The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-03-31
A PLEA FOR MR.. CLEVELAND.
A Suspension. of Judgment Asked.

MIR. EDIIOR:- SEE several CO1I11uI1141-
cations in The PROGRESSIVE FARMER
severely criticising ex-President Cleve-
land for his views on the free coinage
of silver, and sneering at him as un-
worthy of any further confidence.
think you are fairminded and i'm
partial, and therefore will allow a
friend of Mr.. Clevelnd to say a word
in his favor
Joining the Alliance has not de-
stroyed my faith in the principles of
the Democratic party. believe it has
always been and still is the best hope
of the Southern farmer. If we cut
loose from it, we desert our best friend.
If we cannot get what we want with
it's aid, we cannot possibly succeed by
arrogantly repelling it's aid and setting
up party of our own; nor has join
ing the Alliance destroyed my con-
fdence in the honesty, ability and
political sagacity of Mr.. Cleveland.
SOutherners especially should show
some sense Of gratitude to a man who
has stood by their interests. Think of
it for a moment and see what he did
for the South while President. He was
| the first President since the war who
recognized the Southern States as CO.
equal with the Northern. He was the
| first to treat us as brethren in the
Union entitled to equal rights and
privileges He showed this by select
ing the best and truest of our South
ern statesmen as his Cabinet advisers,
by appointing them as ministers to
| foreign countries, as cOnsuls, as judges
of the highest courts, and to other
high offices.
Then as to his economic policy,
| Southern farmers and Alliancemen
should remember with gratitude his
vigorous war on the iniquitOus tariff,
which in my humble opinion is the
source of more evils than all other
causes combined. He was far in ad-
vance Of his party on tariff reform and
sacrificed himself in the fierce fight
for constitutional principles and equal
rights to all And let us all remember
how he braved the combined power Of
the Grand Army of the Republic, :"
the Loyal League" the pension
sharks and swindlers and the public
opinion of his section, and boldly
vetoed the dependent pension bill :"
which by act Of the late Congress has
fastened upon us an annual debt Of at
least one hundred and thirty millions
of dollars debt greater by forty
millions than the cost Of the greatest
standing armies of Europe vast sum
of which the South gets nothing in re-
turn for the enormous burden of tax
alton placed on us.
Then look at the vast number of pri-
vate swindling schemes he took the
pains to look into and veto. Then
again, remember those maxims: pub
lie office is a public trust, ''the gov
ernment is of the people, by the peo-
pie, and for the people," upon which
he acted in the face of friend and foe
throughout his whole official career as
Sheriff, as Governor and as President
of the United States of America.
And finally, but by no means reach
ing the end of the catalogue of his good
deeds, let us remember that he left one
hundred millions of dollars in the
Treasury, and vacated the presidential
chair calling upon our legislators to
reduce the taxes and relieve the people
of their burdens
And now because Mr.. Cleveland did
not approve Of a certain bill before the
late Congress which provided for the
unlimited coinage of silver, we are
called upon to forget all he has done
for us and treat him as an enemy. Is
it fair, is it just to treat him thus? No
man dare accuse him of dishonesty
and selfshness. All thinking men con-
cede his great political sagacity in see
ing in advance what is best for the
people.
After all may it not be that he fore
sees what is dangerous to the prosperity
and financial safety of the country a
little more clearly than we plain
farmers? If I understand him Mr..
Cleveland is not opposed to silver as a
circulating medium any more than to
gold, but he is opposed to issuing it in
such vast amounts as to depreciate it's
value; and he wants it's value as com
pared with gold to be fixed so that
when we farmers ship our cotton, to-
bacco and wheat direct to Europe (as
he hopes to do if his tariff reform is
"a r.r.iod n11tA We will haze y fEad stan