Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1888-08-10
Cleveland's Craftsmanship.
A MASSACHUSETTS VIEW OF CIVIL SER
VICE AND TARIFF REFORM.

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Boston, at which James Russell Low
ell presided, George NJ. Stearns OF
Chicopee said of President Cleveland
and his acts:
"To me one of the most remarkable
spectacles, bordering on the miracu-
lous, in this generation, is this Presi-
dent-this man coming from the
manger and the straw at Buffalo, with
no training in statecraft, with no ex-
perience in politics, without the advan-
tage of college or polishing in the
arts and yraces of elocution, but
equipped with an intrepidity of integ-
rity, stepping boldly into the wilder
ness at Washington, the wilderness of
political shams and humbugs, and
time--worn rings and hoary deceits, cry
ing aloud: Repent We, for the King
dom of Heaven is at handn And this
unframed statesman writes the only
Presidential message that has been
read since the war. In fact, every
word he writes, even to the tender ex-
pressions of coincidence and sympathy.
is read by the world. and this orator OF
nature makes the only speeches that
gain universal audiences.
Civil-service reform received no aid
from any public man to amount to
anything until his advent. Before, it
was heard as the hum of the pestilence
mosquito. But with him it comes like
the roar of the northwest wind, bring
ing with it its ozone and laden with
national health. The politicians of
both parties undertake with inflated
cheek to blow it back in his face, but
it sweeps steadily on, until now We see
them fleeing before il, their ancient
coat-tail well extended to the level,
chasing their displaced hats up and
down highways and by-ways OF the
land. endeavoring to rescue the appli-
cations for Office, which have been
blown therefrom, from the congenial
mud in which they are scattered. Be-
wildered politicians do not know what
to do with this man, who comes bring
ing not peace but sword, and they
are daily running over the old list of
played-out, somnolent politicians to
see if they cannot find somebody that
will displacc him and chloroform the
people again.
And now this disturber of peace
has thrown another thunderbolt
among those who wonder why things
cannot be left alone. He has an
nounced with directness and distinct
ness that at present the issue is, be-
yond all dodging, the question of tariff.
He tells us that We are taking $780,
600, 900 from the people by needless
taxation; that this money is accumu-
lating in the Treasury; that it is diff
ficult to get it out; that by and by
commerce and trade will suffer from
want of means to transact business,
and he says: Take this of, and take
it off SO that it will help those who
most need help. Take away these bur
dens from those upon whom they
weigh most heavily But the uphold
ers of the tariff meet this just as they
always do, by lying. They cry out:
The President has declared for free
trade They know it is only the ques-
ton Of disposition of the surplus !;
nevertheless they use the same old cry
that they have used for years and
years. They have terrified the people
into the continuance and perpetuation
of the atrocities Of the tariff.
"The President suggests that a very
benefcent way in which the people
may feel the blessing of this reduction
is to take the tariff from wool; and
thereupon We suddenly learn, what
We never knew before, that the whole
basis and structure of our national
prosperity rests on the fleece Of wool.
Did we ever stop to consider for a mo-
ment what this proposition of the
President, that long-seeing and far-see-
ing patriot, means? Do we think not
only of the wool that is raised, but do
we appreciate that from $50, 600 900 to
$40, ,OOO, 600 worth, and do not know
but more, Of wooden fabrics are i'm
ported into this country every year by
robbing the American laborers of their
manufacture, paying our money to
foreigners to make our goods for us
because wool is prohibited to them?
Think of an army of men it would
take to handle that wool, to comb it,
to SPIN it, to weave it, and think of all
the ramifcations of trade it would en-
ter, of the mill engineering involved,
the steam apparatus, and the new fac
tories to he built, and the steamships
to be made to help that industry, and
the employment it would give GER
tainly to 100000 people at 81 so pei
day, the percentage Of labor that
would enter into this amount of mon
ey-and that those 100000 people
would each of them support two more
There are coo 200 men that this United
States fails to support and pays foreign
people to do their work for them, ir
order that Ohio may continue a Re
. publican State. Why, they have hao
this tariff on, and what has been tn,
result to the American laborers
: There are to-day 867 less woolen ant
. felt mills in the United States thar
: there we're in 1860. What q com
meutary that is upon this prohibition