POLITICAL NOTES: System Flayed

Richard Folsom Cleveland of Baltimore, young lawyer, is the son of the late Grover Cleveland. Last week he flayed the U. S. system of government in a speech before the Women's Civic League of Baltimore. Said he:

"Fear of government by collusion led our forefathers to accept a government by confusion . . . the most inefficient government in the entire world. . . .

"Our forefathers deviated from the European form of government, and created an executive with too little authority and too short a term of office and with no connection with the legislative body.

"This system of government presupposes one important and indispensable thing—a tremendous interest of the people in the vote and government. But the people have not supplied this, which is the principal ingredient. This often has resulted in crooks and thugs being elected to executive offices."

At Princeton University, "Dick" Cleveland figured as campus critic, as reformer. Ardent Wilson Democrat, he followed in his hero's footsteps by attacking the upperclass-men's club system. He associated himself with the so-called "great unwashed" (the socially unassimilated element of the student body) and refused the many club invitations that were addressed to him by virtue of his personality, attainments and appearance, which was quite the reverse of "unwashed," he being a tall blond shot-putter cast in a noble mold. After the failure of his "revolution" he contented himself with a running public commentary on life in Princeton and in general, which he contributed to the undergraduate daily, signed "Admiral Clamps."