Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-01-26
HoH. 4. ]. cALpwElt..
Why He Voted for MIR. R1ndie m the Demo
cratic Caucus.

cratic Caucus.
Washington, d. c., Jan. 16, 1884,
Mr.. A. M. Shook-Dedr Sir: /
would have answered your letter
sooner but for my absence from the
city during the Christmas holidays.
Your approval of my action in vo-
ting for that sterling Democrat,
Samuel, j. Notwithstanding as he
does upon the platform on which
the Ohio Democracy achieved the
most astonishing victory since the
war, backed by the reputation oi
being one of our most experienced
party leaders, and being historical
~ and heroically identified with the
fight for local self-government for
the South, as well as being the
known champion who struck down
railroad tyranny in Pennsylvania
isnot a fit man for a Democrat to
vote for, we have fallen on evil
times, indeed, In voting for him
did not thereby indorse his errors,
anymore than thereby was par
ticipant in his honors or his virtues.
/ voted for the policy of conserva-
tive treatment of the tariff question;
against Il revolutionary and futile
attempt tn accomplish the impossi-
BILE; and against disturbance of
business and an unsettltng of values
by a fruitless agitation Of the subject
which would alarm both the capital
and labor of the nation and drive
them from the support of the Demo
cratic party in 1884. / propose to
off, n n
man hilt to hilt who challenges my
Democracy, it matters not how dis.
tinguished he may be, or h.
skillful in the arts of poilticu-
cription. 4
For fifty years or more the
England and Middle States hsSs
had the golden goose of the tariff
laying her eggs in every mountain
cave, mining shaft and manufacto-
ry, and now that the South finds
that she has materials to build nests
for her, and the auriferOus bird is
circling in the northern sky sor a
southern flight, shall we climb our
hills with a gun and bring her to the
earth TO lay golden eggs no more ?
Under the nard ta5k-nIastsrs OF pro-
lection she has been much troubled
by reason of. the over-production re-
Quired OF her. And she is all the
more ready to make her nest farther
South, because under Democratic
rule she will not be required to
strain her constitution t0enrich mo-
uopolists; but she will only have TO
lay eggs enough to feed the men,
women and children of American
labor. The tariff cannot be thor
oughly and effectively revised, in
my opinion, until the Democracy
controls not only the Houses of Con-
gress, but also the Presidency. My
desire was, and is, to do nothing to
jeopardize that glorious consuma-
ton.
lam encouraged to believe that
the conservatism of Mr. Carlisle and
his Committee on Ways and Means
will disappoint the opponents of
tariff revision, and that no "sudden
and radical changes in laws and reg
ulations affecting the commercial
and Industrial interests of the pee
pie" will be attempted. ''FOr such
changes will not be favorabiy re-
ceived by those who have given Sc
riOus attention to the subject"
When Mr.. Carlisle said this, on ia
king the Speakers chair, a states
man spoke. And when, by his APP
pointment of Randall as chairman
of the Committee on Appropriation
he showed his Willingness to entrust
the leadership of the House to him,
and his unwiIlingness to heed the
whispers of personal envy and mai.
ignity, which were poured into his
ears in that and i'm other instances,
a statesman acted. If his ear was
abused to the prejudice of other
Democrats, the fault is not his, but
belongs to those who poisoned his
mind by letter and otherwise.
If the Democratic House does, as
[ believeit will, propose such just
and conservative revision of the
present tariff laws as Republican
Senate cannot defeat without shock
ing the common sense and justice of
the people, then the gates of hell
cannot prevail against Democracy
in '84. For it will conclusively
show the country that even the
most ultra revisiOnists are ANNA
ted and controlled by the spirit of a
safe and conservative statesman
ship, and that the interests and
of The nation can be safe
y intrusted again to the party of
honesty and reform. With
great respect your OBJ dent servant,
ANDREW j. CALDWELL.