Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-06-20
WEDNESDAY,, JUNE go, 1883.
rsr. Cleveland and the WOrking-
tupn.


rsr. Cleveland and the WORKING
uRo.
The plan Of the Republican campaign
this year has been very fully outlined by
the Republican editorial orators. 1t will
consist OF wholesale misrepresentation
Of the attitude, purpose and utterances Of
Mr.. Cleveland and. Of the Democratic
party, and Of an industrious attempt to
throw dust into the eyes Of the working
man. A great cry will be raised that the
Democratic party is committed to free
trade and that, under such policy the
wages Of the American laborer will be
reduced to the low standard now pre-.
vailing in many countries of Europe. OF
course this is the old cry OF "stop thief" "
1t is raised at the very time when Mr..
Andrew Carnegie, Republican manu-
facturer, has successfully overcome the
protest OF his ea,ployfs, in his Pittsburgh
Iron Mills, against reduction Of wages,
has replaced his Union workingmen with
'scabs;" and, flushed with his victory
over helpless and victimized labor, goes
TO Europe to accompany Mr.. James g.
Blaine on a coaching" tour over Scot
land as the homes. and next friend Of
the Planned Knight.
Thai same cry has been raised often
before In Presidential campaigns. TWAS
raised with the same insincerity against
Mr.. Buchanan in 1856. The Republican
press, initiating its predecessor OF the
Wing Party, dubbed Buchanan, "Ten
Cent Jimmy" On referring to the
records OF the election, however, it will
be seen tina, he received the votes of a
handsome majority OF the Electoral Col
lese, and that tho great high protection
State Of Pennsylvania figured in the list
which made him President.
Oar esteemed contemporary, the Los
Angeles Tribune, in its issue of yesterday
has started in to misrepresent the posi-
ton OF Mr.. Cleveland with regard to the
workingmen and American labor. 1t is a
specially fortunate circumstance that the
present campaign will be, more than any
one which ever preceded it, determined
as result OF exhaustive argument. The
attitude of the Democratic party will be
shown as clearly as the hoohday sun to
be in unison with the best interests OF
American labor, and Of the American
manufacturers who employ that labor
When Mr.. Cleveland wrote his mes
sage we had just emerged from what
thre atened to be a great financial crisis,
in which capital and labor we're both in
dsngsr OF being plungei into a mail
s;rom. The Democratic President was
obliged to meet this crisis alone, with no
other guide or aid than emanated from
his cabinet--a body appointed by him
self. Congress was not in session. The
notes OF alarm and panic from Wall
street were loul aud increasing in vehe-
mence. II, at once met the situation by
ordering the purchase Of bonds which
were redeemable at the option OF the
government, and by wholesale antici-
patton of the interest on other bonds, not
Immediately redeemable. Prompt ac-
ton was necessary, and the President has
confessed that, as to a portion OF his
remedial action, he had grave doubts Of
its being within the strict letter Of the
law. However, he took the response
bility,
The crisis passed and order reigned
once moro in the financial Warsaw
President Cleveland, when he wrote his
message to Congress, was still laborini
under poignant sense OF the crucial ex.
per!eace through which he hal passed
After describing the measures he hat
taken to stave off, and which did stavt
Of, the imminent catastrophe, he said il
thai document:
"While the expedients thus employed
i" to release to the people the none,
lying Idle in the Treasury served to aver
imme lia:e danger our surplus revenue
have continued to accumulate, the ex
cess for the present year am ounting OF
the 1st OF December to $50 ,25S, 701. 10
and estimated to reach the sum OF $113,
900, 0)) on the 30,h OF June next, a
which date it is expected that this sum
q tuSu " pEIOl dcgitl iitttOiiS, Will SWcl
the surp,us in the Treasury to $140,
1000, 900"
Ia other words, in addition to the pre-
visions for ths Sinking Fund, by the Is
of jane, the President had reason to be
lleve thai the enormous sum OF $l40,00o
900 would have been withdrawn from tn
circulation and that the business, value
and the prosperity OF the country woul'
be correspondingly depressed by the di
miaution OF the circulating medium.
1t was under such circumstances {
doubt and peril that Mr.. Clevelan
wrote his message advising reductions il
the Tariff. 1t is worthy OF note ths
both, before and after 1888 the Republ
can party had been bowling for tariff re
vi ion. Both parties were at one on thi
general proposition. Mr.. Cleveland ha
been elected on platform, that OF 1881
in which his own party, while calling 70
revision and reduction OF the tariff, ha
demanded that in these necessary change
regard should be had to the rights OF tn
American laborer. How scrupulousl
the President respected his party Is pledg