Show > v Jo W I The Higher Appeal PRESIDENT CLEVELANDS inaugural is an appeal to the best principles of citizenship citizen-ship He does not feed national vanity by enlarging upon our own glories or disparaging dis-paraging the conduct of other nations he does not quote the well known errors of the party which strove to prevent his election nor land the party which sustained sus-tained him the troubles of one locality I are not set against the loyalty of other I sections the rich are not arrayed in antagonism an-tagonism to the poor nor is the laboreV i I I pitted against the employer There is not a suggestion out of which jealousy hatred or contention can grow His appeal is first of all to patriotism and next to the individual conscience of the voter It is a high appeal for under all that prejudice and false teaching burden bur-den the understanding with there is in the heart of every citizen of theUnited States a foundation of loyalty and good conscience The Presidents higher appeal therefore there-fore has the whole land for an audience I Every citizen ought to respond and be inconsequence in-consequence a better citizen He ought to examine every public issue in the light of loyalty and good conscience rather than under the inspiration of church or party prejudice He should take counsel of his understanding he should read more and think more he should be less of the partisan and more of the citizen The new administration and the old party are on trial the whole country is the jury and every citizen a juror on his honor Partisan newspapers have a splendid chance to foreshadow and work up an adverse judgment they can hold the executive responsible for the acts of Congress and give to Congress the credit that belongs to the Executive They can make moderation appear akin to cowardice coward-ice and justice appear to be weakness and indecision They can excite disobedience dis-obedience to law and charge the government govern-ment with inefficiency The Senate can play the role of obstructionists The ap peaLto the best impulses may be overruled over-ruled by the lower but the President set his mark high and it is not the fault of the foundation he has laid if the structure struc-ture thereon shall not be a work of finished fin-ished statesmanship |