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Show PRESIDENT CLEVELAND'S DEATH. The announcement of ex-President Grover Cleveland's death last Wednesday was the signal for expressions of universal sorrow throughout the length and breadth of the land. President Cleveland Cleve-land was a great man.. Any man who is elected to the highest dignity which a free and intelligent people can bestow must possess some qualities of greatness above the ordinary individual. The successors suc-cessors of kings and emperors may be very inferior persons, but no inferior man would be elected to the exalted dignity of President of the United States. President Cleveland was three times nominated and twice elected. In his first, presidential campaign, 3889. he defeated the brainiest and most brilliant man on the opposition ticket. James G. Blaine. At the expiration of his first term his policies, conservatism, con-servatism, dauntless and fearless character made him the idol of the Democratic party, but at the polls he was defeated by Benjamin Harrison, who received 233 electoral votes to his 168. In 1892 he was again the standard-bearer, won the prize and entered the White House the second time as President, Presi-dent, of the United States, defeating the man who had defeated him four years previously. A stanch defender of the Monroe doctrine, he did not fail to express the American sentiment in the boundary dispute between Venezuela and Great Britain regarding British Guiana. In his message mes-sage to Congress December 2. 1895, he told that the American ambassador at London was instructed to inform the British government "that the traditional and established policy of this government is firmly opposed to a forcible increase by any European power of its territorial possessions on this continent; conti-nent; that this policy is as well founded in principle prin-ciple as it is strongly supported by numerous precedents; pre-cedents; that as a consequence the United States is bound to protest against the enlargement of the area of British Guiana in derogation of the right and against the will of Venezuela." Fourteen days later a message from London came denying the right of the United States to interfere. President Cleveland was persistent and immovable. He finally final-ly wrung from Great Britain a victory in forcing the contending governments to submit the whole controversy to arbitration. Referring to this final solution, in his message to Congress, December 7, 189(5, he said: "Negotiations for a treaty of general arbitration for all differences between Great Britain and the United States' are far ad- x- o ti n. t uTirl nrnmian in -rrkoVi o ennndcif nl emmim- mation at an early date." Since then England steers clear of the United States. His fearless and blunt nature regarding the policy pol-icy of the United States in enforcing the Monroe doctrine was the same when the domestic peace of the nation was threatened. When Coxey's army marched to the capital they were soon dismissed by order of President Cleveland. Tlain and simple in his manners, strong and determined in his character, charac-ter, loyal and patriotic in his love of country, President Presi-dent Cleveland fulfilled his duty as president of the United States, regardless of the approval or disapproval dis-approval of flatterers or enemies, as he considered best for the country. His administration, in a ouarter of a century hence, will be compared favorably favor-ably bv future writers with those of the ablest of our presidents. |