Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 January 1890 — MR. CLEVELAND AGAIN. [ARTICLE]

MR. CLEVELAND AGAIN.

Still for Tariff Reform—He Indirectly An. uouucd His Candidacy. Morrison Munford, editor of the .Kansas | City Times, who is visiting New York,has i had an interesting interview with ex- ; President Cleveland. From the account . which he telegraphed his paper Wednesday night the following portions of general interest are taken: Mr. Cleveland has lost none of the zeal' for tariff reform wnich inspired his celebrated message. ‘ ‘lt is a most gratifying thing thing to me,” he said, “that the masses as well as the leaders of the party, t are taking hold of the tariff issue with* such spirit and evident determination to* win. E ven now,when there are no elections ; pending, they are discussing this question with as muen earnestness as if in the heat of a Presidential campaign. My letters from every part of the country show the extent and depth of the agitation. When the people think about a thing thoroughly and dispassionately they do not fall into mistakes, and they are now aroused and making personal application to themselves of the effect of undue taxation. So great is the number of letters I receive asking: my views, r uesting documents, and in- " yitingme to attend meetings and make speeches, that to give them proper attention is beyond my power to perform.” f A glance at Mr. Cleveland’s desk con-: firmed this remark. His personal mail is probably larger than that of any private citizen of the United States, and shows how completely the tariff agitation has stirred up the country. The effort demanded in replying to the letters from earnest aud active tariff reformers makes a very j serious tax on his time. But I reminded; him of the good he was doing, and he said that the enthusiasm with which his utterances were received was the best evidence I had had of the temper of the public as to' tariff reform, notably as to his Boston' speech. “I was genuinely pleased,” resumed Mr.' Cleveland, “to find in Boston among men,| who are constitutionally conservative, a degree of earnestness and fervor beyond' | hat of men engaged in politics. From my, observation there and in New York and' from my correspondence, I conclude that* the thinking men of the nation arc massed almost solidly on the side of tariff reform. Whatever may be our ups aud downs, there! is no danger as to the destiny of a party.! which absorbs the best brains, intelligence and honesty of the county, and the cause which draws these elements to its support, is sure of ultimate triumph.”__ __ I then said to Mr. Cleveland that thei Democratic party was already preparing for 1892 and looking forward to that cam-! paign with expectancy and confidence, and! that the sentiment was virtually unanimous that he should be our leader. 1 “As to that,” he replied, “It is the cause! and not personal consideration that should concern us. lam so well situated now,, that if I consulted my own feelings, I! would prefer to have some one else to take the lead.” “But,”said I, “no one else is thought of' among the Democratic masses.” ( “Men who have elements of leadership! develop rapidly and it is a long time till/ 1892,” quickly replied the ex-president. “It is not a matter of men but of principles. It would be a pity not to oarry forward the work Which the party has so grandly inaugurated, and there ought to be no halt until the ends aimed at are compassed and the people are in full possession! of the benefits and blessings which an ac-; cumulation of qualities x called into existence by apathy on one side and self-inter- 1 est on the other, have diverted from them.i I rejoice in feeling that the Democratic 1 party is the repository of the best princi- 1 pies and purposes, that its ranks teem with the intelligent young manhood of the; country, that it enjoys a complete monopoly of every American policy not merely sectional or time serving.”