Morning journal and courier., 1891-04-03
DAVID WRITES A LETTER.

day immediately after the bishops address to the graduating class and to be taken by ballot.
 DAVID WRITES A LETTER.
 New York's Governor Not in Sym- pathy With the Objects of the Free
 Trade Mass Meeting at Cooper Union.
 NEW YORK, April 2.-The free trade mass meeting at Cooper Union tonight was largely attended. Louis Post, presi- dent of the Single Tax association presided and announced that the meeting was held in celebration of the birth of Thomas Jefferson. MT. Post in the opening sd- dress made reference to ex-President Cleveland and his free trade message. MT. Cleveland's name was applauded to the echo. Letters of regret were then read from Congressman Johnson, Stout, Breckenridge of Arkansas, Harley, Vaux | and Springer, Governor Davis of Rhode Island and Henry George. MT. Post an- nounced that he would read the only let ter received in opposition to the meeting. It was from Governor Hill and was AS follows
 ALBANY, N. Y., April 2, 1891. Dear sir-While thanking you for your courtesy, cannot attend the meeting be- cause I have no sympathy with its pro- | fessed purpose. I had supposed that my | opinions upon the tariff question had been so frequently expressed in public that mo- | body could consistently expect me to at | tend meeting intended to promulgate the doctrine of free trade. I am not an advocate of free trade and never have been. I stand with the democratic party 1 in favor of tariff reform, which means a reduction of the present excessive and in l iquitous tariff, and the retention of the | tariff limited to the necessities of the gov ernment economically administered. l do not believe in reforming the tariff by wholly abolishing it. I believe that the best interests of our coun- l try-industrial, agricultural and commer- cial-demand the establishment of that tariff policy declared and particularly de- 1 fined in the national democratic platforms 1 of 1876, 1884 and 1888, and am earnestly l opposed to the attempt which is now being made in some quarters to undermine the | sound and conservative position of the l democratic party upon this question, and to commit it irrevocably to the doctrine of free trade. The men who are engaged in this effort, no matter how honest or sin cere they may be in their individual con victions, have no right to longer masquer- ade as true democrats, while seeking to commit the party to policy which it has always distinctly repudiated and which if adopted must inevitably, in my judg ment, effect injuriously the welfare of l the country and unfit the democratic party for the maintenance of those wise princi- ples of government of which it has for nearly century been the proud and un- l yielding representative. They greatly mistake public sentiment who assume
 to construe the revelation last autumn at
 the polls as popular manifesto in favor l of radical tariff legislation. It was so far | as the tariff was an issue a popular out
 burst against excessive duties, against re- stricted markets, against war taxation for
 the benefit of favored industries, but only
 blind theorists could see in it any
 indication that the people are impatient of
 all tariffs and desire resort to taxation to
 secure the necessary revenues for the sup
 port of the government.
 As democrat, must respectfully de-
 cline to support any movement, no matter
 by whom instigated or championed, hay l ing for it's purpose the adoption of any
 such suicidal policy as is sought to be pro-
 noted by the meeting to which you have
 invited me.
 l In my opinion such movements only
 embarrass and endanger the cause of tariff
 reform. am Very truly yours, | DAVID B. HILL. ! Congressman Jerry Simpson, the speak
 CT of the evening, was next introduced.
 He said it was like the dawning of new
 era to see so many people come out. He
 said that protection meant that the gov
 ernment mistrusted the people and were
 afraid that they might make bad trade.
 The speaker then entered into discussion
 of free trade with all the warmth he was
 capable of. In the speakers opinion tariff
 reform, by a reduction of the taxation, was
 anything but proper. Free trade was the
 only reform that was needed. The speake-
 said it was time for the coming of new
 Thomas Jefferson and for the adoption of
 new declaration of independence. MT.
 Simpson took occasion to score Senator
 Governor" Hill for his anti-free trade tao
 tics and deprecated the fact that so many
 members of the Farmers alliance still be-
 lieved that they were being protected. Mir.
 Simpson thought that all the tariff should
 be removed and the railroads managed by
 the government Congressman Simpson's
 remarks were frequently interrupted by
 applause, and the conclusion of his speech
 he received an ovation.
 Thomas G. Shearman was the only
 other speaker. He said that Major Mo, Kinley had accomplished some good, and
 that was the taking off the duty on sugar
 He regarded the free sugar act as grea, step towards the accomplishment of free trade.