Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-09-14
CHANGE OF HEAR !.

Chicago Tsibune: President Cleve-
land has at last signified his willingness
to accept the nomination rendered him
last June. HIS letter, which is of con-
siderable length, sets out with q sum-
mary OF the things which good govern.
ment should do, all of which, he says,
have been looked after by his admins
trstion. Among these he barely mentions
civil.servlce reform, and then hurries on
to other topics. He does NOS repeat
what he said In his first letter of accept
ance about "a horde of officehoiders
with zeal born of favors received
and fostered by the hope of favors yet to
come" and gives no explanation for
being second term candidate, or for
violating the pledge which he gave in
his first letter that no would not accept
"a second term. He boldly assumes chat
civil. service reform has been carried out
In letter and spirit in the best of faith
This is an assumption that will make
the republicans laugh and the mug
wumps groan.
After getting through with his tire
some enumeration of the objects Of
human government, he plurges into the
tariff question, and makes the strongest
fres-trade argument tina. he knows how
He ass sumes that that the domestic
manufacturer adds the whole duty to
the prloe OF his goods and pockets it as
profit, to the enormous loss OF the
consumer. He does not accept the idea
of tariff for protection in the least de-
gree, and opposes the bare idea OF it
as an evil to be prevented, entertaining
apparently the opinions of Henry
George and Frank Hnrd ON the subject,
He denies the existence of equivalent
benefits, and ignores the advantages of
higher wages conferred and the con.
sequent ability OF the workingmen to
pay higher prices for the goods he uses,
This, however, is the essence OF the pro-
lection principal-the competition with
the cheap labor of foreign countries.
His argument leads logically to absolute
free trade and direct property taxation
for the support of the government. This
certainly Is the way in which ell will
interpret II, whatever his partissns may
say for publication.
From the tariff he passes on the sur
plus and its evils. he says that there is
q surplus of $3.50 900 900 in the treasury,
but he ought to know that the inquiries
of the committee on ways and means
reveal that the appropriations of the
democratic house come within $I4 4,00Q,-
600 or so of consuming his alleged sur
plus. Cleveland has signed S23 ,O00,-
600 river end harbor bill, and deficiency
bills which will swallow up $4,000 900
or $50, 100000 more. His pet scheme
to pension for life any one who served
sixty days In the Mexican war he's added
many millions to the annual expense
account. This measure he approved of
because the money which it takes ont of
the treasury goes in good part into the
pockets of the exrebels OF the south
and their wives. But he vetoed the
dependent soldiers bill because what
ever money that was paid out under that
would go to the union veterans.
There is at this moment a surplus
which represents the savings OF several
years. but it will not be added to, for
while next years income Will not exceed
$440,000,000, the expenses will surely
run up to 1926, 10000 AS for the idle
accommodations" now on hand, he has
loaned them ont in part to his fsYorite
Wall street banks, and after election
can let them have the remainder. free OF
interest, with no expense to them, ex-
ceps the assessment they may voluntari-
ly pay toward his reelection.
After talking little more about his
desire to relieve the treasury of it's sur
plus, forgettnl of what o democratic
house has done in the wsy OF reducing
it. he gets back to the tariff question and
the strong free trade position he has as
snmed, and attempts to show that bis
policy will not hurt the workingmeu
whose wages will be cut down by it,
They are to be saved from loss, il ap.
pears, by letting in raw material end
securing for the articles they manufec-
ture an increased production ead wider
market. Then the president does some
thing which no democratic president
has ever done before. He talks of the
necessity OF keeping ont laborers who dc
not come here with the intention OF be
coming oitizens, and simply ipiure
American labor. His talk savors much
OF know-nothingiem, for it would be
pretty apt to result in the wholesale ex-
oluslon of all foreignefs-Irish, Germans
Bohemians, and Scandinayian-unless
they can prove what is sometimes hard
TO prove. that it is their intention ia
settle down and live in the country.
The president finally gets around to
trusts, but has nothing pew or practical
to say. He might as well have ct tntent.
ed himself with urging the adoption Of
Senator Oullom's bill on the subject.
The letter is at once O justification
and an apology for the message of last
December. 1t repeats the arguments
that were then presented, but infeeblee
and lrzfa har ,rnSS o,,sn al, I
weak and shuffling excuses. The last
part OF the letter seems to be an apology
for the first part, and the president must
bave written it OF the urgent instance
of some OF his advisers, who saw that
the political drift was against him and
that the chances of his election wers
vanishing in the distance, 1t is not
possible that this letter will improve
those chances or conyince nybody thai
he is not at heart a radical free tradel
and hostile to the principle OF protection
The presidents warm Endorsement O.
the Mills bill, with ell its partisan ant
sectional determinations, puts his FIRE,
trade tendencies in q new light and re.
veals his alliance with the southern ele
ment of his party in unmistaksble terms
LII that bill--so odious and unfair in it,
condltions--ls his notion OF what consti
tutes true revenue reform this sooner b,
is put where he can do no more mischie
TO the fiscal affairs of the COVE ernmen
the better it will be for ell concerned.
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