Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-11-14
1T Is SPREADING,
CIeveIand's Ideas of Tariff Reform
Becoming More PopuIar-SenaIor
Vest on the Probilities for 1892.

The Washington correspondence Of
the Detroit Free Press containing the
following interesting interl lew with
Senator Vest:
"If a Democratic national convention
were TO assemble to-day" said Senator
Vest, in discussing Presidential pro-
liabilities for 1892 with group of prom
inent gentlemen, "Grover Cleveland
would. believe, be enthusiastically
nominated by 'acclamation. 1t Is
wonderful lhow Cleveland has grown
in the estimation Of the people of the
county since his retirement from the
Presidency. Not only is Cleveland
rising daily higher and higher in pub
lie estimation, but his views on the
tariff are rapidly spreading in every
direction and section of the country. I
must confess that l am astonished at
the growth of the man and at the
growth of his ideas. 1t Is pretty well
known throughout the country that
during Mr.. Cleveland's term of Office 1
was not his ardent admirer. l disagreed
with him on many questions of public
policy, but l respected his courage, his
honesty, his tenacity of purpose, his
stern sense of justice and his great kind
ness of heart. Mr.. Cleveland, when
elected President, had much to learn of
men. You would scarcely believe that
when he arrived in Washington the
only public men he knew were Thomas
F. Bayard and Hugh Mccullough. He
came here with the belief that Me-.
Bayard was a great man. Then he
grew to know Lamar and thought him
one of the ablest men in the country.
Later on he suddenly developed great
admiration for Villas and John G. Carl
isle, and wanted to make the later
Chief Justice of the United States su-
preme court. His life in the White
House was one of steady growth. Said
Mr.. Cleveland one day to me. Vest,
since / came to Washington I have
learned great deal of men-a lesson
that will prove of great importance to
me hereafter
NOW, to illustrate what l mean.
When I speak of the growing popular
ity of Mr.. Cleveland and that of his
ideas of tariff reform, Missouri may be
taken as case in point. The farming
population of the State have been hold
ing weekly tariff reform meetings for
some weeks past. Republicans as we'll
as Democrats attend, accompanied by
their wives and children. They dis
cuss at these meetings in an informal
kind of way the tariff tax. I have been
attending some of these meetings, and
that is the way I caught the cold which
resulted in my illness. AT these meet
ings 1 have heard good Republicans
say: we voted against Cleveland, but
if he is again candidate for the Presi-
dency we shall vote for him. I be-
lieve these people are sincere. I firmly
believe, too, they are simply types Of
people all over this country who would
do the same thing if the opportunity
should be offered them. I firmly be-
lieve, also, that the only thing that can
prevent Mr.. Cleveland's nomination in
1892 is the solemn question: Can he
carry New York; Ifhe can't and Hill
can, or if the convention believes he
can, then the question as to who will
lead the Democrats in 1892 is settled,
almost in advance. With New York
and Indiana we can elect our President
and give the Republicans the electoral
votes of all the new States and those of
Connecticut and West Virginia. We
need only gain 1851 votes to elect our
President in 1892"
II do not indorse that" said Senator
Reagan, who was standing by. ~ do
not believe Mr.. Cleveland will or should
be nominated in 1892. The next can
didate of the Democratic party should
come from the west. We have been
trying eastern men long enough. We
have long enough paid tribute to Wall
street. It is time the west had chance.