The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-12-22
cLEvELANp.s MESSAGE.
The Strongest Document Ever Presented
to the American People. n,#

WuT Ol C1uSS Az 10 SOih
pletely overthrown by the re-establish-
ment of equality before the law. 1t
Is the strongest message that ever
came from the White House. Con-
servative in the methods proposed in
checking and reforming evils, 1t is
radical in its denunciation of them. 1t
has no concealments and no reserva-
tions. With the statesman's keen in
sight into the vital questions OF the
time, the President shows not the least
trace of the politicians hesitancy. He
speaks under the weight of solemn
responsibility to truth, and his voice is
that of the people. II the abuses and
political crimes he denounces are not
reformed, this message will some day
be transformed from what is nova
calm, logical state paper-into an in
cendiary document, setting men on
fire with the sense of wrongs finally
understood because no longer endur-
able.
1t is co-extensivc in its scope with
The entire range of homo affairs and
foreign relation, and throughout 1t is
sustained in the manly dignity of
truth. Leaving its incidental topics
for the future, the Republic attempts
for the present to follow the President
only in that portion into which he has
put all the force of his extraordinary
forcible character-the relations of
government to wealth and the relations
of wealth to the citizen.
There is not a plutocrat in the
country who will not feel every word
the President has said here as per-
sonal affront and u threat. Closing
with this message the hundredth year
of the Presidency, he glances briefly
at the past only that it may illustrate
the present by its contrasts. He re-
fuses to believe that Nation is great.
prosperous or happy because OF vast
wealth in the hands of the few. From
gregations of capital were either un-
known or sternly restricted;" when
The constitution, 1.-THE chart for our
guidance, was honored and observed,
he turns to the present when the con-
stitution is disregarded in favor of
class; when as u result the agricult-
ural communities are drained into the
cities; when the wealth and luxury of
city life exceeds the dreams of the
founders of the Government; when
the life of business is n mad race for
wealth, and when vast aggregations OF
capital outrun the imagination in their
undertakings.
With this as an incident OF the
political and social results of urban
life and class wealth, he contrastc
1.-THE poverty, wretchedness and unre.
munerated toil'' of the crowded and
constantly increasing urban popula-
tions, upon which the discriminate n
of government against agricultural
pursuits is leaving no sufficient check
of conservatism. He sees the force of
Government exactions as the cause of
the constantly widening gulf between
employer and employed, with its
symptoms of one very rich class with
every luxury and constantly increas .
ing class of the very poor. He sees
combination and monopoly grasping
the rewards OF labor, while the citizen,
to whom the constitution guarantees
equality before the law. either ''strug-
giles far behind in the rear or is tram
pied on"
He sees corporations which should
be the carefully restricted creatures of
the law and servants of the people be-
coming the peoples masters.
He sees the Government taking into
partnership with it small but power
full minority and using its taxing
power for their benefit until in doing
so it stiles in them all patriotism and
love of country, substituting for it
selfish greed and grasping avarice
under the tutelage of which the masses
of the people are corrupted into con-
sidering government as an instrument
to be used for gaining advantage one
over another.
He sees "a communism OF combined
wealth" recognized and fostered by
Government, and not less dangerous
than ''the communism of oppressed
poverty exasperated by injustice"
He declares it mockery of the
people ITO propose that the Govern
ment shall protect the rich and that
they in turn will care for the laboring
poor'-a mockery because any inter-
mediary of class between government
and people. or the least delegation of
the care and protection the govern
ment owes the humblest citizen, makes
''the pretended boon of American cit
izenship" "a shameless imposition"
He holds class government responsible
for the growth of the paternal idea
and for the jobbery of Congress-; and
reviewing recent legisla tion, he
scores Congress as it was never scored
before.
The tariff policy he outlines is for
cheaper necessaries Of life, untaxed
raw material and a revenue tariff COW
ering differences in labor cost. There
must be no compromise, he says. at
is the peoples cause and IL must never
be surrendered.
Both surrender and compromise are
equally impossible. The conditions
created by class legislation will force
readjustment of themselves, and 1t
may or may not mean complete
economic revolution. That depends
on whether there can be wisdom in