The sun., 1890-01-26
Mir. Cleveland and the Tailors.

the Custom Tallors' Cutters Association,
which has just held convention at Chicago.
The tailors OF the United States are n nu-
merous and very intelligent class OF citizens.
Many OF them are artists; some OF them are
mon OF genius. They work with brains as
we'll as with shears and French chalk. They
have q lively interest In public questions,
and particularly In q question which In
wolves the prosperity OF their trade, the size
of the wages which they earn, and the de-
gree Of comfort with which they can support
their families and bring up their children.
In entire good faith, therefore. the Presi-
dent OF the Custom Cutters Association, Mr..
Oh. HuNTooN, wrote letter to Mr.. GROVER
CLEVELAND, asking him for statement OF
tho tariff question as 1t affected the tailors.
Mr.. HuNTooN applied to Mr.. CLEvEhANp, no
doubt, because that gentleman is the self
constituted champion OF what he calls tarih
reform; because he is writing letters by the
hundred from his law office in William street
70 keep up the agitation and to keep his
own name before the public as friend OF
practical reform; and because he has ex-
pressly declared that the question is one OF
condition and not Of theory.
That is exactly what the custom tailors
wanted: condition and not theory. They
wanted to be enlightened as to the effect OF
free trade, or q movement toward free trade,
upon the condition OF the important indus
try on which they depend for living. They
desired to learn what, in the opinion OF the
responsible author of the tariff reform agl-
tation, would be the result on their own in
terests and prosperity Of freer competition
with the tailors OF Toronto, Montreal, st.
nnA for tho Arnarinnn
trade. Would It injure the home Industry
II 90, what would be the compensating adj
yantages, and how far would the gain bal
0noe the lossr
In tho place Of any definite information or
odvice from Mr.. CLEVELAND, this is what
the custom tailors received from that emil
Nent photographer:
"1he question of tariff reform directly Affects all the
Dooplo Of the land In substantial way and they ought
% be interested In its discussion
"I IAN afraid that too many OF our follow citizens are
TOO apt regard this political question intricate
and complex affecting them In q remote way. and one
which we'll enough be left for politicians to wrAnEle
This induces neglect OF the subject on the part
Of great number OF people and willingness TO
bindly follow the party to which they happen TO belong
In their action upon It,
at good sign to practical men, such as belong
your association discussing the question Tor them
selves II this is done nteiligenty and with sincere
intent securelhe truth tAr reformerA think have
no need to fear tho result OF such discussion Very
truly yourS "GRovER CLKyELANp."
Instead Of replying in these ridiculously
evasive and unsatisfactory words, Mr..
CLEVELAND should have impaired to the
tailors the specific information for which
they applied.
II he recognized his own intellectual ina
bility to depart from platitudes and pompous
Reneraltics and deal squarely with the sub
iect he should have requested the Hon.
ROGER Q. MILLS, or the Hon. WILLIAM l..
SCOTT, or. better stif the Parsee Merchant
himself, to write the letter for him. Mr..
CLEVELAND could have signed it, at least
Will MIR. Gladstone Define Home Rule ?
The Tory newspapers strenuously deny
the report that an early dissolution of Par
lament is contemplated. They did the same
thing, however, in 1880 up to the eve of the
day when Lord BEACoNsFIELD announced
his purpose OF appearing to the country.
Those who credit the report point out that
Mr.. GosCHEN is expected to exhibit q sur
plus of some $20.0OO,OOO, and that this proof
Of general prosperity or Of financial expert
ness would be relied upon to turn tho scale
toNN
said that the Conservatives need Mr.. BAL
-FOUR to lead the House OF Commons, which
he cannot do as Irish Secretary, while to
intrust weaker man with the management
of Irish affairs might be dangerous unless
the party had obtained new lease of power.
Whether well or Iii founded the impression
that national contest at the ballot box is
not far off seems to be shared by many Lib
his fellow Radicals to keep their lamps trim
med and burning; and another jealous Glad
0tonian, Mr.. AsQUITH, in a recent speech at
Leeds, calls anxiously upon his leader not to
delay defining the nature of the new Home
Rule bill. which, IL the Liberals should be
successful at the polls, would be proposed to
the next Parliament
Mr.. AsQUITH bases his appeal on the
ground that in the absence of definite pro-
gramme. Mr.. GLADSTONE may again be de-
serted by some Of his pretended followers,
as no was in 1886. They may assert, he says,
that while they gave to the electors gen.
eral pledge to bestow home rule on Ireland, |
they are not bound TO accept the particular |
form Of 1t laid before the House, especially |
II this form, embodying the federative prn-
ciple, should involve complete reconstruc-
tion Of the British Constitution. At present |
there are two propositions before the oOun-
try: first the Home Rule bill OF 1885, and
secondly, Mr.. GLADsToNE's after declaration
that Ireland must continue to send repre-
sentatives to Westminster. To the ordinary
mind these propositions seem irrecoacilable.
and unless light Is furnished betimss by Mr..
GLADSTONE, the Liberal electors will not
know what they are voting for. OF course,
too the refusal of the Liberal chief to say
what he means to do would be denounced
by his opponents during tho campaign
as not only unreasonable but omi-
nous. Even should House Of Com
mons. elected under such circumstances,
adopt home rule scheme essentially diff
ferent from that of four years ago. the |