Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-06-13
MO STEP BAOh HARD.
Speech OF Asbbei p. Fitch at the
CLEVELAND Dinner.

=
Cleveland Dinner.
At the recent dinner given in New
York to honor ex-President Cleveland,
Mr.. Ashbel P. Fitch, responding to tn
toast, "Our Congress; Its Legislation.
should be Just and equal and without
advantage for class or section" said
The contest which the friends Of tarif
reform made In the House and before the
people last year was an honest attempt 10
embody the principles Of the toast which
have been given to answer In the law Of
the land. In this place and before this
audience IL Is not necessary 70 debate
whether or not we were right. Ali around
us here sit men who proved their sincerity
OF belief by their acts, and who in their
fidelity to principle risked and lost the
control Of the nation.
But here is, perhaps, the best place to
discuss what we are to do In Congress In
the future with this question. Within
little circle of country around this room
the votes were given which carried with
them our defeat. About these tables sit
those who were foremost in that struggle,
and who know best Of all how and why We
were defeated. To this gathering mem.
bers of the minority In Congress all over
the country will look for suggestions and
inspirations for the future. Already II Is
preached 10 them daily from various edi-
torial pulpits that this ihsue must be
aband onod- that 1t Is en- invention of the
Independents and Mugwumps full Of
danger to the Democracy and Rure TO end
in future defeat.
Every member OF Congress Of the mi
nority, save Mr.. Randall, was elected on
4 kl.ta Suaf1a alma kVa V1nat frfu0 n NTH
| this issue, all claim to consistency. II
we are not ready to repeat In the House
| what we said to the people when we asked
their votes, now eau we expect ever 70 be
| believed again? We must surrender, too,
with this issue, all claim for political
courage II at the first defeat we abandon
our chosen ground. We must give ny
all claim to character IL we announce 10
the world that we place political success
above principle. And then with CON-
sistency, courage, and character gone we
must retraot tie votes we gave, the
speeches and letters we wrote, the resolu-
lions we passed, and acknowledge that In
q campaign in which We were beaten BY
means 80 disgraceful that Harrison hest
tates TO reward Dudley for using them,
we deserve the defeat which was inflicted
Npuu US Wo nudt lu9AhI ~ AAeAA oe-s@-
ment the men who charged us with hny-
ing orders from England, and who said
We were In q conspiracy with the south
10 ruin the industries, for instance, of
states which voted with us, like Now
Jersey and Connecticut.
When we get as far as this, we may ~
veil have cheap resdy-made political
opinions bought for as at John Wanna.
la f..a4 5,tf 49,
to vote sent to US with our garden seeds
from Governor Rusk's department Of
agriculture.
Gentlemen, Buckle says that calamity
can be inflicted upon us by others, but
degradation only by our own acts. ann
sure that each Of us will determine that
he has the courage to facs
any disaster and TO bear any
calamity Of political defeat, but mot
courage enough to submit to the degra-
dation Of such surrender. OF course,
IL we continue this agitation, If we take
up where we left 1t the fight in the House
! for free raw materials for our manufac-
.rrers and cheaper neoessariss Of
Z" % for our people, we ahall be
nttacked again as We were be-
fore, by the people who. commanded
always Dy Inc greater Bunsf tnthA hAa<st
the majority alone has logic or Argument
on its side. They are the legitimate
succession in our day Of the critics who
In 1887 abused John Quincy Adams ~ q
dangerous agitator when he prevented
petition after petition against slavery
q house which voted 182 to 8 against re-
ceiving them and refused TO let him be
heard in explanation. They are the same
kind of patriots as those who deprecated
SO much Stewards announcement Of tho
irrepressibls conflict.
The enthusiasm and activity Of the
friends of tariff reform, the dissensions
and dissstisfaotions Of the high protec-
tionistB, the disputes over the patronage
in the Senate, the reductions In wages In
manufacturing centres, all point 10 our
SUCCESS. These indications, rs the Post
master. general says in this mornings
Philadelphia Ledger OF his printed mo-
hairs, Hook like mountain blossoms
blooming through snowbank." he Ia
right when he says: Something is ont
of your life il you haven't seen them this
| season."
Mr.. Chairman, with your help and that
Of our friends at home, we shall try 30
make fair, open, manly fight for the re-
form in which we believe. And when
the bright day OF our success shall come,
We shall all of us be proud that We were
ready to declare and defend the truth
when the majority were against US.