The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-09-11
Opinions of Lead ing Newspapers.


Evansville Journal: Summed up In few
words, President Clevelsnd's letter OF accept
ance is q demagogic eiectioneering document,
second only to the alleged message to Congress
last December. Its thoughts are not above
those of ward politician arguing with voter,
and will not produce the effect intended
Terre Haute Express: Mr.. Cleveland doesn't
want to learn anything that may refute any
former statements he has made. AS Mr. Voor-
hees said his neck is big as q mans thigh
and his stubborness 10 tho chief trait in his char
acter. We are pleased that he insists upon his
free trade ideas. because in this instance his
stuoborness will break his run OF luck.
Ohio State Journal: The letter contains moth
ing new, and 10 o purely Cleveland production.
The President talks glibly of the tariff question.
the protection Of American Industries at home
and abroad, the regulation OF sound financial
system, and his pet hobby of civil-service re-
form. closing with the implied :dea that he
didn't care for o denomination, tut accepted IL
In the unLtterable goodness OF his heart. Ia
order to keep the country from going down the
tobogRan slide of everlasting ruin.
Louisville Courier Journal: A tariff for
revenue only could not be more tersely defined.
1t is seldom any public officer uses language
quite 30 plain and unmis taksble a. Mr.. Cleve-
land, o candidate for President, uses in his let
ter Of acceptance. There is inspiration in
his boldness, vigor and sincerity. Such dis
cussion Of such questions clears the atmosphere
rassments. He marks out the line OF public
policy upon which his party can move with
irresistible force. Those wavering z
Democrat; who have sought refuge between
the lines in camp established by the enemy
must now turn in one direction or in the other;
they must come up TO the help OF the Demo
cratic party.
Louisville Commercial: The President must
know thar civil-service reform has been . mock
cry during his administration; that it is sneered
A.s n>-- - A. 49, "a
ally omitted from the ST. Louis platform. He
must also know that the negroes In the South
will never be guaranteed their rights as free
men so long as . eolid South is necessary to
Democratic supremacy. He may be sincere In
bis declaration, but he 10 not 10 line with his
party in the South on this subject Mr. Clsve-
land treats the tariff question in extenso. He
reiterates the principles Of his message 70 Con-
eress, and employs the stock argument OF the
free traders. Instead OF retreat from his for
mer position, he defends it, and adds new theo-
ries to uphold his view.
Chicago Inter Ocean: His last annual mes
saee Was solely devoted 70 an attempt TO make
the issue between free trade and protection the
line Of battle, but this letter, on the contrary,
has for its main purpose tho diversion OF popu-
lar attention from the issue, and especially the
creation of the impression that be 10 not 30 much
OF . fres-trader as that message would indicate.
Herein he follows the same general line OF policy
as Judge Thurman, Congressman Mills, and the
Democracy generally. The courage of niue
months ago has ooZed away, and 10 plsce OF the
bold front which was then presented is the
tremulous anxiety to explain away the real is-
sue Of the campaign and mystify it BY des.
canting upon the evil of yaisng- surplus reve-
nue..
Cincinnati Commercial Gazstte: Drawing q
check for oue-ffth OF his annual salary, TO raise
money for q Doodle campaign. and thereby de-
manding q like subscription from all national
ofice-hocers, Mr.. Cleveland goes through the
customary expressions Of devotion 10 cvl-serv'
ice reform; and himself the creature OF trusts
with the Standard OIL brand upon him-be bel
lows about trusts and tells MS how hostile ths
Democratic party 10 to them. This from the
speculator of Red Top. with Garland and Whit
nsy in his Cabinet, 10 impudencs. The Demo
cratic party is rank and rancid with trusts. and
fights only those industrial enterprises that
combine cheap and active capital with skilled
and well-paid labor-eom biuations that belong
to . higher civilization than the stAtesDauenir
Democratic party. Mr. Cleveland asserts thai
trusts are the product Of protection. Has pro
lection fostered the Standard Oil trust, which
has furnished the sinews Of war to the Demo
cratic partyf But cannot avoid the an
nouncement that the President has no partieu
lar concern about the truth.
Chicago Tribune The letter is at once q
justification and an apology for the message o
last December. It repeats the arguments tha
were then presented, but enfeebles and dilutei
them with saving clauses and weak and shuff1ini
excuses. The last part OF the letter seems K
be an apology for the first part, and the Presi
dent must have written it at the urgent instanc,
OF some of his advisers, who saw that the politi
cal drift was against him. aud that the chanee
of his election were vanishing in the distance
II is not possible shat this letter will iuprov'
those chances or convince anybody that he il
not at heart radical free-trader and hostile {,
| the principle of protection. The President'
| warm Endorsement Of the Mills bill. with all Ii
partisan and sectional discrimin ations, puts hi
free-trsde tendencies in a new light, and reveal
| his alliance with the Southern element Of hi
| party in unmistakable terms. If that Bills
| odious and unfair in its conditions-is his no
| tion Of what constitutes true revenue reform
| the sooner he IL put whore he can do no NOR
| mischief to the fiscal affairs OF the government
| the better il will be for all concerned.