The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-09-30

would rudely shock our people, i'll they
had not already been insidiously allured
from the safe landmarks of principles. ~
Yet it is matter of historic record that
this system, which Mr.. Cleveland and
the Democracy, in accordance with the
precepts of the Confederate Constitution
would abolish entirely, was steadfastly
maintained by the statesmen who framed
the Constitution of the United States,
among whom were Washington, James
Madison, Thomas Jefferson and James
Monroe; and it is historic fact that the
second act passed by the American Con
gress after the adoption of the new Con-
stitution was an act for the protection of
American industry which James Madison
reported to the House and which George
Washington signed as President. Later
in our history we find that Andrew Jack
son, Daniel Webster and Henry Clay
were avowed champions of Protection.
On the side of the tariff are arrayed the
most honored names in the annals of this
country; the Free Trade cause is repre-
sented by the first secessiOnist. John G.
Calhoun, by Jefferson Davis and by
Grover Cleveland and the Chicago Dem
ocratic platform. 1t will not take the
American people long to choose between
these rival authorities.
Mr.. Cleveland has disregarded the
facts of the present as we'll as the history
of the past. His parrOtlike reiteration
of the senseless claim that the tariff is a
tax upon the American consumer-an
assertion utterly disproved by the fact,
admitted by Senator Carlisle, that since
the enactment of the Mckinley tariff
manufactured products have steadily
grown cheaper-is piece of pure dema-
gogy. To assume that the Democratic
candidate did not know that he was ut
tering falsehOod when ne made this
claim would be to accuse him of phenom
| email ignorance. The assertion that the
Democratic party, while holding a pro.
| tective tariff wicked and unconstitution.
| al, is not for Free Trade will deceive
nobody. In his letter of acceptance Mr.
| Cleveland writes himself down the enemy
of the vast army of American working
men, whose high wages have been main
tanned and whose independence and
prosperity have been secured by the sys-
| tenn which the Democratic party has
pledged itself to overthrow.
L. pretending to believe in the exist
| ence of the so-called Force bill issue. Mr.
Cleveland is guilty of gross hypocrisy
! The claim that there exists on the part
OF any political organization a scheme tC
''controi the suffrage of the States
through federal agencies is put forth
merely in the hope of intlaming still
higher the passion and prejudice of the
Bourbon Democracy of the South. Mr.
! Cleveland and his friends make this ap
peal to sectional feeling in the full
knowledge that it is without any foun
dation whatever. The declaration in the
letter in regard to the currency is a cow
ardly and not very ingenious straddle
| Mr.. Cleveland did not dare even to men
ton the demand in the Democratic plat
form for return to the wildcat banl
system. He attempts to evade the whole
question by uttering few commonplace
generalities.
The solemn platitudes which the claim
ant advances in behalf of civil service re
form only arouse contempt when thu
record of his deliberate betrayal of thi
reform while President is remembered
The gushing words of praise and sym
pathy for the Union veterans are bes
interpreted in the light of the fact tina
Grover Cleveland, during his four year
as President, vetoed 524 pension bills
more than three times as many as all thu
Presidents from the foundation of tn,
Republic found it necessary to disprove
Mr.. Cleveland's letter will not brighter
the fading prospects of Democratic sue
cess. 1t will make the Democratic caust
weaker by revealing ONCE more the in
capacity, the conceit and the dishonest.
of the Unsuitable Office seeker who ha
received for the third time tn
Democratic nomination for the Presi
dency.-N. Y. Press.