Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-10-14
CLEVELAND'S LETTER
A STRONG STATEMENT OF DEMO.
CRATIC PRINCIPLES.

Brief and Pointed Letter-The Evils
of a Protective Tarif-The Force Bill,
Sound Finances, Civil Service Reform
and the Pension Question.
TO the Hon. William L. Wilson and others,
Committee, ETC.:
| GENTLEMEN-1n responding to your formal
| notification of my nomination to the presidency
| by the national Democracy, hope l may be
| permitted to say at the outset that continued
| reflection and observation have confirmed me
| In my adherence to the opinions which have
| heretofore plainly and publicly declared touch
| ing the questions involved in the canvass.
This is time, above all others, when these
| questions should be considered in the light af-
| forded by a sober apprehension of the princi-
| pies upon which our government Is based,
| and a clear understanding of the relation it
| bears to the people for whose benefit 1t was
| created. We shall thus be supplied with a
| test by which the value Of any proposition re-
| lating to the maintenance and administration
| of our government can be ascertained and by
| which the justice and honesty Of every politi-
cal question can be judged. If doctrines or
| theories are presented which dc not satisfy
| this test, loyal Americanism must pronounce
| them false and mischievous.
| The protection of the people in tho exclusive
use and enjoyment Of their property and earn
| lngs concededly constitutes the especial pur-
| pose and mission of our free government.
| This design is SO interviewer with the struc-
ture of our plan of rule that failure to protect
| the citizen in such use and enjoyment or their
unjustfable diminution by the government
itself, is a betrayal of the peoples trust.
| THE TARIFF.
| We have, however, undertaken to build a
| great nation upon plan especially our own.
| To maintain it and to furnish through its
| agency the means for the accomplishment of
nnfi hn
willing through federal taxation to surrender
| a part of their earnings and income.
| Tariff legislation presents a familiar form Of
| federal taxation. Such legislation results as
| surely in tax upon the daily life of our peo-
pie as the tribute paid directly into the hand
of the taxgatherer. We feel the burden of
these tariff taxes too palpably to be persuaded
| by any sophistry that they do not exist or are
| paid by foreigners.
Such taxes, representing diminution of the
property rights OF the people, are only justi-
| fable when laid and collected for the purpose
| of maintaining our government and furnish
| ing the means for the accomplishment of its
| legitimate purposes and functions. This is
| taxation under the operation of a tariff for
| revenue. 1t accords with the professions of
| American free institutions, and its justice and
| honesty answer the test supplied by a correct
appreciation of the principles upon which
| these institutions rest.
This theory of tariff legislation manifestly
enjoins strict economy in public expenditures
and their limitation to legitimate public uses,
| inasmuch as it exhibits as absolute extortion
any exaction, by way of taxation from the
substance of the people beyond the necessities
| of a careful and proper administration of gov
| ernment.
| SPECIAL INTERESTS AND THE CONSTITUTION.
| Opposed to this theory the dogma is now
| boldly presented that tariff taxation is justif-
able for the express purpose and intent of
thereby promoting especial interests and en-
| terprises. Such a proposition is SO clearly
| contrary to the spirit of our constitution and
SO directly encourages the disturbance by
| selfshness and greed of patriotic sentiment
| that its statement would rudely shock our
| people If they had not already been insidiously
| allured from the safe landmarks of principle.
| Never have honest desire for national growth,
| patriotic devotion to country and sincere re-
gard for those who toll been SO betrayed to the
support of a pernicious doctrine.
| In its behalf the plea that our infant indus
| tries should be fostered did service until dis
credited by our stalwart growth: then followed
| the exigencies Of terrible war which made
| our people needless Of the opportunities for
ulterior schemes afforded by their willing and
| patriotic payment OF unprecedented tribute,
| and now. after a long period Of peace, when
| our overburdened countrymen ask for relief
| and restoration to fuller enjoyment of their
| incomes and earnings, they are met by the
claim that tariff taxation for the sake of pro-
| lection is an American system, the cOntinu-
| ance of which Is necessary in order that high
| wages may be paid to our workingmen and a
| home market be provided for our farm prod
| ucts.
| DECEPTION NO LONGER POSSIBLE.
These pretenses should no longer deceive.
| The truth is that such system is directly an
| tagonized by every sentiment of justice and
| fairness of which Americans are pre-eminent-
| ly proud. 1t Is also true that while our work.
| ingmen and farmers can, the least of all our
| people, defend themselves against the harder
| home life which such tariff taxation DEGREES,
the workingman, suffering from the importa-
| tion and employment of pauper labor insti-
| gated by his professed friends, and seeking
security for his interests in organized cooper
alton, still waits for division of the advan-
tages secured to his employer under cover of a
generous solicitude for his wages, while the
| farmer Is learning that the prices Of his prod
| ucts are fixed in foreign markets, where he
suffers from a competition invited and built
| up by the system he is asked to support
| The struggle for unearned advantage at the
| doors of the government tramples on the
| rights of those who patiently rely upon assur-
ances of American equality. Every govern
mental concession to clamorous favorites in
vites corruption in political affairs by encour-
| aging the expenditure Of money to debauch
suffrage in support of policy directly favor
able to private and selfish gain. This In the
end must strangle patriotism and weaken
popular confidence in the rectitude of repub-
ican institutions.
MARKETS AND MORALS.
Though the subject of tariff legislation in
wolves question of markets, it also involves
| a question of morals. We cannot with i'm
punity permit injustice to taint the spirit Of
right and equity which Is the life of our re-
public, and we shall fail to reach our national
| destiny if greed and selishness lead the way.
| Recognizing these truths, the national De-
raocracy will seek by the application Of just
| and sound principles to equalize to our people
| the blessings due them from the government
| they support; to promote among our country
men a closer community of interests cemented
| by patriotism and national pride, and to point
| out a fair field where prosperous and diversi-
| fed American enterprise may grow and thrive
! In Inc wholesome atmosphere Of American In
| dustry, ingenuity and and intelligence.
Tariff reform Is still our purpose. Though
| we oppose the theory that tariff laws may be
passed having for their object the granting of
discriminating and unfair governmental aid
| to private ventures, we wage no exterminatfng
war against any American interests. We be-
| lieve a readjustment can be accomplished in
accordance with the principles we profess,
| without disaster or demolition. We believe
that the advantages of freer raw material
should be accorded to our manufacturers, and
we contemplate fair and careful distribution
OF necessary tariff burdens rather than the
precipitation OF free trade.
We anticipate with calmness the misrepre-
sentation of our motives and purposes, fnsti-
gated by selfshness which seeks to hold in
unrelenting grasp its unfair advantage under
present tariff laws. We will rely upon the In
telligence Of our fellow countrymen to reject
tho charge that party comprising a majority
of our people Is planning the destruction or in