Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-12-09
THAT FAMOUS TARIFF MESSAGE
The True story of How President
Cleveland Came to Send 1t TO Con.

The True story of How President |
Cleveland Came to Send 1t to Con.
gress.
The inside history OF the tariff reduc- |
ton message sent to Congress by the
President last December has not yet
been written and it is of some interest.
Indeed, in view of the defeat of Mr..
Cleveland and of the opinion of large
number of persons, right or wrong, that
the result was due to the tariff message,
it is desirable that the people should be
informed of all the circumstances con-
nected with that new departure of the
administration.
President Cleveland is the putative
father of the child, but the real author
of its being is MIR. Manton Marble. For
twenty years Mr.. Marble has been eager
to force tariff reform into politics as a
distinctive issue. He devoted much
time to the task of bringing the Presi.
dent round to his views Of the political
revolution, which would sweep over the
Western States # the Democracy only
had the courage and sense to make
. bold fight on the tariff issue; not
through a meaningless plank in
convention platform, but through agrees
sive action on the part of the President,
who would unquestionably be the candi-
date of the party for reelection and
would thus compel the recognition of the
issue in the contest, Mr.. Marble pointed
out the position held on the question by
Western newspapers and Western poll
ticians, and quoted the World as favoring
tariff revision and tax reduction so earn
estly as to urge a special session of Con-
gress for the consideration of that impor-
tsnt policy.
Mr.. Cleveland was not entirely con-
yinced by Mr.. Marbles argument, but
was disposed to believe that they had
some strength and we'll deserved consid-
Grafton. Mr.. Marble found an effective
ally in Mr.. Henry Watterson, who sup
own impulsive and impetuous manner.
approached and urged to favor the
proposition of Presidential message,
stripped bare of all outside adornments,
and placed before Congress and
the country as naked tariff
revision proposition from the consider
alton Of which neither party, nor any
individual of either party, could escape.
In short time afterwards Mr.. Marble
laid before the President his draft OF a
message such as he advised. This was
the origin of the much-discussed docu-
ment which in the opinion of many per,
sons settled the Presidential contest. As
transmitted to Congress there were some
changes from Mr.. Marbles composition,
but the main features were preserved,
and in some of the idiomatic expressions
the ex-editor's style can be easily recog-
nized.
While these discussions were going on
Secretary Whitney was indisposed and
absent from Washington. On his return
to the capital shortly before the assem-
bling of Congress he received a letter
from the President, who expressed de-
sire to see him as soon as possible. Sec
retary Whitney called at the White
House, and in private interview with
Mr.. Cleveland the latter submitted to
him the draft of his proposed message,
which was then prepared. The revela-
ton was surprise and shock to the Sec
retary, whose keen perception and accu.
rate political information at once suggest
ed to him that, however wise and COM
mendable the propositions might be
in the abstract, it was not the right time
to cast them upon the country. He
frankly expressed these views to the
President as the first impression made
on his mind by the message. Mr.. Cleve
land was evidently considerably sur.
prised and disappointed at the position
taken by the Secretary. He told Mr..
Whitney that the message had already
been discussed by the Cabinet, and that
his remarks were the first hostile express
sions he had heard in regard to it. He
desired that the Secretary would take a
little time to reflect on the matter and
see if he could not find reasons to war;
rant change in the views he then ex-
pressed.
At this interview Mr.. Whitney at once
discovered and pointed out to the Presi-
dent one important instance in which
the alleged facts were not correct, and
the reasoning built up on them was
fallacious and open to destructive criti-
cism. The Presinent was surprised at
the information. and made a note of it
for inquiry. MIR. Whitney was found to
be right and the message was modified
accordingly. The Cabinet was then
called together in special meeting, at
which the message was again
considered, Mr.. Whitney and all
the members being present. The
discussion which ensued was warm and
prolonged. Reflection seemed only to
have confirmed Mr.. Whitney's views of
the inexpediency of the policy, and when
he spoke he expressed his opposition in
no uncertain terms. He believed it was
most injudicious to give the Republicans
any issue such as they most desired, and
which they had repeatedly tried to falsely
force ON the Democracy when they were
searching anxiously, and up to that time
vainly, for war cry. He insisted that
the merits and justice of the policy
recommended in the message had no
part in the discussion; that the real
point was whether it was judicious to
urge the policy on the eve of Presiden-
tial election, when there would not be
time enough at command of the party to
combat prejudice, to overthrow false
charges and to educate the minds of the
working people up to an understanding
of their true interests. Mr.. Whitney in
sisted that without this direct issue in
the approaching canvass the opposition
would have nothing to do but to make
fight by attacks on the general policy
and character of the administration, and
on this there could be no question of
their defeat. The result would be the
vindicstion of the Administration, and
its patriotism and integrity would become
historical through the discussions of the
canvass. Mr.. Whitney urged the policy
of first winning the battle and then
aacurinp the forms and relief sought dur.