Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1892-10-05
ON TARIFF REsona.
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sustUeehN Ntxma Are Ute EoWM0NttOMas
aad srIashness Cannes Deasray It.
Ex President Cleveland, in his speech
1t Providence. r. l.. stated the moral
Si,le of the tariff reform issue in snch
siiong and noble language that il is
worthy of being constantly kept before
E,e peuple:
Those who oppose tariff reform delude
themselves If they suppose it rests wholly
upon appeals to selfish consideration aud
rl,e promise of advantage, right or
wrong, or that our only hope of winning
depends upon arousing animosity be-
sween different interests among our pso-
pie. While we do not propose that those
whose welfare we champion shalt lie
blind 10 the advantages accruing TO them
from our plan of tariff reform, AMI while
we are determined that these advantages
sliall not be surrendered to the blandish-
ments OF greed and avarice. we still
;laim nothing that has not underlying 1t
moral sentiment and considerations of
squIty and good conscience.
Because our case rests upon suchfom.
'lations, soriidness and seiiishness can
not destroy it. The fight for justice and
light is clean and comforting one, aud
, cause the American people love Justice
ana right ours must be winning fight.
The Government Of the Union Is
Government of the people. Ii enhanates
rom them. Its powers are granted by
llem and are to be exercised directly on
shem and for their benefit.
This is not the language of political
platform. 1t is n declaration of the high
sst court in the land, whose mandates all
must obey and whose definitions all par
tisans must accept.
In the light of this exposition OF the
'luty the Government owes to- tlIe people,
tie Democratic party claims that when,
through Federal taxation, burdens are
mid upon tile daily life of the people not
aocess;'ry for tile Governments eronomi-
al administration. and intended. what
ever be the pretext. to enrich few ut
de expense of the many, the govern
n;rntal compact is violated.
y distinguished justice Of the Supreme
Court, with no Democratic affiliations,
bat loved aud respected when living by
every American. and since his death uni
versally lamented. has characterized
such proceeding as none the less
robbery because it is done mler this
forms of law and is called taxation.
Let us then appreciate the fact that we
not only stand upon sure and safe
ground when we appeal to honesty and
morality in our championship of the in
5erests of the masses of our people as
they are related to tariff taxation. but
that our mission is invested with the
highest patriotism when we attempt to
preserve from perversion, distortion and
decay the justice, equality and moral iH-
tegrity which are the constituent ele-
ments of our scheme of popular govern
nent.
Those who believe in tariff reform for
tile substantial good it will bring to the
multitude who are neglected when sell
ish greed is IN the ascendency; those
Sho believe that the legitimate motive
exact justice to all our peopls, aud grant
especial privileges to none; those who
believe that nation boasting that its
foundation is in honesty aud conscience
can not afford to discard moral senti-
nlent, and those who would save our in
stitutions from the undermining decay
of sordidHess and selfishness can hardly
excuse themselves il they fail 10 join us
in the crusade we have undertaken Ger
t,inIy our sincerity can not be qurs-
toned. In the beginning OF the strlig
gle we were not only bitterly opposed by
great party of avowed enemies, but
were embarrassed by those ia our own
ranks who had become infected with the
unwholesome atmospl ere, our eaemies
aad created We hesitated not q mo-
nent boldly toencouuter both. We uni
fied our party, not by any surrender TO
she half-hearted among our meDbers,
but by an honest appeal to Democratic
sentiment and conscience. We have
never lowered our standard. 1t surely
was not policy nor expedieney that in
Iuced us defiantly to carry the banner of
tariff reform as we went forth to meet
well-organized and desperately deter.
mined army in the disastrous field Of
1888. A time-serving or expe,liency-
hunting party would hardly have been
folnd the day after such crushing de-
eat. undismayed, defiant, and deter
ained, still shouting the old war cry.
aud anxious to encounter again, in the
peoples cause, our exultant enemy. We
had not long to wait. At the Waterloo
of 1890 tariff reform had its vindica-
tion, and principle and steadfast dcvo-
ton to American fairness and good faith
yloriously triumphed over plausible shift
tiness and attempted popular deception.
He Csn't Explsin.