Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-12-07
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Another Lecture on the Tariff.
The Result of the Election Leads Mr.
Cleveland TO Tate n Rather Gloomy
View of ThinRs.


piration Of the present session Of the Congress
| the first century Of our constitutional existence
| 100 years Is not sufficient 10 assure US that we ne
| longer have dangers TO fear In the maintenance
| with all It's promised blessings, Of a government
founded upon the freedom OF the people Tn,
| time rather admonishes us TO soberly inquir,
| whether In the past we have always closely KEEP
in the course Of safety and whether we have be
| fore us way plain and clear which leads to hap
piness and prosperity. When the experiment OF
| our government was undertaken the chart adopt
ed for our guidance was the constitution De
parture from the lines there laid down is failure
| II Is only by strict adherence to the direction
they Indicate and by restraint within the limita
| lions they fix that we can furnish proof to the
| world Of the fitness Of the American people for
| self government. The equal and exact Justice OF
| which we boast as the underlying principle Of our
! institutions should not be confined to the rea
| tiOns Of our citizens to each other The govern.
ment itself Is under bond to the American people
that in the exercise of it, functions and powers IL
will deal with the body Of our citizens in man.
| ner scrupulously honest and fair and absolutely
| just. II has agreed that American citizenship
shall be the only credentlal necessary to Justify
the claim o! equality before the law, and that no
condition in life shall give rise 10 discrimination
| in the treatment Of the people by their govern
| ment
The citizen Of our republic in It's early days.
rigidly insisted upon full compliance with the let
! ter Of this bond and saw stretching ont before.
him a clear field for individual endeavor. His
tribute to the support Of his government was
measured by the cost Of its economical mainte-
nance and he was secure in the enjoyment Of the
remaining recOtnpense of bis steady and content
ed toll. In those days the frugality Of the peo-
pie was stamped upon their government and was
enforced by the free, thoughtful and intelligent
suffrage Of the citizen. Combinations, mOnOpo-
lies and aggregatuns of capital were either avoid
ed or sternly regulated and restrained. The
pomp aud glitter Of governments, less free offer
ed no temptation and presented no deusiOn to
the plain people who side By side in friendly com
petition wrought for the ennoblement and digni-
ty Of man, for the solution Of the problem Of
free government and for the achievement Of the
grand destiny awaiting the land which God had
given them.
a century has passed. Our cities are the abid-
ing places Of wealth and luxury. our manufac-
lures yield fortunes never dreamed of by the
fathers Of the republic. our business men are
madly striving In the race for riches. and i'm
mense aggregatlons of capital Outrun the imag-
nation in tue magnitude Of their undertakings
We view with pride and satisfaction this bright
picture Of our cuuntrys growth and prosperity.
while only a closer scrutiny develops sombre
shading. pom more careful Inspection We find
the wealth and luxury Of our cites mingled with
poverty and wretchedness aud unp.nunerative
toll. A crowded and constantly increasing urban
population suggests the impOverishment Of rural
sections and discomfort with agricultural pursuits
The farmers son, not satisfied with his fathers
simple and laborious life joins the eager chase
for easily acquired wealth. We discover that the
fortunes realized by our manufacturers are no
longer solely the reward Of sturdy industry and
enlightened foresight, but that they result from
the discriminating labor Of the government and
are largely built upon undue eXactuns from the
masses Of our people. The gulf between employ
rfN ana tue employed Is constantly widening ana
classes are rapidly forming one comprising the
rich and powerful, while in another are found the
toiliug poor
TRUSTS aud MOnOpOIies.
As view the achievements Of aggregated
capital we discover the existence Of trusts com
binations and monopoes while the citizen is
struggling far In the rear or is trampled 10 death
beneath an iron heel. Corporations which should
DE the carefully restrained creatures Of the law
and the servants Of the people, are fast becoming
the peoples masters. Still cOnqatulatng our
selves upon the wealth and prosperity Of our
country and cOmpacently contemplating every
incident Of change inseparable from the condi-
ton, 1t is our duty patriotic citizens to inquire
ut the present stage of our progress how the
bond Of the government made with the people
has been kept and performed Instead Of limit
ing the tribute drawn from our citizens to the ne
cessitles Of its economical administration, the
government persists in eNacting from the sub.
stance Of the people millions, which uuappied
and useless lie dormant in its treasury. This fla
grant injustice and this breach of faith and obli-
CATION add to eXtortiOn the danger attending the
diversion OF the currency OF the country from
the legitimate channels Of business.
Under the same laws by which these results are
produced the government permits many millions
more to be added To the cost Of the living Of our
people and to he taken from our consumers.
which unreasonably swell the profits Of small
but powerful minority The people must still be
taxed for the support Of the government, under
the operation Of tariff laws. But Ia the extent
that the mass Of our citizens arr inorlinately
burdened beyond any useful public purpose, and
for the benefit Of "A favored few, the government
under preteXt Of an exercise of its taxing power,
enters gratuitousy into partnership with these
favorites, 10 their advantage and to the injury Of
a vast majority Of our people. This is not equali-
ty before the law. The existing situation is iniu-
rious 70 the health of our entire body polite. 1t
STILES in those for whose benefit il is permitted all
patriotic love Of country and substitutes in its
place selfish greed and graSping avarlce. DevO-
tlon TO American citizenship for its own sake and
for what II should accomplish as a motive to our
nations advancement and the happiness of all
our people, is displaced by the assumption that
the government instead of being the embodiment
ot equality is but an instrumentality through
which especial and individual advantages are TO
be gained. The arrogance Of this assumption is
unconcealed. Ii appears in the sOrdd disregard
of all but personal interests, in the refusal to
abate for the benefit of others one iota Of selfish
advantage. and in combinations to perpetuate
such advantages through efforts To control legs-
lation and improperly influence the sutfrages Of
the people.
A Danger which Threatens.
The grievances Of those not included within the
circle Of these benehciaries when fully realized,
Will surely arouse irritation and discontent our
farmers, long suffering and patient, struggling in
the race Of life with the hardest and most unre-
uniting toll, will not fail to see in spite of mis-
representation and misleading fallacies, that they
are obliged To accept such prices for their products
art fixed in foreign markets, where they com
pete with the farmers Of the world; that their
lands are declining in value while their debts in-
they are forced by the action of the government
to pay for the benefit of others such enhanced
returns of their labor fail to furnish their support
or leave no margin for accumulation. Our work
ngmen, enfranchised from all delusions and no
longer frightened by the cry that their wages are
endangered by Just revision of our tariff laws
will reasonably demand through such revision
steadler employment, cheaper means Of living in
their homes, freedom for themselves and their
children from the doom of perpetual serYitude
aud an open door to their advancement beyond
the limits Of laboring class Others of our citi
zens, whose comforts and expenditures are meas
ured 10y moderate salaries and fixed incomes, Will
insist upon the fairness and justice of cheapening
the cost of uecessaries for themselves and their
families. When TO the splishness of the beneh-
ciaries OF unjust discrimination under our laws.
there shall be- added the discomfort Of those who
suffer from such discrimination, We VIII realize
the fact that the beneficent purposes of our gov
crnment, dependent upon the patriotism and con-
tentment of our people, are endangered.
Communism is a hateful thing and menace to
peace and organized government. But the com
munism of combined wealth and capital, the out
growth OF overweening cupidity aud selshness
which insidiously undermtnes the Justice and in
tegrty of free institutions, is not less dangerous
than the communism of oppressed poverty and
toll, which, eXasperated by injustice and discOn-
tent attacks with wild disorder the citadel Of rule
He mocks the people who proposes that the gov
ernment shall protect the rich, and that they in
turn Will care for the labOring poor. Any inter
mediary between the people and their govern
ment, the least delegation Of the care and pro-
lection the government owes to the humblest citi-
zen in the land makes the boast of free institu-
tons a glittering deluson, and the pretended boon
Of American citizenship shameless imposition.
Revision of the Tariff Laws.
A Just and sensible revision of our tariff laws
should be made for the relief Of those of our couu-
trymen who suffer under present conditions, Such
a revision should receive the support of all who
love that justice and equality due TO American
citzenship Of all who realize that in this justice
and equality our government finds its strength
and power To protect the citizen and his property
of all who believe that the contented competence
and comfort of the many accords better with the
spirit OF our institutions than colossal fortunes
U Nnl Tho ham 10 Of NaN
who appreciate that the foTbearance and fraterni
| ty among our people, which recognize the value
of every American interest, are the surest guar
anty OF our national progress; and OF all who de
sire TO see the products Of American skill and IN
| genuity in every market of the world, with re
/ sulting restoration of American commerce
The necessity for the reduction Of our revenue
/ IL so apparent as TO be generally conceded; bul
| the means by which this end shall be accomplish
| ed and the sum of direct benefit which shall re
SUIT TO our citizens, present controversy of tht
utmost Importance. There should be no schem,
accepted as satisfactory by which the burdens o
/ the people are only apparently removed. EXtTav
agaut appropriations of public money, with al
! their demoralzing cons quences, should not b,
tolerated, either as means of relieving the treas
ury of its present surplus, or as furnishing pre-
text for rressting proper reduction In tariff rates
Existing evils and inJustices should be honestly
recognized, boldly met, and effectively remedied
There should be no cessation of the struggle unit
a revision is perfected, fair and conservative to
ward existing industries, but which will reduc,
the price to consumers of the necessaries of life
while II provides for our manufactures the advan
tage of free raw materials and permits no injury
| TO the interests of American labor. The cause 70
| which the battle IS waged is comprised within
| lines clearly and distinctly defined. IL shOuli
never be compromised. II is the peoples cause
II cannot be denied that the selfish and private in
[ terests, which are so persistently heard when ef
| forts are made 70 deal in just and cOmprehen
slve manner with our tariff laws, are related u
II they are not responsible for, the sentimen
largely prevailing among the people, that tn
general government is the fountain Of ndiyidua
and private aid that il may be expected TO reliey
with paternal care the distress Of citizens anC
communities, and that from the fulness Of II
treasury II should upon the slightest possible pre-
text Of promoting the general good, apply publ
funds 10 the benefit OF localities aud individuals
nor can Il he denied that there is growing a.
sumption that, as against the government and i
favor Ot private claims and interest the usuu
rules and limitations Of business principles an
Just dealing should be waived. These IDEAS hay
I..n nnllnnnIIN mIInh nnnnlIru