The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-10-12
VESTS GARBLED LETTER.
HE MAKES AN EXPLANATION OF
is STATEMENTS.

The Meaning Given It's Sentences by
the Republicans Very Different from
that Intended to be Conveyed -
The Fight to the Death" Between
Principles, and Not Waged against
Industries.
WASHINGTON, Oct 1.-THE Senate this
afternoon resumed consideration of the
tariff bill, and was addressed by Mr..
Cullom, in advocacy of the Senate bill In
the course of his remarks he made refer
ence to Mr.. Vests letter, heretofore fire.
quently referred to. as the struggle being
"a fight to the death"
Mr.. Vest said that he wanted to make a
statement as to that letter. 1t was a
private letter written on his desk in the
Senate during debate, and afterward
type-written by his secretary. IL he had
had the slightest suspicion that it would
have been made public he would certainly
have been more particular in framing his
sentences, and in the verbiage used; but to
any faIr-minded man the letter was plain
and unequivocal.
READ FROM THE ORIGINAL.
He sent to the clerks desk and had read
the original memorandum from which the
letter was written, including the following
sentences:
We are entering on the most fearful presi-
dental & contest-she most important since that
Cleveland, by his message for which sim
cerely honor hlml, has challenged the protected
Industries of the country to a fight of extermi-
nation. Men who are accumulatng immense
fortunes under the present tariff laws de-
ternined 10 defeat Cleveland, IL money and in
dustry will accomplish IL.
a ALL
is to the death, and we would be idiots to ignore
that fact.
Mr.. Vest added that any man who did
not appreciate the difference between q
letter written under the circumstances
under which that letter was written, and
one written TO be submitted to the fierce
criticism Of political opponents would have
no further explanation from him.
HIS IDEA OF THE ISSUE.
What he had wanted, and what that
letter fairly construed) did say was that
the issue was between the principle
of absolute and unlimited protection (which
he understood the Republican party to
advocatel and tue position of the Demo-
cratic party (which was the raising of
revenue from taxes properly adjustedD and
that; on that issue, the fight was to the
death. Mr.. Vest also complained
of small hand-bill misrepresent-
ing his letter, and printing it in
this way: Cleveland, by his
message (for which sincerely honor him)
has challenged THE protected interests of the
country TO war OF determination. Tho
fight is to the death" The man or men who
did this, who took two entirely distinct and
separate portions of the letter and put them
together leaving ont the intermediate and
explanatory sentences) would disgrace the
striped clothes of the penitentiary.
CULLoM NOT SATISFIED.
Mr. Cullom remarked that the explana-
tion made the matter no better. There was
no mis- aking the fact that the senator from
Missouri said that the President had chal-
lenged the protected industries to fight
for determination.
Mr.. Vest-The President has made his
own statement, why not criticise himl
Mr.. Cullom-I have done so.
At the close Of MIR. Cullom's speech, Mr..
Platt addressed the Sera ate in favor of the
Senate bill. He argued that in the civil
war the real controversy was between pro-
lection and free trade. and in support of that
idea, he read various extracts from edi-
torials in the New York Herald in 1861.
That war, he said, was u conspiracy against
northern labor; and it was the northern
labor system which, in defending itself, had
preserved the nation intact. 1t might have
been supposed that free trade surrendered
at Appomattox. but it had not.
TWO CLASSES OF SUPPORTERS.
The free trade doctrine had two classes OF
supporters at the north. These were doct-
rinaires, professors Of colleges, who knew
nothing whatever of practical statesman
ship, of practical business, of practical
political economy; and by spoilsmen, who
sought by adhesion to the free trade fort
unes of tho solid south. to get Office for
themselves and their friends.
Mr.. Chace next addressed the Senate, di-
recting his remarks largely to the contrast
between the Republican and Democratic
party administrations in the management
of the postal service Of the country. With
out concluding his remarks, Mr.. Chace
yielded the floor, and the Senate at 4:40
o'clock adjourned until tomorrow.
CONGREaS tn AnJOTTRN