Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-28
POLITICS AND TRADE.
EX-President Cleveland Addresses a
Business Mems Meeting i.
ON STATE AND NATIONAL ISSUES.
More Men of Affairs Should Enter Their
C0untry's Service.
HE TOUCHES LIGHTLY ON TAMMANY

NEW YORK, Oct. ga great mass meet
ing of Democratic business men was the
feature of the campaign in this city to-
night, at which the utmost enthusiasm was
manifested. A number of speeches were
made, but the one most loudly applauded
was by ex-President Cleveland, who spoke
as follows:
1t must be confessed that here and in
other parts of the country those engaged in
| business pursuits have kept too much aloof
from public affairs, and have too generally
acted on the theory that neither their duty
! as citizens nor their personal interests re-
| quired of them any habitual participation
in political movements. This indifference
and inactivity have resulted in loss to our
public service. 1 am firmly of the belief
that if a few business men could be substi-
tuted for professional men in official places
the people would positively gain by the ex-
change
And it is strange to me that our business
men have not been quicker to see that their
neglect of political duty is constant dan
ger to their personal and especial interests.
LEGISLATIoN.MAY SPOIL ALL.
They may labor and plan in their count
ing houses or in their exchanges, but in the
meantime laws may be passed by those ig-
norant of their business bearings which in
their operation will counteract all this labor
and defeat all this planning.
The city of New York, as the center OF all
that makes ours the Empire State" and as
the great heart from which life currents
flow to all parts of the country, cannot be
Indifferent to the questions, both State and
national, which have relation to the State
campaign now nearly closed. Much has
been said about the topics which should be
discussed in the prosecution of this cam
paign. 1t has been contended that the can
vass should be confined to State issues, and
it has been claimed that national issues
should be most prominently considered. 1
conceive the truth to be that both are
proper subjects of discussion at this time,
and in the presence of this assemblage,
called together to consider the business
features of the contest, am impressed with
the fact that the best test to employ by way
of discov ering the legitimacy of any topic
in the pending campaign, is to inquire
whether it is connected with the good of
the country and with the business OF the
city and State, and whether it will be at all
influenced by the results of the canvass.
EFFECT ON NATIONAL POLITICS.
Can anyone doubt that the political verdict
which the people of New York will give in
November next will affect her position in
the general National engagement which will
take place one year hence? In this view the
proper adjustment of the tariff, which con-
Germs materially, not only all our people but
the commerce in and the business of our
city, should be discussed. This and the
question of sound currency cannot be sep
arated from the business interests of our
state, and they should be put before our
people now for the purpose Of inviting their
thought and settling their opinions.
Applying this same test, is entirely plain
that an economical administration of State
affairs and the numerous other subjects hav-
ing reference to a just, ,honestaud beneficent
State government are in O business sense
legitimate and important. On all these
questions the New York Democracy Is right
and we are willing and anxious to discuss
them in any place and at any time; but our
opponents, apparently seeming to avoid the
discussion of subjects legitimate to the can
vass and affecting the business of our city
and State. and exhibiting such weakness
and fear as certainly ought not to escape
notice, are Shrieking throughout the State
the dement's and dangerous proclivities of
a certain political organization whose men,
bers support the principles and candidates
of the Democratic party.
BELITTLEs THE SITUATION.
1t would be quite easy to show that, even
if all they allege against this organization
were true, the perils our opponents present
to the people are baseless and absurd; but it
seems to me the argument of such a ques-
tion belittles an important situation.
Every man knows, or ought to satisfy him
self, whether the principles and policy pre-
sented to the people by the Democratic
party are such as he approves. If they are,
certainly his duty as a citizen obliges him
to indorse them. Every man ought to satisfy
himself whether the candidates of the Dem
ocratic party are men of such character and
ability that he is willing to trust them in the
administration of his State Government. If
he believes they are he should not Withhold
his support from them upon any frivolous
or irrelevant pretexE.
The exercise of the right of suffrage is
a serious business and q mans vote ought to
express his opinion on the questions at issue.
This it utterly fails to do if the voter listens
to tine rawlings OF Our opponents and allows
his vote merely to record the extent to
which he has yielded to the misleading and
appeals to his prejudice
made in behalf of q desperate and dis
credited minority Such q vote does not in
any of the weighty matters of policy and
principles, upon which the people are called
to pronounce Judgment.
THE PENALTY OF DISLoYALTY.
If enough such votes should be given to
cause a false verdict in the state, those who
to that result and thus become
disloyal to their beliefs, would find every
thing but satisfaction in their self reproach
and in their sense of degradation which
would follow the unconcealed attempt of
those partisans who had duped them for the
purpose of thus gaining party advantage
not otherwise possible.
Mr.. Cleveland closed with reference to
the purity of Mr.. Flowers business career |
and expressed approval Of the other candi-
dates.