Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-01-22
TARIFF REFORM.
1t is Discussed at a BANQUET
Table in New York.

NEW York, January 21.-The Tariff
Reform Club gave dinner tonight to
$50 guests. After dinner half
score Of guests discussed the issue on
tariff reform. Anson Phelps Stokes
presided. The speakers were Hon.
w. G. P. Breckenridge, of Kentucky,
Hon. Melbourne H. Ford, of Mich
igan, Hon. Henry Watterson, of Ken
tucky, Hon. M. D. Harter, of Ohio,
and number Of local speakers.
President Stokes in his address said
that the Presidential election turned
upon tariff reform, and j. P. Town
sends resolution endorsing Cleve-
lands message was adopted.
BRECKENRIDGE's ADDRESS.
P. Breckenridge responded to the
toast, "Tarif Reform" Breckenridge
referring to his own recorded stand
against the abolition of the tax on to-
bacco said he would rather have it re-
duced than no action taken. He
spoke in scathing terms of the conces-
sions to the railways and said that the
public credit had been handled by
peculiar thinking persons. This very
month the wool manufacturers
and so called wool-growers met to
determine wool tariff to be
adopted by the Congress of the
United States for their benefit. 1t
never occurred to them that there
were 10000, 900 people who might be
concerned in the matter. Brecken-
ridge asked how long the people
would allow the wool to be pulled
over their eyes in this matter. The
Reading strike he attributes to the
bad working OF the present iniquitious
system.
Congressman Ford spoke on the
farmer and the tariff.
AN ADDRESS By wATTERsoN.
The subject assigned Henry Waiter
son, editor of the Courier-Journal,
was "The platform and the outlook" !"
He said: "The platform is the Presi-
dents message. The outlook is most
encouraging. For more than
year my fear has been that
we might not be able in
advance OF our National Convention
to close the ranks and move in solid
columns against the enemy on dis
tinct lines of our own deliberate
choosing, and as l believe, nothing
clears the political atmosphere like
plain speaking right out in meeting
/ have given the Administration of
the country the best the shop has af-
forded in the way of disagreeable
persistency and sincerest candor. 1t
was obvious to my mind that unless
we could agree in Congress we should
not agree in Convention. The tariff
plank in the last National Democratic
platform was not intended to be strad-
died, because, although the platform
committee had been adroitly packed
in the interest of protection, the rev.
enue reformers were still strong
enough to hold their ground
and carry all their points.
Hence nothing short of declaration
which might not bear two construc-
tions would satisfy the demand for
reform in the National platform, and
any one could not be obtained with
out a fight, and possibly split. Just
in the nick of time the President came
to the rescue with wisdom, impetuous
courage and the craft of common
sense, deriving its strength from its
integrity. This brave and honest
man, this puzzle to politicians, with
a single stroke of his pen did what
might for years have baffled the
efforts of the greatest of statesmen
and philosophers. By this act he re-
versed the situation from one OF cow
ardly indecision to one Of enthusiasm
and confidence. Upon the lines of
that message l would rather be beat
en- than win upon those of a living
substitute, but we shall not be beaten.
Hon. M. II. Harter, general mana
ger of the Mansfield manufacturing
industry, responded to "Ohio and
the Tariff" Local speakers followed
until a late hour.