The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-09-10
PRESS OPINION.


What Some of the Prominent Newspapers
Say of the Document.
CHICAGO, Sept. 9.-The Inter Ocean, COM
mentine on President Cleveland's letter will
cay: "The document il a weak dilution Of the
stock arguments of those who would develop our
foreign trade at the expense Of our home indus
tries, unrelisved by single really fresh thought,
or even mode of expression"
The Daily News Ind.l says: President
Cleveland labors under the great disadvantage
OF having said it all before. The present docu-
ment is, in effect. only ampifcstion OF the
points in the tariff message or last December.
This OF course is not to deprecste the letter.
Granting that the points in the message were
well taken and that the argument then was
sound and logical, nothing in the conditions
has so changed as 10 make other points
or argument needed now, to make those OBJ
solete and unnecessary. IN its rigid adherence
10 the tariff reform question the letter will be a
dissppointment TO the Republican leaders, who
have already exhausted their ammunition on
that subject 1t really looks as though candi-
date Harrison would have TO furnish the new is
sues of the campaign in his own letter, which is
now in order"
New YORK. Sept. e-The Tribune viii say:
at cannot be said that be has passed the long
interval OF ninety-six days since the St Louis
convention TO the best advantage, for the reader
will find no evidence that be has added to the
mesere store of knowledge on the subject Of the
tariff which he displayed with much
confidence in the message of last De-
cember that be has corrected any OF the
blunders of that document. And yet none OF
Mr.. Clevelands public ntterances has shown
eiens OF more lsborious preparation. Is betrsys
at every step the anxiety with which its phrases
have been measured. The chief ground OF this
is the Presidents desire to persuade the voters
OF the country that he is what Smith Weed
vouched for him being 10 the campaign four
orI a otQCff fnrla AZ ms
need be. He denies that BIZ has entered upon .
crusade of free trade, and begs the American
people 10 believe that the existencs Of the pro-
tective system is entirely consistent with the
regulation of the extent to which shall be ap-
Piled the correction OF its abuses To which
latter declaration Gil good Republicans
will say amen. with the reservation,
however, that they would prefer TO
leave the details of regulation in the hands OF
some other psrty than that which has pushed
the Mills bill through the House Of Representa-
tives in reckless disregard OF the in-
terests OF many branches Of Ameri-
can industry, and which is led by q man
capable OF repeating, after an interval Of nine
months, the fallacy OF bis message that the duty
on every article invariably and for all time in
creAses by just so much its cost to the
consumer There ere many other boneyed
phrases with which the President seeks 20 alay
the alarm which has besn aroused by the course
or the Democratic party under his dictation.
| Many of these are expended upon the laboring
| class, VINO CO not need to be told, however, thas
| fine words will not butter their bread il free
| trade shal come in to force down their wages
The Sun will say ''Mr Cleveland speaks
with con nfdence as TO the slze oi the annual sur
plus, attempts TO state in figures the dimen-
sions of tie present condition which coDfronts
us. He dwelis rather upon the size of the sur
plus accumulated In the treasury from former
years. There is, indeed. some reasons TO
believe that the conditions which impressed him
In December have materially chanyed SINCE
then. President Cleveland now declares his in
tention to rearranee the tariff for the purpose Of
stimulating domestic industries Thas is the
very essence of protection, and the statesman
who is governed by that motive is in the strict
est sense OF the word a protectonist"
PITTsBURG. Sent 9.-Commenting upon Presi-
dent Csvelands letter OF acceptance the Dis
patch independent Republican, says: Tire
Presidents letter is q fairly able attempt TO
make the best OF an issue about which there is
evident feeling OF uncertainty. The
tariff question is recognized the
question at stake; but the very salient endeavor
to relieve the Democratic position OF its free
trade character shows that tha President has lost
confidence iu the aggressive policy OF tariff re-
duction. While even the political opponents OF
the administration should endeavor to exercise
large measure or charity for the differ
ence in standpoint, there are some things
In the letter which indicate q sublime diregard
of vital facts After speaking of the experience
which he has had IN the presidency, the refer
ence to maintaining the standard OF civl-service
reform sounds very queerly, but il can possibly
be explained by a theory that the President is
really unaware that the Democratic machine is
triumphant over the corps OF ciyil-service ye-
form. When. however, Mr.. Cleveland declares
the necessity OF maintaining the political rights
of the colored people, there can hardly be any
doubt that bis Southern supporters are expected
to take this IN a purely Pickwickian sense; while
the declaration of the necessity of curtsiling
public expenses in view OF total appropriations
this year exceeding those for the last year Of
Republican administration BY more than
500, 600 900 is rather unfortunaten
The Commercial Gazette (Republicsn) says:
"At period IN his career has Mr.. Cleveland
sicnally emphasized the shallowness Of his
elaine. either to the dignity OF a statesman
the sincerity OF q reformer. as be has done in
his letter OF acceptance AS purely
public document it is a dissppointuent;
as political issue it is q failure. Ignoring
wholly his declaration, made four years ago,
that President should not accept a second
term Dir. Cleveland enters upon q tiresome
sumo Of his former utterances on tariff, labor
and pensions, with a paragraph thrown In on the
fisheries question so ridculousy out Of
proportion to the magnitude to which he at
| tempted to force shat issue that it can only ba
| interpreted as q confession Of weakness His
tariff utterances this occasion are mere
repetition of the plstitudes be induiged in upon
the same subject IN the recent past"