.s !,
industries, which defeated MN :
the polls.
published by special arrangement
-.oa mar Cypdfrafa