The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-06-24
Cleveland's Growing Fame.

The publication of a siender volume, Gro
yer Cleveland: Study in Political Courage"
by ROLAND Higgins, recalls this great career
and how fully the expectations Of his admirers
have been INDICATED by the verdict of history.
Cleveland violated every known principle OF
practical politics The successful politician
figures that he must offend nobody. Cleveland
did not care whom the truth offended The
successful politician joins the Go-Along CLUB
and never undertakes to cross the wishes OF
any. powerful group. Cleveland was constant
ly yetoing appropriations which he felt should
not be made at the expense of taxpayers The
successful politician makes it prime article
of faith to be all things to all men. If there
is an important fight on within the party he
says only what both sides will approve. Cleve-
land never made a statement Of doubtful mean
ing The successful politician is a timid soul
with his ear always glued to the ground.
Cleveland felt it his duty to lead public SEN
timent, not to follow it.
In 1897 everything was set for the presi-
dents reelection. The country in general was
satisfied with the quality and honest of his ad-
ministration. All he had to do was to avoid
raising any new issue. But he had become
concerned with the tariff He determined to
devote his next message TO congress to this one
subject. His friends told him his message
would lose him the election. Cleveland re-
piled that it was more important to the coun-
try that the message be delivered than that he
should be returned TO the presidency. After
his retirement free silver came up national
issue 1t began to shake his own party. 1t
promised to rock the Republican party. So
bold a gold advocate as Mark Hanna advised
Mckinley TO omit committing himself the
issue became more acute. Cleveland could
have kept silent Instead he wrote a letter
the year before the national convention de-
cIaring against the dangerous and reckless
experiment of free, unlimited and independent
silver coinage" Throwing away the nomina
ton, the wise said.
A powerful Democratic machine controlled
the politics of New York state. The ordinary
politician would have made terms with it.
Cleveland fought it and won his denomination
in 1892 over the opposition of his own state.
The credit of the nation attacked in the
interest of the free silver heresy under his sec
ond administration. He brought congress to
its knees and forced the repeal of the silver
purchasing act He braved the odium of is
suing bonds in time of peace to repenish the
threatened gold reserve. Without regard to his
popularity he did what he conceived to be his
duty. In foreign affairs Cleveland was so con-
scientious that he refused the annexation of
Hawaii because he thought the United States
had unfairly used force to overthrow the ma
tive government. That helpless country he
treated with the utmost consideration and then
threatened to fight the power of Great Britain
to force the recognition of the Monroe doc
trine. His administration seemed to end in
ruin. He failed to hold his party in line on
finance and he went out of office hated by the
ruling Democratic politicians Today Grover
Cleveland is of the great figures of mod
ern history. His courage. his integrity, his ut
ter forgetfulness of self in his zeal for the COM
mon good have made him stand out a steadfast
heroic symbol of the noble elements of Ameri-
can life In the presence of such character
the time server, the trucker, the demagogue
stink away.