Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 February 1892 — Deserved Tribute to Cleveland [ARTICLE]

Deserved Tribute to Cleveland

“To be received by an educational institution like the Michigan University; to be given the freedom of the city as it was given to Grover Cleveland yesterday; to be the orator of the day in commemora ion of Washington are inspiring things in a time that one might be tempted to denominate degenerate days. * * * * Grover Cleveland with Washington for his theme, speaking tD the country of “a reveront belief in God, a sincere recognition of the value and power of moral principle and those qualities of heart which mak. a noble manhood, de-voti-n to unreserved patriotism, love for man’s equality, unquestioning trust in popular rule, the exaction of civic prtue and honesty,” as (lie seutiment underlying our national life. * * * * Cleveland’s address is much like himself—sirong, direct and without pretense. With an aporeciative description of the national life and Washington’s supreme work in calling it into being, he ennobled that principle by invoking those attributes of it which appeal to what is best in human nature. The sentiment in the words quoted abuye he ized as vital for us and necessary to be intrenched in ‘faith in the saving quality of universal education, protection of a free and unjerverted expression of the pouu-

lnr will and an insistence upon a strict accountability of public offi jers as servants of the people.” The maintenance of tliesn things le applied as the icdividual busisess of each of us, and he cited Washington as an examolp. His allusion to the homely vutues of Washington, the trad-tional stories of his truthfulness; the love le bore his mother, are allusions ;lnt do infinite honor to the speaker. Iu what Grover Cleveland siys he rarely .£ ever leaves out ihis appeal to character, and un** consciously, perhaps, here lie «howed how the idea was the firstiug of his heart by his quotation :rom Hamlet:

“To thine own self be true, I" .1 And it must follow,as the night the day, Thou oans’t not then bo false to any man. ’’ ’That is from Polonius’s advice to Laertes, which begins, “Look thou character, and that, we say, is the refreshing spirit of appeal which Gtover Cleveland makes to lis countrymen always. Character, character! And who better exemplifies it than he 9 Who bet - ter can say to bis fellow.man “to thine own self be true?”—lndianapolis News (liep.) Feb. 231