The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1888-07-19
Mr.. Claveland's English Friends Again

If ever a man was unfortunate in his friends
that man is Grover Cleveland. No sooner has
he laid down some proposition with great
warmth and much insi>ancc than they come
out and with an appalling f.anknc>> overthrow
it. The innocent sincerity of Mr.. Cleveland's
British allies threatens to undo him and render
quite >uperlluouS amy campaign on the part OF
the Republicans. In his recent letter to the
lammany Society. Mr. Cleveland, doubtless
with his mind on Oregon. wrote:
The attempt is made to divert the attention
Of the people from the evils of such Il scheme
of taxation tthe protective tariff by branding
those who seek to correct these evils as free
traders and enemies of our WOrkingmen and
our industrial enterprises. This is so far from
the truth that there should be no chance for
such deception to succeed.
Here Mr.. Cleveland, is it will be observed.
>purns with Indignation the idea that he is
free trader. and brands the charge as a 'decep-
ton" But his organs on the other side of the
water will not have il so. They are more cour-
ageou- than the President and Il hundred times
more frank. They readily perceive the real
meaning of the letter of their candidate. and
are not slow to make il known to all the world.
Thus the London Times, that able and enthlis-
a>ti'' Cleveland Journal, remarks that sit would
| hardly he possible to put the free trade case
more clearly and more strongly" than does this
| letter to Tanmany. and that 1.-THE arguments
| which President Cleveland urges are those
which Cobden used to employ - years ago. and
which any English free trader would employ
now" The Times adds:
'Such propositions as that taXatioE ought to
| be strictly limited by needs of the country, that
| ii is unjust to tax the whole community for tho
| benefit of special classes, that Important duties
stitle protection and limit the area of the coun-
| try'> markets are purely free trade arguments
| As such We are very glad to see President
| Cleveland using them, though we are sorry for
the popular infatuation which makes it danger
Gus to give them their right namc.''
In the estimation of the Times the ''popular
| infatuation' which makes Mr.. Cleveland act
| the hypocrte, and while using free trade argu-
| ments deny that they mean free trade, is as re-
| rrehenSible as that other popular infatuatiOn"
OF Il arter of Il century ago which stood like a
wall of a,iamant against disunon, and thwart-
ed the iinc schemes of the British free traders
and Yanker-haiing aristOcrats. The Times and
| the class il represents have never forgiven the
| Republican party for its share in maintaining
the nations honor and crushing out rebellion,
| and amy man or men or principles in the Unit
| ed States opposed to the Republican party and
| its principles can depend implicitly on the cor
| dial support of the London Times and the Brit
ISL Tories. But it is awfuy embarrassing for
Mr.. Cleveland and the Democratic ,arty that
the Times is so outspoken.
Another prominent English journal, the Lon
| don News also grasps the situation and gives
its views of it with admirable candor. The
| News declares that Mr.. Cleveland, in his dis
cuS>iom of the issue, "shows that he is free
trade candidate in everything but name," and
| adds:
1.-The reservation is an important one for
American party purposes. The President feels
| compelled to characterize the attempt to brand
him as free trader as a deception of his ene-
mics. For all that, the electoral conflict now
in progress is a conflict between free trade and
protection, and nothing else.''
And thus is Mr.. Clcveland's hyprocritical
pretence in his letter to Tammany exposed and
| overthrown by his own enthusiastic but incall-
tious friends. These London newspapers know
free trade when they see it, and they have not
yet discovered that their devotion to Mr.. Cleve-
land and his cause should compel them to fore
90 to tell the truth. One of the first acts Of Mr..
Cleveands canvass must be to muZZle his too
candid allies Of the British press. We would
respectfully urge that he Immediately send an
embassy to England for this purpose, and
would suggest as the Massachusetts members
of the embassy those jealous Democrats and
ardent admirers of Britain and free trade, Con.
gressman Collins and Mr.. O'Reiily of the Bos
ton Pilot. Boston journal.