The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-09-11
CLEvELAND's LETTER.

How 1t IL Regarded by Southern Repnblic-
sps-visws Of Indiana Congressmen.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON. Sept 10.-There was not much
comment made upon President Cleveland's let
ter Of acceptance At the capital to-day, for the
reason that il was too commonplace to attract
the attention Of Republicans Or command the
admiration Of Democrats. Il contains no new
sentiments. Every utterancs has been repeated
time and seain to Congress-. Southern Demo
Gratis are disappointed as the absence Of fiery
sentiment, while Southern Republicans are de-
lighted ct the position il takes on internal
revenue. Representative Nichols, Of North
Carolina, who was elected as the exponent OF
labor. expressed the views Of Southern Republic
rs .,sen as said TO the Journal correspondent:
"Mr. Cleveland declares In favor Of direct taxa
tion. He would retain all Of our internal
taxes and put articles Of domestic production
on the free list. IL he is not an absolute
free-trader. be declares in favor Of
free trade, for he says the free list
ought to be enlarged. and the way to reform the
tariff is by putting raw material on the free
list. If Republicans cannot carry North Car
olina, Virginia, West Virginia and other South
ern States on the Cleveland platform, they c
not carry them at all The Republican party,
and especially mesbers of it Ia the South, be-
lievs In abolishing the internal revenue system.
with the exception of the tax on whisky, before
the customs list is attacked; they believe. a. the
party does, and as it has declared In its plat
form. that IL will DO better to abolish the tax on
whisky rather than yield mp our tariff protec-
ton system.'
Indiana's Republican members Of the House
say the letter will help their party in their
State Representative White. Of Ft Wayne,
dismissss it by saying that it is strong in
dorssment of the Mills bill, . declaration for
free trade, II not absolute, by degrees, and that
IL is an old stump-speeoh.
Representative Owen, Of Logansport, says:
"The President has published his letter of 40
ceptance, and the country may now understand
that he no longer feels that second to rm is
fraught with danger to the government. He
has learned something since hs wrote his free
trade message. While making an effort &c Ap-
pear consistent with that document, he does not
argue his position with the old spirit, and eases
up in his attack on manufacturers, and compli-
ments them and labor so freely that he comes
pretty near to protective advocacy. In keep
ing faith with the free traders and attempting
to arrest tho land slide in favor Of protection he
has double act to perform. in which he stamps
himself az ipsipcere in dealing with voters. He
has studiously prepared certain phrases for the
free-traders, and others for the protectionists
Of his party. Over it all broods the
longexploded theory that the amount Of the
tariff precisely 10 added in every case to the
price Of the article. As the price Of the muslin
in the shirt he is wearing Is within q fraction
per yard of the duty on IL, he finds q refutation
on his own back. His administration has again
disproved his position by purchasing 1000 army
blankets abroad, and found them just 80 cents
cheaper than American-made blankets, when
the tariff on them was 81 Al per blanket.
Judge the failure Of his enthusiasm for civil
service since his former letter 10 because be has
found example more potent than precopt You
SEQ he 10 confronted by . condition that looks
bad, and he has subscribed $4,000 to the cam
paign fund. The country expected something
from letter that has been three months In
preparation. but. evidently, the time has
been spent in the construction OF sentences 70
bridge and hold together his disintegrating fol
| lowers"
| the letter: 'It will meet with commendation in
| this-that it is consistant with his message OF
last December; having then declared that the
cost OF all articles is increased to the consumer
| in the amount of duty levied upon foreign arti
cles imported into the United States. he now
adheres to that opinion with this modification
That its increase now is equal to the duty levied
| upon raw materials imported His statement
| the world does not afford . spectacle more sub
| lime than is furnished when millions Of free
and intelligent American citiZens select theil
| chief magistrate, seems to be the sublimity Of
cheek, In view of the fact that the President Il
the candidate Of q party that suppressel
the votes OF millions of citizens ir
the Soath, and also refuses to permit an hones
election and count of votes cast for chief magis
trate in that whole section. He declares that b,
is not in favor Of free trade, while the Mills bill
the idol of his administration, places upon tht
free list the products and business OF the entire
northern section Of the country. He ignores al
other issues except the tariff, and utters son
tenee or word upon any Of the other question:
of vital importance which pressing for solu
ton; not line of gratitude to the men wht
saved the Union, and made it possible 70
President to be elected; proclaimin
against the surplus he omits to state the fac
that, If the obligations and claims against tn,
government were paid, there would not be . dol
lar of surplus in the Treasury. Every sentenc
has been carefully selected and every wor