Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 April 1887 — SENATOR VEST. [ARTICLE]

SENATOR VEST.

He Gives His Opinion of Cleveland as H a Own Successor—Whi'e He Does Not Approve of All His Acta, He Thinks He Is a Square Man. [Washington special.] The Post of this city is interviewing Democratic statesmen regarding the President, and they seem to be warming np to him and very confident that no other Democrat has a chance for the nomination next year. Two or three days ago the paper published an interview with Mr. Springer, whioh was exceedingly complimentary to the President, and predicted his renomination and re-election with great confidence. This morning it publishes an almost equally flatt: ring sketch of the President by Senator Vest, who has not, like Mr. Springer, been a warm admirer of the administration of the President from the first. Said the Missouri Senator: “I do not agree with Mr. Cleveland now as to many things, but 1 should be ashamed of nftself if I failed to say most emphatically that he is an honest, patriotic man, with far more ability than even his nearest friends claimed for him when elected. He has been President two years, and look at the result. The battle-cry of the Republicans before his election was that property and business would not be safe if the Democrats came into power, and especially that life and property were unsafe all over the South. Now business men everywhere are for Cleveland, and even the Republican leaders are investing in Southern enterprises. I know several of my Republican fiiends in the Senate who are putting half their fortunes in Southern lands and securities. Cleveland has forever hushed all the rot about Democrats raining the country.” “Will he bo elected again?” “Yes; if his administration continues as it has gone on for two ye*ta, and the country has no financial hurricane to sweep over it, he will be nominated and elected, no matter who is the Republican candidate. To-day Cleveland can defeat any man in the Union. The people at large know he is honest and fearless in his duty. He works harder than any subordinate under him, and he wants others to do their work also." “What of his civil-service ideas?” “As to his civil-servioe ideas I have this to say: No man living is more Anxious than myself to see Democrats in office. If I had my way I would fill every position of importance with Democrats, and I would carry the rule very far even os to subordinate places, but the President honestly thinks it his duty to keep many Republicans in office who in my opinion should go out, and I have no right to denounce him and his administration for this, when I have not the slightest doubt that he is sincere in his convictions and thinks this is the spirit and meaning of the platform on whioh he was elected. At any rate, I do not propose to abandon the first President we have elected in twenty-five years on any such ground as this.” Of the disagreement within the Democratic party regarding the tariff Senator Vest sayß: “In my opinion our first duty as Democrats is to settle this domestic trouble, and the oply way to do it is to enforce the will of the majority, if the result takes from us one-fourth of the parly as it is now constituted.”