The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-04-04
CLEVELAND AND HILL.

BLOOMINGTON, H., April 3.-Mr. G..
Shelton, Of this city, is in receipt of the
| following letter from ex-President Cleve-
| land:
'NEw YORK, March 90, 1891
DEAR SIR-I have read the pamphlet
| Questions and Answers and | like it
very much. | think the thing we need is
| the simplest statement possible of the
| operation of the tariff laws, and l believe
| that great deal of time is wasted in
| learned and perplexing talk and statistics
which go over the peoples heads or con-
| fuse them. Our people are the most in
telIigent in the world, but they are busy
and active. In the race for maintenance
| they have not had the opportunity to
study political questions, nor will they
| take the time to solve for themselves in
| tricate problems. They are entitled to
plain, simple talk. Very truly yours,
GROVER CLEVELAND"
NEW YORK, April 3.-The free trade
mass meeting at Cooper Union last night
IN honor of Congressman Jerry Simpson,
of Kansas, was largely attended. Louis +.
Post, the president Of the Single Tax club,
presided.
Letters of regret were read from Con-
gressmen johnson, Stout, Breckenridge of
Arkansas, Harter, VauX and Springer,
David A. Wells, Governor Davis, OF Rhode
Island and Henry George. Mr.. Post an
nounced that he would read the only letter
received in opposition to the meeting. 1t
was from Governor Hill to Mr.. Post,
under date of April l, and read as follows:
Il am in receipt of your letter of March
%, inviting me to attend free trade mass
meeting to be held at Cooper Union, on
Thursday evening, April 2. While thank
ing you for your courtesy, l cannot attend
the meeting because I have no sympathy
with its professed purpose. L had sup
posed that my opinions upon the tar1f
question had been so frequently expressed
in public that nobody could expect me
consistently to attend a meeting intended
to promulgate the doctrines of free trade.
II am not an advocate of free trade and
never have been. / stand with the Demo
cratic party in favor of tariff reform,
which means a reduction of the present
excessive and iniquitouS tariff and the re-
tention of the tariff limited to the necessl-
ties of government economically admins
tered do not believe in reforming the
tariff by wholly abolishing it. l believe
that the best interests of our country
industrial, agricultural and commercial
demand the establishment OF that tarlf
policy declared and particularly defined
in the national Democratic platforms of
1876 1884 and 1888, and 1 am earnestly op-
posed to the attempt which is now beng
made in some quarters to undermine the
sound and conservative position of the
Democratic party upon this question and
then commit it irrevocably to the doctrine
of free trade.
"The men who are engaged in this effort
no matter how honest or sincere they may
be in their individual convictions, have no
right to longer masquerade as live Demo
Gratis, while seeking to commit the party
to policy which it has always distinctly
repudiated and which, if adopted, must
inevitably, in my judgment, affect injuri-
ously the welfare of the country and unit
the Democratic party for the maintenance
of those wise principles of government of
which it has for nearly century been the
proud representative. They mistake pub
lie sentiment who assume to conStrue the
revelation last autumn at the polls as a
peculiar manifestation of radical tariff
legislation. 1t was, so far as the tariff
was an issue, a popular outburst against
excessive duties against restricted mar
kets, against war taxation for the benefit
of favored industries, but only blind theOr
lists could see in it any indication that the
people are impatient of all tariff and desire
to resort to direct taxation to secure
the treasury revenues for the support of
the government
''As Democrat, most respectfully de-
cline to support any movement, no matter
by whom instigated or championed, having
for its purpose the adoption of any such
suicidal policy as is sought to be promoted
by the meeting to which you have invited
me. In my opinion such movements only
mbarrass and endanger the cause of tariff
reform. / remain very truly yours,
DAVID B. HILL"
This letter was received with a storm of
Kisses, while reference to Mr.. Cleve-
lands free trade views met with loud ap-
plause Mr. Simpsons remarks were in
the usual strain.