Life — February 25, 1897 — page 4: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“While there io Life there's Hope.” BRUARY WIRTY-First STREET, New York. XIX. 19 West 1897. No. 740. Published every Thursday. $5.00 a year in advance. Postage to foreign countries tn the Postal Union, $1.04 @ year extra. Single copies, 10 cents. Rejected contributions will be destroyed unless accompanied by a stamped and directed envelope. . The illustrations in LiFe. are copyrighted, and are not to be repro- duced without special arrangement with the publishers. HE fourth of March this year is a double- barrelled occasion, and itisa question which barrel is to make the bigger re- port. Major Mckinley comes into office and Mr. Cleveland comes out. We have good hopes of the Major. “2 He is undoubtedly a patriotic citizen, who means to do as well by us as he can. Many misgiv- s that we had about him as a one-idead person, whose universal panacea was high protection, were allayed in the course of the campaign, in which his success became identified inthe minds of many of us with the rescue of the country from the threatened control of a lot of irresponsible visionaries with pertinent notions of finance. OMPARED with Bryan and his backers, Mr. McKinley seemed so incomparably safe and wise that we welcomed his election with the profoundest relief, and now see } him take up the cares of office with good hope that he will prove equal to them, and will contribute, as much as a President can, to the —s restoration of public confi- dence and the return of prosperity. Here's to you, Major. May your advisers be wise in counsel, your agents efficient in action, and may the wisdom of Congress be so attuned to the accomplishment of your desires that the three branches of the Government may work successfully together for the nation’s good. There is lots for you to do, and it is the opinion of us your well wishers that our personal comfort hinges in large measure on your success in doing it well. R. McKINLEY as he enters the White House is an inter- esting figure, but not so interest- ing to Li mind as Mr. Cleveland, as he comes out. Mr. Cleveland has been easily the most notable President we have had since Lincoln. He has been the best hated, the most maligned, the stoutest and most respected person that the younger generation of Americans has seen in the White Hous: A good deal will be written and said of him within the next week, We will be told that he was the creature of circumstance, the destroyer of his party, a Frankenstein of remorseless selfishness, a stuffed man, a gross man, a despot, a hypocrite — all the cant that we have been used to hear about him these twelve years past. . UT we shall not be dis- turbed, or estopped a == moment from realizing—what a majority of the American people do realize —that Mr. Cleveland has made his mark too deep for current. lib , to affect it, that he is by consider- able odds the most notable Ameri- history of his times comes to be written his will and his personality will be recognized as among the strongest forces that have influenced American politics. He has been by no means faultless, nor has he escaped mistakes; but he has stood always for wise and good govern- ment, and among people whose judgment is not upset by jealousy or hate, there is no more question about his patriotism than about his personal force. Welcome, Mr. Cleveland—temporarily, at least—to the joys and honors of private life! You have an enviable record behind you, and no doubt you have an enviable future still before you. We do not expect or desire to see you in the White House again; but we shall be disap- pointed and surprised if means are not found to ma your knowledge, experience and reputation in public affairs useful to your countrymen for many years to come. We wish you good fortune, due opportunities for usefulness, good sport, good friends and happines: but we claim from you whatever measure of public service it may be in your power to render. Where Lire would like to see you next is in Congress, and if the Jerseymen with whom you propose to cast in your lot see fit to send you there, LiFe trusts that you will put aside all contrary preferences, and go.