Ex-President Grover Cleveland Dies at Princeton

Title

Ex-President Grover Cleveland Dies at Princeton

Creator

Kisling, James Wellington

Identifier

WWP22622

Date

1908 June 22

Description

James W. Kisling describes his feelings about the death of ex-president Grover Cleveland at Princeton.

Source

James W. Kisling Collection, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, Staunton, Virginia

Subject

Cleveland, Grover, 1837-1908

Language

English

Text

1908.
June, Mon., 22 to Sun., 28.
Less “foggy,” more sunny and warmer,—slightly in respect to last week's weather; decidedly in respect to the weather up to that time and since the first of May. Highest temperatures approach 70° The pealing of my skin extends to my feet and later to my hands. The skin on the inner aspect of the arm at the elbow joint is in a persistent state of reddened roughness suggesting measles eruptions. At times there is itching of these parts as well as of a few others on which is no eruption. The itching may be due to food eaten and seasoned with pungent condiments, but the other conditions seem to be sequelae of the fever of last week apparently produced by the Jew-fish liver diet.In the orange, apricot, and fig groves of Paradise Valley Sun. afternoon with Jacob Riegel. Grover Cleveland dies at 8:40 a.m. on Wed.—The Great Reform President, Conscience Statesman, and Most Noble Citizen—the Incarnation of Honesty! Honesty! His great weakness! Because of it, he was hated and execrated!—(by the hosts of political robbers and their dupes). A mighty force in the morals of the politics of the nation and the family of nations. For him robbery was robbery; of a state by a state, no less than of an individual by an individual.With a plain uprightness unique be applied the test of justice to the Hawaiian case, as well as to the Cuban. And what a ghastly shock it gave the corpse of morality (and “humanity”) in American diplomacy! Then, how, from all over the land toward the White House flashed the thunderbolts of persecution: of “Enemy to our flag!” “Traitor! to our country!”When in his country's financial illness he repulsed an army of thieves, rescued the nation's honor, hell and America joined in showering upon him firebrands of “Thief! of his country's millions!”While he labored for a world peace congress labored for war. His countrymen both too hellish to enjoy anything so heavenly, and prejudiced because he could not recoup them for what the god of grain withheld and the devil of Republican debauchery spoiled—rather abused him than helped him. Besides, they were too busy honey-combing the sanctity of his private life.In painful solitude in this awful political gloom, in the solemn grandeur of a majestic mountain peak; he stood guard over the temple of national justice and vouchsafed “the righteousness that exalteth a nation.” A figure more heroic in peace or war history hardly affords! Yet, not even a minister of the gospel in the pulpit opened his mouth in deserving recognition, though many of this order of Holies of Holies showered upon him most unholy unholy lies.But the last sun of Cleveland set, the sun of his shades risen, the lonely figure of him like a mighty mountain peak, seen through the rifts in the clouds of the dissipating storm—his countrymen from Roosevelt down offer him a seat by the side of the truly great in the galaxy of men. Oh! inhuman humanity! Human inhumanity! Strew thorns in the path of the living—then, flowers in the path of the dead!
Ex-President Grover Cleveland dies at Princeton—The Martyr Just in Politics.Cleveland.

Original Format

Diary

Files

JWK19080622.pdf

Citation

Kisling, James Wellington, “Ex-President Grover Cleveland Dies at Princeton,” 1908 June 22, WWP22622, James W. Kisling Collection, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.