The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-09-26
The Plea ora Pettifogger.

The Plea OF Pettifogger.
Mr.. JOHN NJ. BUTLER and Mr.. LOUIS
Rowland recently had a ''joint discus
sion" in the Neacs on the tariff question.
Mr.. Rowland contributed to the Neacs
review of one OF Mr.. Buffers high tariff
speeches, to which the latter replied in a
lengthy letter. MIR. Rowland sent his
rejoinder to the Ne,rs, which declined it,
whereupon Mr.. Rowland requested its
publication in THE SENTINEL. At the first
opportunity, something more than
fortnight after the letter was received at
this Office, it was given to the public
through these columns. Several days ago
Mr.. BUTLER sent to THE SENTINEL
lengthy reply to Mr.. HowLAND's letter.
Two or three days later Mr.. BUTLER sent a
note to the editor of THE SENTINEL, say
ing: IF you decline to publish my letter,
please deliver the manuscript to the
bearer" The editor of THE SENTINEL re-
turned the manuscript to him with the
subioined letter:
The Hon. John NJ. Butler:
DEAR SIR-Sfr. HowLAND's letter, TO which
you have sent a reply, was held In this office
a.
opportunity could be found for its publication.
There is great pressure upon our columns at
this time, and letters, especially of such length
as those from Mr.. Rowland and yourself,
have to await their turn" First come, first
served, is our rule in these matters.
But as you insist upon an immediate publi-
cation or return OF your letter, | an obliged
to return it 10 you, as several MSS. already ac-
cepted and some Of them in type for days
past will monOp0lize all the space that will be
.tohto fc,..- J,-., 90
In returning your letter, send with it ex-
tracts from a speech delivered in congress only
ten years ago by Gen. JAMES A. GARFIELD,
last OF the line of republican presidents, which
from official records showing that the period
OF the Walker tariff was the most pros
porous in the history OF the country.
We printed these extracts in THE SENTINEL
several weeks ago, butevidently YOU did not see
them, or you would not have made such state
mentS about the effects of the Walker tariff as
| find in your letter, for the proofs which
Gen. GARFIELD submits 10 the contrary are alb
solutely overwhelming. presume You con-
slider Gen. GARFIELD rs good an authority as
President BUCHANAN, although you, like my
self, resent the imputation which Mr.. ROWLAND
puts upon the lRtters loyalty.
/ also beg TO call your attention TO the fact
that The SENTINEL did not say nor intimate
that Mr. HowLAND'S letter was "a correct and
fOrcible exposition of the principles and pur
that it was an able and vigorous piece of writ
ing (which is altogether different thing) We
also said that the letter was "a valuable contr-
button to the current tariff discussion and
invited the attention of our readers TO it, We
might say all of these things of your letter
provided they were true, and still not say or
imply that il is "An exposition of democratic
doctrine | must confess surprise that you
greatly misconceive, or at least misinterpret,
language which was certainly not ambiguous
in the least.
Before you cause your letter to be published
would very respectfully suggest that you re-
wise il so that it shall conform to the his
torical facts set forth by Gen. GARFIELD. Also
that you insert, following the quotation from
President BUCHANAN'S message of 1857, quota
tons from President GRANTS messages of 1873
"a touching the condition of the country at
that time, under the highest tariff in its history.
Ii the brief panic OF 1907 is an argument against
low tariff, how much stronger an argument
against high tariff is the disastrous and pro
longed panic which began in 1873?
indianapolis, Sept. IL. aIa.t
Mr.. Buffers letter was printed in the
Journal Thursday. II is but just to him
to say that he also sent the foregoing let
ter with his own, with permission to the
Journal to print it, which the latter, how
ever, did not avail itself of. 1t is a suffi-
cient commentary upon the manner in
which Mr. BUTLER-like all of his kind
discusses" this tariff question that he gave
this letter to the world without
correcting any OF its manifold distortions
of historical truth, although a copy of
Gen. GARFIELD's speech, containing over
whelming evidence OF the falsity of his
statements, had been placed in his hands.
This incident proves that Mr.. BUTLER, like
every other advocate of the spoliation tar
iff system, is afraid to tell the people the
truth about thequestion. Gen. GARFTELD's
speech, already printed in TIE SENTINEL.
is a complete answer 10 all that part of Mr..
BUTLER's letter touching the experience of
this country under low tariff. GARFIELD
is the highest kind of republican authority,
and the facts given in his speech were
collated from official records. But Mr.
BUTLER tells the world, in effect, that Gen.
GARFIELD is not to be believed,
and that the official records are lies. How
ever, the monopoly takers always do this
sort of thing. They never deal in facts,
because the facts are always against them,
and they know it. Mr. BUTLER is no worse
than the rest of them.
Theremainder OF his letter is not worthy
of serious consideration. There is not an
argument" in it which has not been re-
futed scores of times in these columns
It is the plea OF pettifogger who knows
he is on the wrong side OF the question.
A journal Table That is Correct.
To THE EDIToR--Sir: A few days since the
Journal said ave assert that most Of the nee
essaries of life are cheaper in this country than
in Great Britain, and in support OF this assertion