New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-08-26
THE PLEA or A PETTIFOGGER.

The great ISSUE lnNOlNcu i'll tue pIcStn1 cdih-
paign is the tariff. What view does Governor
Cleveland take of it. Does he favor projections
Nobody knows. Is he committed to incidental
protection 2 Nobody knows. Did the horizontal
reduction bill meet with his approval7 Nobody
knows Is he to be numbered with the out
and-out free-traders9 Nobody knows. The
Governors position on the tariff-in case he has
any-remains as undiscovered as the North
Pole, notwithstanding the fact that he has
written his letter accepting the Democratic
nomination for the Presidency.
And what Is the excuse which the Governor
puts forward to cover his neglect to express
himself OH this question of overwhelming i'm
portancel The excuse is in two parts, both
inane. lie says, in the first place, in his letter
of acceptance. that the Democratic National
platform is $50 plain statement Of Demo-
"cratic faith and the principles upon which
that party appeals to the sullrages OF
"the people that it needs no supplement
cor explanation" This statement Is en-
phatically untruc-Dcmocrats themselves be-
ing witnesses. If GOIernor Cleveland keeps
himself well informed he cannot fail to be aware
that the principal plank in the platform, the
tariff plank instead of being plain IS 50 eX-
cecdngly difficult to understand that some OF
the most intelligent mcmlcrs of the Demo-
cratic party are to-day at logserhcads as to its
real meaning. Thus The Acr IOrt SW argues
that the plank means protection, while The
Louisville CouieT-joUnal insists that II means
free trade. "A for The Brook'yR Eagle that
Democratic organ has not hcsitatcd 10 ayow
that "no Teller can tel exactly what the prin-
cipal 1.-THE tariff planl, means" And yet Gov
clnor Cleveland carefully hides his tariff con-
victions under bushcl on the ground that the
platform is so "pan" that it needs no "sup-
plcmcnt or explanation
The other part of the excuse is equally himsy
and wretchad. Here it is, as given in the letter
of acceptance:
II should b. remembered that the ofc' OF President l.
ess ntlly executive in TIE laws enacted by
The csislavc ranch OF the Government the Cief Exec
utyei, bound iai fy niorc'. Aud whcr the wisdom
Of TIC political party which selects one Of its members
nominee for that Office has outlined Its policy ana
carcd lis pnopIe 1t seems 10 me thai nothAG IN inc
character Office the necessities OF the case re-
quire5 from thc candidate accepting such nomlna-
ton than the suggestion Of cert in vcllMown tut e. so
absolutely Vital to tho safety and welfare OF tho Nation
that they caunot be too often recalled or too seriously
enforced.
If this paragraph of the letter has any signi-
canoe at all it means chiefly that what the PTes-
dent of the United States thinks OF the tarif Is
of no public interest since he is no; member
either of the Senate or the House of Representa-
tives Verify this is a droll attempt to limit the
responsibility of the Presidential Office. Nor
can II succeed until the Constitution OF the Uni
ted States-a document which the Governor
would do well to rcad-has been amended in
salient particular. Article l, Section VII, Of
the Constitution reads as follows:
Every bill which shall Ii We passed the House Of Repre-
sentative. and lie maze shall before II becomes law
he preented to the Pres Oh the United states If he
approves he shall sign ~ but if not b. sh. return it,
with hi, lecion-, to that house IN wAcht snail have
gnatcd who shall IN er the objections ut large on their
Journal and proceed roconsdcrit IT, after -uch
sdora on two thirds Of that Louse shall pass
the bill it shall be sent Osct' with the objections TO
the other house ly which ii shall likewise De Tecousd
cred and ifapproved 10y wothrts Of that house, 1t
shall cOile Law.
1t thus appears, if the Governor please, that
the President Of the United States is not only
bound faithfully to enforce " the laws, but
faithfully to prevent bills from becoming laws
which do not meet with his approval. What
then becomes of the Governors assertion that
"there is nothing in the character Of the Office"
that requires candidate FOR the Presidency
to speak ont fair and square nrcGaTd to the very
subject which is at the forefront of public dis
cussion
Mr.. Cleveland has made predictions mistake
in placing paddock on his lips. The American
people hate a coward and dodgcr and when
they find a candidate for the highest Office
within their gift declining to show his hand be-
cause the rrcsidencyis an executive Office, they
will dccline 10 vote for him.