Morning journal and courier., 1888-09-10

| sentation, our position upon the question of revenue reform should be 80 plainly stated as to admit of no misunderstanding.
 We have entered upon no crusade of free trade. The reform We seek to inaugurate is predicted upon the utmost care for establish ed industries and enterprises and regard for the interests of American labor and 8 serious desire to relieve the country from the injus- tice and danger of condition which threat ems all people of all the land. We are deal ing with no imaginary danger. Its existence has been repeatedly confessed by all political parties, and pledges of remedy have been made on all sides. Yet, when in the legisla tive body, where, under the constitution all remedial measures applicable to this subject must originate the Democratic majority were attempting with extreme moderation to redeem the pledge common to both parties, they were met by determined opposition and obstruction; and the minority refusing to cooperate in the House of Representatives, or prepare remedy, have renitted the re- demption of their party pledges to the doubt full power Of the Senate The people will hardly be deceived by their abandonment of the field of legislative action to meet in po1it- ical convention and fippantly declare in their party platform that our conservative and careful effort to relieve the situation is destructive to the American system of pro- tection. Nor will the people be misled by the appeal to prejudice contained in the sb surd allegations that we serve the interests of Europe while they will support the inter- ests of America.
 They propose in their platform to thus sup port She interests of our country by removing the internal revenue tax from tobacco and from spirits used in the arts and for mechan- ieai purposes. They declare also that there. should be such 8 revision of our tariff laws as shonld tend to cheek the importation of such articles as are produced here. Thus in pro- %o to nearly or quite prohibitory point they confess themselves willing to travel backward in the road of civilization and to deprive our people of the markets for their goods which can only be gained and kept by the semblance at least of an interchange of business, while they abandon our consumers to the unre- strained oppression of the domestic trusts and combinations which are in the same platform psrfunotorily condemned. They propose to release from import duties all articles of foreign production, except lux uries, the like of which cannot be produced in this country. The plain people of the land and the poor, who scarcely use arti- cles of any description produced exclusively abroad and not already free will find it difi- cult to discover where their interests are rs- garded in this proposition. They need in their homes cheaper domestic necessaries; and this seems to be entirely unproVided for in this proposed scheme to serve the coun-
 
 need is found in the further purpose here an- nounced and covered by the declaration that if after the changes already mentioned there still remains larger revenue than is requia site for the wanLs of the government, the entire internal taxation should be repealed "rather than surrender any part of our pro tective system" Our people ask relief from the undue and unnecessary burden of tariff taxation now resting upon them. They are offered free tobacco and free whiskey. They ask for bread and they are given a stone.
 THE PROTECTIVE sYsTEH.
 The implication contained in this party declaration that desperate measures are ne- cessary to save from de3tr 1ction or surrender what is termed OUT protective system should confuse no one. The existence of such sys- tenn is entirely consistent with the regulation of the extent to which it should be supplied and the correction of it's abuses. Of course in country es great q ouT3, with such wonderful variety of interests, often leading in entirely different directions, it is difficult if not impossible to settle upon perfect tar if plan. But in accomplishing the reform we have entered upon the ne esssity of which is so obvious I believe we should not be content with 8 reduction in revenue irl- volving the prohibition of imporSations and the removal of the internal tax upon whisky. It can be better and more safely done within the lines of granting actual relief to the peo- pi0 III hEolC means or Ay1nS, AHu ab bnS Shnue time giving an impetus to our domestic en- terprises and furthe1ing our national welfare. If misrepresentations of our purposes and motives are to gain credence and defeat our present effort in this direction there seems to be no reason why every endeavor in the future to accomplish revenue reform should not be likewise attacked and with like resnlt. And yet no thoughtful man can fail to sse in the continuance of the present burdens of the people and the abstraction by the government of the currency of the country, inevitable distresss and disaster. All de1ger will be avoided by timely action. The difficulty of applying the remedy will never bs less and the blame should never be laid at the door of the Dem ocratic pe-ty if it should be applied too late. z, With full faith in the intelligence and pat- riotism of our countrymen, and relying upon their conviction that misrepresentation will not ir fiuencs them, prejudice will not cloud their understanding and that menace will not intimidato them. let us urge the peoples interest end public duty for the vindication of our attempt to inaugurate 8 righteous and benefcent reform.
 (Signed) GROVER CLEVELAND.