Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 April 1892 — GROVER TALKS TARIFF. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

GROVER TALKS TARIFF.

A ROUSING SPEECH BY THE EX-PRESIDENT. An Immense Meeting: at Providence Addressed by Cleveland—He Advises the Democrats to Keep Up the Fight for Reform—lroquois Banquet. Cleveland's Address. The democratlo big half of the Rhode Island campaign reached the climax at Providenoe when the thousands of the citizens and visitors gathered in the great opera house to hear words of wisdom from the lips of ex-President Grover Cleveland. Mr. Cleveland spoke as follows: Mr Fellow Citizens: I have found It Impo-s.blo to decline the invltution yon sent'm> to meot hove to-day the Pemocraey of Rhode Island. I have c: me to look In the faCJS of tho men who have been given the place of honor In advance of tlio vast army wuich moves toward the decisive battlellold of next November. I have not come to point tho way to con-olat;on In case of your defout. but 1 bavu cone to sharj the enthusiasm which p-esagrs victory. I have not come to . ondolo with you upon the difficulties which confront you, huttosug;est that they will only ndd to the glory of your triumph. I huve come to remind you that (lie intrenchments of spoils and patronngo cannot avail against the valor and determination of rights: that corruption and bribery cannot smother und destroy the aroused conscience of our countrymen, and that splondld achievements await those who bravely, hcnostly and stubbornly tight In the people’s c< mo. Let tis not for a moment miss tho Inspiration of those words. “tho people’s cuuse.” Thoy signify tho defense of tho rights of every man, rich or poor. In every cornor of our land, who by virtue of simple American

manhood leys claim to the promises of our free government, and they mean tho promotion of tho welfuro und happiness of the humblest American citizen who confidingly Invokes the protection of tho Just and equal laws Tho covenant of our Democratic faith, as I understand it, exacts constant efforts In tills cuuse, atfd Its betrayal 1 coneetvo to ho a crime against tho creod of truo Democracy, Those who opposo tariff reform doludo themselves If they suppose It rests wholly upon appeals to selllsli considerations and the promise of advantage, right or wrong, or that our only hope of winning doponds upon arousing unlmostty between different Intorosts among our people. While wo do not propose that those whose welfare we champion shall he blind to the advantages accruing to them from our plan of tariff reform, and, while we ure determined that tho advantages shall not, ho surrendered to the lilanlshments of groud and avarice, we still claim nothing that lias not underlying It moral sentiment and consideration of equity and good conscience. A Winning Fight. llecans ! our case rests upon auch foundations, sordtdness and s Ulshnoss cannot dostroy It. The tight for justice und right Is a clean and comforting ono; and, because the American pooplo love justice und right, ours must bo a winning light. “Tho government of the Union Is a government of the people; It emanutes from them; Its powers are granted by thorn, and are to lie exercised directly on them and for tlielr IhjuoilL” This Is not tho language of a political platform. It Is a declaration of tno highest. court In the laud, whose mandates all must obey and whoi-o definitions all partisans must accept. In tho light of this exposition of the duty the Government owes to the people, the Democratic party claims that when, through Federal taxation, burdens are laid upon the dally life of tho people not necessary for Ih.t Government’s economical administration, and Intended, whatever bo the pretext, to enrich a few ut the expense of tho many, the governmental compuct Is violated. A distinguished Justice of tho Supremo Court, with no Democratic affiliations, beloved and respected when living by ovary American, and since bis death universally lamented, has characterized such n proceeding as “none the less a ri bbery bocuujio It Is done under the forms of law and Is called taxation "

The Democratic purty still champions the cause which defeat could not induce It to surrender, which no success short of complete accomplishment can tempt It to neglect. Its position has teen from (he first frunkly and fairly stated, and no one can honestly be misled concerning It. We Invite the strictest scrutiny of our conduct in dealing With this subject, and wo Insist that our courso has been op< n, fulr, and consistent. I believe this U not now soberly denied In any quarter. Our opponents, too. huvn a record on this question. Those who still adhere to the doctrine that an important function of the government Is especially to aid them In their business, those who seo In the consumers of our land forced contributors to artificial bonetlts permitted by vovormental favoritism, those who seo In our workingmen only the tools with which their shops and manufactories are to ho supplied at tho cheapest possible cost, and those who believe taclr Is no morul question Involved In the tariff luxation of the poople, are probably familiar with this record and abundantly satisfied with It. It may, however, bo. profli ably reviewed by those who believe that our consumers are entitled to be treated Justly and lioucsily by the government. and that tho worklnrman should bo allowed to feel In bis bumble home, as bo supplies his family's dally needs, that his earnings u.re not unjustly extorted from him for the b'neflt. of tha favored benoflclarlei of unfair tax laws. Claims of tho Protectionists. This, then, is the ic -ord: When we began the conte t for tariff icf >rm It was said by our Itepubl cxn opp incuts, in the face of our avosal- and acts, that wo were determined on free tinje. A long advance was made In their Insincerity und impudence when they accused us of acting in the tnteiosti of foreigners, and when they tnorj than hinted that we had been bought wltii British gold. Those who distrusted the effectiveness of these senseless upp< a s Insulted the liile'llrenrc of < ur people by claiming Ibn', an Increase In the c >,t < f aitielo* to ths enn timer Caused by tho tariff was not u tax p i d by him. but that It was paid by foreigners who sent their goods to our markets Sectional prejudice was invoked in lhe most outrageous manner. and people of the North were asked to condemn the measure of tariff roform proposed by ui I e a use members of Congress from the (South had supp ntrd it. These are fair samples ot tho argument* submitted to tho American people in the presidential campaign 1888. It will bj observed tb*t the purpo*e of these amazing deliverances was to defeat entirely any reform In tho tariff, though It had been enacted at a time when the expense of a tremendous war justified tbe exaction of tribute of the same people which In time of peace became a grievous burden, thou ;h it had congested tho federal treasury with a wor-e than usel >s.s surplus, Inviting reckless public waste and extravagance, and though in many of lls features the only purpose of Its continuation was the bargaining It permitted for party support There were these, however, in the rauks of our opponent* .v h i recognized tbe fact thut we had so aroused popular attention to the evils and Injustice of such a tariff that it might not be stf> to rely for success ufon a bald opposition to i s reforms. Tho e were the grave and sedate Republican statesmen who declare.! that they never, never could consent to subserve-the interes's cf England at the expense of their o*n country, as tlie wicked Democrats proposed to c : o, and that the 7 felt constrained to Insist upon a tariff, protective to the po nt of piobibttlon. betause they devo.ediy loved our worklng-

men and were determined that their employment should .be constant, and that their wages should never sink to the disgusting level or the pauper labor of Europe. but that. In view of the fact that the war, in which the tariff then existing orig.nated. had been closed for more than twenty years, and In view of the further fact that the public treasury was overburdened. they were willing .to readjust the tariff If it could only be done by its friends Instead of “rebel brigadiers. ” I will not refer to all the means by which our opponents succeeded in that contest Suffice It to say they gained complete possession of the Government in every branch and the tariff was reformed by its alleged friends. All must admit, however, that either this was not done by the people’s friends or that the effort In their behalf badly miscarried or was ungratefully remembered, for a few weeks thereafter a a relegation to private lifo among those occupying seats In Congioss who had been active In reforming tho tariff occurred, which amounted to a political revolution. Thoso victims claimed that our voters failed t ► Indorse their roform of the tariff because they did not understand it It Is quite i robable, however.i that if they did not, understand It they felt It and that, because It made them uncomfortable, they emphatically said such a result was not what they wanted. At any rate, the consumer lias found life harder since this reform than before, and If there Is a workingman anywhere who has had his wages increased by virtue of Its operation, ho has not made himself known. Plenty of mills and factories have been closed, thousands of men have loit their employment, and wo dally hoar of reduced wages, but the benefit * promised from roform. and Iti advantage to tho poople who really nee 1 relief are not apparent. The provision It contains, permit lug reciprocity of trade In certain cases, depending on the action of tho President, Is an ndmls-lon, as far as It goes, against the thoory upon which this roform Is predicated, s nd It lamely limps In the direction of freer commercial cliHtiges. If “hypocrisy Is the homage, vice pays for virtue,” reciprocity may be called the homage prohibitory protection payH to gonulno tariff reform, The workingmen who have been deceived hr the prom se of higher wages and better employ meat, and who now const intly fear tlio closing of mnnufac orles and tho loss of work, ought certainly to be no longer csjoloJ liy a patty whoso performance has so clearly given the He to Its professions. The consumer who bus trusted to a reformation of the tariff by Its friends, now that ho feels the Increased burden of taxation In his hqnio, ought to lto'c in another direction for relief. Will Stick to the Tariff. If iho Democratic party does not glvo ft the Suite of lthode Island during the present session of Congross the fioarawmatoilalsihj noods. It will be because a liepublican Senate or executive thwarts Its design. At any rute, uothlng shall divert us fr im our purpo»o to reform the turllf in this regard, as woll as many other/, he the time of Its arcdrnpllshment nearer remote. It would doubtless please our adversaries If we could bo ullurod from our watch and guard ovor the cause of tariff roform to certain other objects, thus forfeiting the people's trust .and confidence, Tho National Democracy will hardly gratify this wish and turn Its hack upon tho people’s cause to wander after falso and unsteady lights In the wilderness of double danger. Our opponents must In the coming national canvass, settle accounts with us on the Issue of tariff roform. It will not do for them to say to us that this Is an old and determined contention. Tho ton commandments aro thousands of yearn old, but, tliey and the doctrines of tariff roform will bs taught and preached until mankind and tho Republican party shall heed tho Injunction. “Thou slialt not steal.” As I leave you lot me say t > you that your cause deserves success. Let me express the hope that the close of your canvass will bring you no rogrotson account of activity relaxed or opportunities lost Demonstrate to your peoplo the morlti of your cause and trust them Abovo all things, banish every personul fooling of discontent and let every personal consideration be merged In a determination, pervading your ranks everywhere, to win a victory With a cause so Just and with activity, vigilance, harmony and determination on the part of Hhodo Island's stanch Democracy, I bollove you will uot fall. >

GROVER. CLEVELAND.