The Commoner.
June 27, 190a
T
Cleveland Talks of "Harmony." I
' ' l ' ' " '
Grover Cleveland was the guest ot
honor at the Tilden club banquet in
New York on the evening of June 19.
On being introduced to the club Mr.
Cleveland spoke as follows:
"I have been urged to participate in
this occasion by .those who have as
sured me that this handsome structure
is to be dedicated tonight in the re
habilitation and consolidation of the
democratic party, under the inspira
tion of a name which during the days
of democratic strength and achieve
ment was honored in every democratic
household. Such an assurance made
to one who followed with hearty de
votion the leadership of Samuel J.
Tilden when living and who has sinca
found in his career and fame the high
est incentive to democratic steadfast
ness, could hardly fail to overcome
the temptations of my contented re
tirement" from political activity.
"Perhaps there are those who would
define my position as one of banish
ment instead of retirement. Against
this I shall not enter a protest It Is
sufficient for me in either case that I
have followed in matters of difference
within our party the teachings and
counsel of the great democrat in
"whose name party peace and harmony
are tonight invoked. No confession
of party sin should therefore be ex
pected of me. I have none to make;
nor do I crave political absolution.
"I am here to take counsel with
others professing the same party faith
concerning the democratic situation.
I. suppose we all are convinced that
this situation might be improved and
some of us may think it is perilously
undermined. Whatever the measure
of its impairment may be, our condi
tion as an organization cannot be im
proved by calling eacli other harsh
aames nor by inaugurating a system
of arbitrary proscription and banish
ment. "The members of a business firm in
financial embarrassment Bhould not
sit down and look in each other's faces
in mute despair; neither will they re
gain financial soundness nor the con
fidence of the business community by
recrimination and quarrel; nor will
any member of the firm aid in its
restoration to solvent strength by ot
angry insistence upon a continuation
SUMMER FROMO.
Get Ready Now.
Give the brain and body food during
the summer that does not overtax the
stomach and heat the body.
Grape-Nuts is a crisp, dainty and
delicious food, selected parts of the
grain treated by heat, moisture and
time to slowly and perfectly develop
the diastase from the grain and trans
form the starch into grape sugar in
the most perfect manner; the small
particles of phosphate of potash found
in certain parts of the cereals are re
tained and these elements vitalize and
nourish the body, brain and nerve
centers.
In its predigested form, it furnishes
the necessary strength and energy in
an easy way for the system to absorb
without undue exertion and removes
the general feeling of heaviness usual
to hot weather.
Grape-Nuts and cream, a little fruit
and possibly an egg or two cooked 'o
suit the taste, is an idearbreakfast and
will fully sustain the body until the
noon-day meal. Delicious desserts for
luncheon and supper can be quickly
mado and have a flavor all their own
from the peculiar, mild but satisfying
sweet of the grape sugar.
Grape-Nuts will save the heat of
cooking and the exertion of preparing
food; will make you feel internally
ten degrees cooler and fit you for the
summer's heat so that you may enjoy
the full pleasures of the season.
of the business methods which have
invited its embarrassment.
"The democratic party is very far
from political insolvency, but no one
here should be offended by the suggea
toin that its capital and prospects
have suffered serious injury since Mr.
Tilden was elected president. Thon
and afterward northern democratic
states were not rare curiosities, north
ern democratic senators, now prac
tically extinct, were quite numerous
and northern democratic governors,
now almost never seen, were fre
quently encountered.
"If this state of impairment exists,
an instant duty presses upon the maa
agers of the democratic establishment;
and one which they cannot evade with
honor. Those of us less prominent in
the party the rank and file are long
ing to be led through old democratic
ways to old democratic victories. Wo
were never more ready to do enthusi
astic battle than now, if we can only
be marshaled outside the shadow of
predestined defeat.
"Is it too much to ask our leaders to
avoid paths that are known to lead to
disaster? Is It too much to ask that
proved errors bo abandoned and that
wo be delivered from a body of death
and relieved from the burden of issues
which have been killed by the decrees
of the American people? Ought we
not to be fed upon something better
than the husks of defeat?
"If these questions are met in an
honest, manly fashion I believe it will
be productive of the best kind of
democratic harmony.
"In dealing with new issues we ot
the democratic faith are extremely
fortunate in the simplicity of demo
cratic standards and the ease wllb.
"which new questions can be measured
by those standards. A party based
upon care for the interests of all the
people as the aggregate condition de
mands, with no unjust favoritism for
any particular class; a party devotel
to the jplan of popular government as
our fathers ordained it and for the
purposes which they sought to estab
lish; a party whose conservatism op
poses dangerous and un-American ex
periments and yet puts no barrier In
the way of genuine and safe progress,
ought to be able to deal with new
questions in a manner quite consistent
with democratic doctrine and stimu
lating to democratic impulses and Instincts-
"Let us not forget, however, that it
is not in the search of new and gaudy
issues nor in the interpretation of
strange visions that a strong and
healthy democracy displays its splen
did power. Another party may thrive
on the ever-shifting treatment of the
ever-shifting moods of popular rest
lessness, or by an insincere play upon'
unreasoning prejudice and selfish, an
ticipation, but the democratic party
never.
"Democracy has already in store the
doctrines for which it fights its suc
cessful battles and it will have them
in store as long as the people are kept
from their own and just as long aj
their rights 'and interests are sacri
ficed by favoritism in government
care, by inequality in government
burdens, by the encouragement of
huge industrial aggregations that
throttle individual enterprise, by the
reckless waste of public money and by
the greatest of all injuries as it un
derlies nearly all others, a system of
tariff taxation whose robbing exac
tions are far beyond the needs of eco
nomical and legitimate government
expenditure, which purchases support
by appeals to sordidness and greed
and which continually corrupts the
public conscience.
"What but infatuation with the vis
age of defeat can explain the insub
ordination of these things by demo
crats when they prepare for battle?
"If we are to have a rehabilitation
and realignment of our party In the
sense suggested it is important that
it be done openly and with no mys
tery or doublo meaning. Our people
are too much on the alort to accept
political deliverances they do not un
derstand; and the enthusiasm of tho
democratic rank and file does not
thrive on mystery.
"The democratic harmony of which
we hear so much cannot bo effectivply
constructed by mathematical rule nor
by a formal agreement on tho part of
those who havo been divided, that
there shall bo harmony. It grows up
naturally when truo democratic prin
ciples are plainly announced, when
democratic purposes are honestly de
clared and when as a result of tla&o
confidence and enthusiasm stir tho
democratic blood. It was such har
mony as this, growing out of such con
ditions which with the battle cry of
'Tilden and Reform' gave us tho demo
cratic victory of 1876 against odds
great enough to discourago ony but a
harmonious democracy and against an
opposing force brazen and desperate
enough to take from us by downright
robbery what the voters of tho land
gave to us.
"I believe tho times point to another
democratic opportunity as near at
hand, but I believe we shall reap tho
fruits of it only by following the lino
of conduct I have indicated. In any
event I havo a comforting and abiding
faith in the indestructibility of tho
party which has so many times shown
its right to live and its power for good,
and I am sure the reserve of patriotic
democratic wisdom will at some time
declare itself in the rescue of our
country and our party.
"My days of political activity ar.3
past and I shall not hereafter assume
to participate in party councils. I urn
absolutely content with retirement,
but I still have one burning, anxious
political aspiration. I want to see be
fore I die the restoration to perfect
health and supremacy of that dem
ocracy whose mission It is to bless
the people a democracy truo to itself,
untempted by clamor, unmoved by tho
gusts of popular passion and uncor
rupted by offers of strange alliance-,
the democracy of patriotism, the dem
ocracy of safety, the democracy of
Tilden and the democracy that de
serves and wins success."
Grover Cleveland, Retired.
The speech of Grover Cleveland be
fore the Tilden club in New York last
night was the first public utterance
of the former president on political
lines in five years. For that reason as
much as anything he said his remarks
will be read.
His plea for harmony In the ranks uf
tho democracy, after sulking in his
tent for years because he lost control
of his party and because his party re
pudiated him, sounds much like the
words of a man who has quarreled
with his neighbor and who wants to
"make up" provided tho neighbor will
"give in." It is easy for Mr. Cleve
land to "harmonize" when the other
fellow is willing to join him in all he
demands.
It would seem that what Is called the
eastern wing of the democratic party
cannot hope to control the affairs of
the democracy of this country under
the leadership of such men as Grover
Cleveland. If in any possible manner
he should be foisted upon the parry
it Is not difficult to outline the politi
cal revolt in the west. It would seem
wise, therefore, to permit Mr. Cleve-
HEADACHE
At afi in atom. 25 Dm 25.
1i 1 1 ". j
land to remain in tho retirement for
which he pleads.
Tho democracy must be progrcsslvo
to win, and it does not deserve to. win
with leaders Uko Mr, Cloveland. Kan
sas City World.
Watterspn on Cleveland.
Under the caption, "A Death's Head
at tho Feast," Mr. Watterson had tha
following to say in tho Louisvlllo
Courier-Journal regarding Grover
Cleveland's "harmony" spcoch at the
Tilden club banquot in New York:
"Tho democratic party is not so rich
either in leadership or In position of
strategic advantago that It can afford
to reject good counsels from any
quarter, but surely it has tho right to
draw tho lino on Grovor Cleveland.
"To Grover Cleveland's insufficiency
to use no harsher term, it owes its un
doing. "He found tho party, what Mr. Til
den had mado it, a moral unit, a great,
compact body of fighting mon and that,
having twice betrayed it, wo will not
say consciously betrayed It, for his
own selfish ends he loft It leadorlcss
and divided to the mercy of tho winds
and waves of factlonism, called into
being by his own lack of goneroslty
and foresight.
"He, literally, held Carllslo whilst
Carlisle's enemies skinned him. But,
later along, when a sacrificial nomina
tion was in Issue, he was prompt,
oven vociferous, in his refusal to con
sider it. In a word, ho was a recep
tive candidate for a fourth nomina
tion. It seems a kind of irony that it
should be a Tilden club to welcome Mr.
Cleveland's baleful re-entry into po
litical activities. Mr. Tilden died with
words of scorn and contempt upon his
lips for Grover Cleveland. Ho under
stood perfectly the coarse texture of
Mr. Cleveland's physical and mental
make-up, his obtuse selfishness, Ills
ignorant obstinacy, his , vulgar self
assertion, his indefatigable duplicity.
"That Mr. Cleveland should put him
self forward as a conjecturable party
leader is proof of a self-cbnfldenco
which would bo sublime if it were not
sinister; because leadership with him
means office, and nothing but office.
"From tho day he was one and twen
ty till now he has been an office-seeker.
Ho never drew a disinterested respira
tion in all his life. We are not per
mitted, therefore, to see in this artfully
timed and ostentatious reappearance
upon tho scene from which ho with
drew into the conspicuous shade of a
great university anything except the
organization of a presidential boom,
as it is called.
"Wo rather think tho party will
atree without much division that it
had its fill of Mr. Cleveland. The Idea
of his nomination .is little short of
ridiculous.
"The name of Cleveland may still
be a name to conjure with in the east,
but to the democrats of the west and
south it is simply hateful."
Patriotism and Partteanlsm.
The sincerity and moral conviction
revealed in Senator Hoar's speech ara
recognized and admitted by all. No
imperialist Journal has ventured to
intimate that Senator Hoar is ani
mated by any but tho highest, most
unselfish motives in opposing the pol
icy of tho majority of his party's lead
ers in congress. .
Can Senator Spooner honestly ay
that his speech was born of moral con
victions and delivered In sincerity?
As a man, as an American citizen, as a
senator of the United States, is ho
proud of what we have done and pro
pose under the Lodge bill to do in tho
Philippines?
Wo affirm that he Is not: that he blt-
'terly regrets tho miserable business,
unless he has changed his point of
view recently; that he speaks for tho
Lodge bill only as a partisan, and for
tho sake of narrow political expedi
ency does violence to his convictions
and his patriotism. We believo ho is
at heart ashamed of himself. Phila
delphia North American (rep.).
J c