Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1891-01-06
Col. Rufin on Mr, Cleveland,
RICHMOND, Jan. 8.
To the editor of the Alexandria Gazette:
One of the feeding papers Is.elY said:

This supposed hostility tn the free coin
age Of silver is almost the oDlr flaw il Mr.
Cieveland's Tide TO the next democratic
domination. He Claims hat his party has
CONS TO him on the tariff question. Let
him come to his party on The silver ques.
tion.''
Are we to understand by this that II Mr.
Cleveland shall announce his conversion TO
the free coinage of silver that he will linen
become the preference of that paper for the
democratic nomination And are We 10 IN
derstaud that in his opinion such q conver-
siou will give him ''ttie' C. g right 10
tbs nomination for the Presidency Such, l
submit, is fair construction of lis language.
AID so constituting it, respectfully protest:
frst tina. no man has such right, or Can
have, according to the principles offree gov
ernmeut, NO matter what his merits; anG
secoud, shat snch conversion at this day
would further disc!edii Mr.. Cleveland rather
than establish bis "titie" 10 ,he nomlaatoD.
For ne mas discredited himself already or
that question by recording bis approQs and
acceptance of the gold and silver plank in
the platform of the democratic Convention
of 1884 and then deliberately addressing au
elaborate published argument to memter
of Congress against thsl p!sns, thereby fore
stalled in cffce. Al The time be did that he
was more than 6ity years old, and mrs be
supposed TO have made Up bis rpiGd upon
the subject; for be could nCt have failed TO
hear it DISCUSSED, particularly bg bis friends.
the mug 1umps, who, tbiok, were all mo-
nomeieiisls. 80 pat of tho announcement
of enc.ber somerset from such ma n!sd
v!ews until this late day, wocld lead TO the
suspicion that be was se.iing hie convic-
lions to the Farmers Alliance who will GER
tain!y make free coinage ofsiyer an nGis-
spersable codtion of their support. DO net
iupute suoh motive to Mr.. Cleveland, and
have too much respect for him to credit the
report to which Isupposs tae paper alluded,
that be had evowed such G change of opip-
ion several years ago to Senator VesS, Of
Missouri For, If be had, why was it not
publicly avowed st the time? / hope he is
not attempting TO run with the hare ard
hold with the hcuEde."
Bu. If be shoud prove all right on the sill
yer question, l hold him to be utterly unfit
for the position of President; which re-
quires more of statesman than Mr.. Cleve-
land showed himself to be in his career as
President and Presidential candidate. This
was proved By what be calls bis "Campsign
of Education"
That wss simply campaign made upon
one single issue-the tarif-when there
were several others of equal. and scme Of
greater Importance For instance every
body, except large section of the capitalist
class, who are interested Ia keeping NJ oney
scarce-sDd high-now comedies that there
is not enough money In the country for
its current business; and many think that
was the prime cause cf the late, and pre-
sent, stripgeocy in the money markst-a
striugency which the national banks have
failed entirely &c remedy; as many of Us
always said they wcuid in such crisis,
not WithstandiDg the exclusive and extraor-
diuary privileges. most unwsely granted
to them, and which should be withdrawn {;
as the Alliance say they must be.
Mr. Cleveland either could not or would
not gee this Condition" OF the country
though it confronted him very plainly :
he sided with Wall street. Behold the con.
sequences of that blunder
Again, the indebtedness of the farmers,
particularly of the West, ia fearful it
amounts to S3 ,45O 900 600, or one fourth
close of the war; and Ia nearly three times ss
| great as that debt is to-day.
Ignoring this bankrupt Condition" :"
which confronted him even more plainly
than the other, Mr.. Cleveland prides him
self on proposed tariff reduction of 8 per
cent! What is the uss of off.ring man
shirt at cents. instead of 10 cents, g
yard when he has no; one cent to boy q
ehirt wi d? Got you. money and then
oheapan commodities by tariff reform.
Railroads have established it as rule,
to chsrge for transportation every cent
that commody will hesr. lent it ysorth
IS much as tariff reform" TO correct tina.
"conditior;" to have railroad as we'll as
tariff reform?
That rule snd the numsrons ways in
which charters, monopolies, ,rasts (for ez-
ample in sgricUl ora imp'emsn:s) and
com binationH, are dsiiy Widening end doep-
eung the black gulf between rich and
poor 10 8 way une1awpied in any other
country that pretends 10 be free. Mr..
Clegelard's speech at Columbus the other
night showed toat he knew OF tbese con-
dltions. But be baa sc.sd Is if be did net
comprehend their significance. Are they
not of as much consequence ss tariff re-
form," precpitased upon an unprepared
country, against the advice of wise men,
some of them his chosen friends?
And what happened in this Campaign of
educations Why it educated The republi.
can party into power with free course
given for years to all the @ickedness which
hss attended their career under the lead cf
Harrison, Wausmaker, Lodge Quay, Hoar,
Dudley, Clssksop, Huston, Nick nle7 aad
host of others. The Supreme Ceuit of
the United States has been reinforced by
two more usurpers; the sectional psDsiou
system has been established; icbbera
have been turned loose in Congress ard
the Departments like hogs IN q garden.
Would 1t not have bean better 20 psevent
these conditions than to reduce tho ;aFif
from AZ 10 to 42.6S per cent? and to that
end would it not have bs0 batter to retain
control of the government until cne more
vaar sboO1d have mazda ir prudapt to taltr