The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-07-12
Letter from President Cleve-
land.

land.
Tammany Society of New York
last Thursday celebrated for the Tooth
time the anniversary of the Declare
ton of Independence. Many letters
were read from distinguished Demo-
Gratis, including the following:
EXECUTIVE MANSION, !
Washington, June %, 1888.
Hon. j. A. FLAcK, Grand Sachem:
Dear Sir regret that I am obliged
to decline the courteous invitation
which I have received to attend the
celebration by the Tammany Society
of the birthday of our Republic, on
the Fourth day of July next. The
zeal and enthusiasm with which your
society celebrates this day afford
proof of its steadfast patriotism, as
we'll as its care for all that pertains
to the advantage and prosperity of
the people.
I cannot doubt that the renewal of
''love and devotion to a pure Jeffer-
sonian Democratic form of govern
ment" which you contemplate, will
suggest the inquiry, whether the
people are receiving all the benefits
which are due them under such a
form of government. These benefits
are not fully enjoyed when our citi-
zens are unnecessarily burdened, and
their earnings and incomes are USE
lessly diminished, under the pretext
of governmental support.
Our government belongs to the
people. They have decreed it's pur.
pose, and it is their clear right to de-
mand that its cost shall be limited by
frugality, and that its burden of ex-
penses shall be carefully limited by
its actual needs. And yet a useless
and dangerous surplus in the national
treasury tells no other tale than ex-
tortion on the part of the government
and perversion of the peoples in
tention.
In the midst of our impetuous en-
terprise and blind confidence in our
destiny it is time to pause and study
our condition. It is no sooner ap-
preciated than the conviction must
follow that the tribute exacted from
the people should be diminished.
The theories which cloud the sub.
ject, misleading honest men, and the
appeals to selfish interests which de.
ceive the understanding, make the
reform, which should be easy, a diff
cult task.
Althoug those who propose rem.
edy for present evils have always
been the friends of American labor,
and though they declare their pur-
pose to further it's interests in all
their efforts, yet those who oppose
reform attempt to disturb our work
ingmen, by the cry that their wages
and their employment are threatened.
They advocate system which ben
efits certain classes of our citizens at
the expense of every householder in
the land-a system which breeds dis.
content, because it permits the dupli-
cation of wealth without correspond.
ing additional recompense to labor,
which prevents the opportunity to
work by sitting production and lin
iting the area of our markets, and
which enhances the cost of living be-
yond the laborer's hard earned wages.
The attempt is made to divert the
attention of the people from the evils
of such a scheme of taxation BY
branding those who seek to correct
these evils as free traders and enemies
of our workingmen and industrial
enterprises. This is SO far from the
truth that there should be no chance
for such deception to succeed.
It behooves the American people,
l A