The climax. [volume] (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1887-1897, 1890-12-31


the principle Of tariff reform is a Demo
cratic principle, in the advocacy Of which
the party should be active and aggressive.
This was task of some difficulty at the
outset. "As party" said the speaker,
''we have been in these latter days tempt
ed, by the successes gained by our oppo-
nents through temporary shifts and APP
peals 30 prejudice and selfish interests,
into paths which avoided too much insist
ance upon definite and clearly defined
Democratic doctrine. Some earnest Dem
Ocrats could but ill-conceal their dissatis-
faction with the manner in which ~cardi
nal principles were relegated to the rear
and expediency substituted as the hope
of success; but the timid, the needless
and those who, though nominally belong
ing to the organization were not OF the
faith, constantly rendered ineffective all
attempts TO restore the party to the firm
and solid ground of Democratic creed"
Undoubtedly those were dark days for
the Democracy when a small contingent
of sO-called prOtechOnists Democrats were
distracting and dividing the party by
voting at Washington with the Republi
cans against tariff reform. 1t was party
scandal. Every one could see that as a
servant OfmonOpoly the Democracy could
never compete successfully with the Re
publican party. What was needed to
clear the political sky was that some one
having the responsibility and authority
of leader should voice the sentiment
with which the party conscience had
long been occupied. "When the cries of
a suffering people for relief caused "a
genuine Democratic remedy to be pro-
posed" the party at once, says Mr.. Cleve-
land, recognized its duty and gave proof
Of its unconquerable Democratic in
stincts" This was the beginning of the
campaign of education-the marshaling
Of the Democracy in advocacy of a thor
oughly Democratic principle. From that
time forth zeal took the place of inertia
aggressive courage the place Of timidity.
Day by day." says the ex-President,
'expediency and time-serving were
thrown to the winds, traitors were silenc-
ed and camp-follOwers fell away, while
the sturdy Democratic host confdentially
pressed on, bearing aloft the banner of
tariff reform" The next step of the
campaign of education was to strengthen
the party with recruits drawn from the
enemy's forces. This was facilitated by
the justice and universal interest of the
principle to which the party had com
mitted itself. Converts were easily made
and these in turn converted others, till
as the recent elections showed, the enc
my's army was reduced in many States
to astonishingly small proportions. The
tariff-reform literature of our Maryland
Club, of the New York Club and of other
like clubs did great part of the work
but the intelligence and thoughtfulness
of the American people had worked the
economic problem far toward its solution
before the tariff-reform pamphlets came
to their aid. Mr. Cleveland pokes fun al
various Republican Senators and Repre-
sentatives who in 1887 predicted ruin fol
the Democratic party as the result of it
adoption Of low-tariff programme. The
actual result, he shows, has disordered al
well as amazed the overconfident enemy
Mr.. Blaine is covertly referred to as "a
shrewd and weather-wise navigator,
who has left the party ship and Chamber
ed off into a frail bark" labeled "reciproc
ity." When last seen, Mr.. Cleveland
adds, he was "hovering near, prepared t.
climb aboard again or sail away, as wind
and wave would appear to make mos
safe" The "unwieldy party hulk o
Bourbon Republicanism" he describes as
"still aflOat, but damaged and badly leak
ing" In view of this change in the con
ditiOn Of opponents recently 50 arrogan
and proud, tariff reformers everywher,
have certainly good reason to exult il
the success Of their last campaign and t,
pick their fiints assiduously in prepare
ton for that Of 1892.