Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 January 1891 — DEMOCRATS ENJOYED IT. [ARTICLE]

DEMOCRATS ENJOYED IT.

BANQUET OF THE TARIFF REFORM CLUB AT NEW YORK. Ex-Pr»jld»nt Cleveland Discusses the “Campaign or Education”—He JSay* the Hilarity of Republican Leaders Was 111-Timed—What He Thinks of Mr. Blaine’s Reciprocity Bark. [New York dispatch.] I The banquet of the Reform Club took place to-night in the magnificent concert hail of the Madison Square Garden. One of the incidents of the evening was the entrance of Mrs. Cleveland about 8:30 o’clock. Her party was escorted by Mr. G. F. Parker, and in the party was Mrs. Carlisle. There was a better attendance of ladies than even at the New England dinner. Everett H. Wheeler presided, and on his right sat Grover Cleveland and on his left John G. Carlisle. Other seats at the table were occupied by Gov. Horace Boies of lowa, John H. W. Arnold, W. L. Wilson of West Virginia, T. L. Wilson of Ohio, William Steinway, Gov.-elect Luzon B. Morris of Connecticut, Gov.elect W. E. Russell of Massachusetts, E. Ellery Anderson,' Thomas Wilson of Minnesota, Carl Schurz, W. N. Hensel of Pennsylvania, and Horace White. When the feasting was finished Chairman Wheeler, in a brief speech, introduced ex-President Cleveland as the first speaker of the evening. Mr. Cleveland said among other things: I desire to acknowledge the valiant services in this campaign of the organization whose invitation brings ns together to-night. I may be permitted, I hope, to make this acknowledgment as a citizen interested in all that promises the inereaeed prosperity of the country; and I shall also venture to do so as a Democrat who recognizes in the principle for which the campaign has thus far proceeded a cardinal and vital doctrine of Democratic creed. If i thus acknowledge the nseful services in a Denocratic cause of any who have not claimed long affiliation with my party, I feel that my Democratic allegiance ia strong enough to survive such an indulgence in fairness and decency. I am, too, at all times willing that the Democratic party should be enlarged; and, as tending in that direction, I am willing to accept and acknowledge in good faith honest help from any quarter when a struggle ia pending for the supremacy of Democratic principles. The grand and ultimate object of the campaign of education was the promotion of the welfare of the country and the relief of the people from unjust burdens. Within twenty-four hours after the submission to Congress of the question of tariff reform, sundry Senators and Bepresentattves belonging to the Republican party ware reported to have jauntily ventilated their partisan exultation in the publio press. If the present Speaker of the House sarcastically said, “It only shows what fools all the other Presidents have been,* he may well be excused, since he has lately so thoroughly learned that in the sight of the people infallibility is not an attribute always to be found in the Speaker’s chair. If the Representative from Ohio whose name is associated with a bill which has given his party considerable trouble of late said, “if the Democratic party had hired Burehard to write a stump speech it oould not have suited ua better,” it must be that circumstances leading to his approaching retirement from publio life have suggested modification of his judgment. L

As our campaign hag proceeded other unusual symptoms have been apparent among those prominent in directing the opposition. Sbme of them have become insubordinate and discontented, and at timeß actually disobedient to party orders. Some have left the ship. One shrewd and weather-wise navigator has clambered off, and, in a frail bark, with the word "Beciprocity” painted on its stern, was last seen hovering near, prepared to climb aboard again or sail away, as wind and wave would appear to make most safe. At the present stage of the campaign the unwieldly party hulk of Bourbon Republicanism is still afloat, but damaged and badly leaking. On board Borne are still Working at the pumps against the awful odds of opening seams; many, mutinous and discontented, short of provisions and of grog, are loudly and angrily disputing as to whether'bad seamanship or overloading is the cause of their wretched plight, while accusations of guilty responsibility are heard on every side. If, from this turbulence, there Bhall emerge any who actually, pricked in conscience, desire a better life, they will be gladly welcomed. I cannot, however, keep out of my mind the story of the pious deacon, who, in his efforts to convert a bad sinner, became so excited by his incorrigibility that he gave him a thorough drubbing, afterward explained and justified his course by declaring that he believed he had “walloped saving grace into an impenitent souk” Let us not fail to realize the foot that our work is not done. Our enemies are still alive and have grown desperate. Human selfishness is not easily overcome and the hope of private gain at the expense of the masses of the people is not yet abandoned. It would be shameful, and a pitiable diegrace, if by overconfidence we should lose the ground we have gained, or if we should fail to push further our advantage. The result of our labor thus far is indeed “a signal tribute to the judgment of the American people.” In full faith in this iudgment our work Bhould continue upon the lines thus far followed until the enemies of tariff reform are driven from the last intrenchment. As the people have trusted us, let us, above all things, be true to them. Let the light 'of our campaign be carried into every part of the land where it has not been seen, and where it has been kindled let it be kept brightly burning, still showing the way to better days for tho people and disclosing the plans of insidious foes. The next speaker was Gov. Boies, of lowa. Gov. Boies presented statistics on agriculture in lowa, showing that the cost of producing an acre of corn in that State was 67 cents more than the crop could be sold for. What was true of the production of corn was equally true of all the great staples raised in lowa. There must be some flagrant error, he said, in the industrial system that produced such a result, while the country: as a whole was becoming rich. Continuing, Gov. Boies said: I do not hesitate to say that there Is no possible justification for a system of laws that produces such a result. No plea for the nation’s prosperity, however eloquent that plea may become, can smother the indefensible wrong that takes a single dollar from the earnings of one class of its citizens and bestows it as a bounty upon those of another. I will not stop now to question whether the industries of a nation may or may not be-! come so adjusted and equalized that a protective tariff could be made equally advantageous, to all. It is enough to know that they are not so equalized in the United States. It is a self-evident proposition that a tariff' levied upon products which a nation produces, largely in excess of its own. wants, which it is I constantly sending abroad because its own; markets will not take or use them, can have no possible effect upon the price of snchcom-. modifies, and hence it follows that so long as we are producing aunnally hundreds of millions: in value of agricultural products in excess of our own wants, no tariff levied upon like products can benefit the farmer. Agriculturists are not enemies of manufacturing industries ; they appreciate as fully as any class that their own prosperity as well as that of the nation depends upon a successful prosecution of diversified industries, and they will go as far as any class in giving to onr manufacturers free raw material and in extending the market for tht ir productions. In other words, they will readily consent to stand, before the law upon an equality of privileges with every other industry but they will notconsent to see their own destroyed that others may attain phenomenal success.