Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1892-10-18
MACVEAGH's LETTER
GARFlELDs ATTORNEY GENERAL
WILL VOTE FOR CLEVELAND.

Duty -Mc1inleyism Is Robbery of
the Masses to Bencflt Eew-A Fear
fnI Blow to the Republican Ticket.
Following the expressed determine
tion of Judges Cooley and Gresham to
vote for Cleveland, Hon. Wayne Mac
Veagh, of Pennsylvania, attorney gem
eral in President Garfield's cabinet, has
declared his intention to do likewise in
the following able letter:
John w. Carter, Esq, Secretary of the
Massachusetts Reform Club:
Your cordial invitation to address the
citizens of Boston on the issues of the
canvass happens to reach me Just when
professional engagements prevent my
naming a time when can do so, but
you are quite right III concluding that l
intend to vote for Mr.. Cleveland. Enter
tanning the convictions do, no other
course is open to me, and cheerfully
accord to the supporters of President
Harrison the same sense of public duty
by which claim to be actuated. As
both parties have presented uneSception-
able candidates there is no reason why
the differences which exist upon QueS-
tions of public policy should be dis
cussed otherwise than in good humor
and with entire respect for each others
opinions.
In the present campaign what may
fairly be called the false alarms of the
canvass will prove of little value be-
cause of the general confidence in the
safe and conservative character of both
candidates. The average voter knows
that free trade is impossible in this conn
try, for the conclusive reason that the
vast revenues now required to meet the
expenses of the government will neces-
sarily afford a far higher degree of pro
lection to our established and prosperous
manufactures than either Alexander
Hamilton or Henry Clay thought desir-
able in the infancy of our weak and
struggling industries. The lcaverageyote
also knows that the irredeemable paper
currency in use before the war can never
reappear. On the other hand he knows
as well that no system of duties on i'm
ports, however inequitable, can prevent
our continued growth in wealth, in man
ufactures and in population-a growth
due to the Incompatible gifts of Provi-
dence, the intelligence and energy of the
people and the blessings of free iustitu-
tions.
While 1 more than ever resolved to
hold duty to country far above any ties
of party, | find myself at present in gen
eral accord with the Democratic party,
and willing to trust its course in the
future. The insight, the courage and
the patriotism the masses of the party
exhibited in compelling the nomination
of Mr.. Cleveland when he was without
single offfceholder to support his can
didacy seems to me to demand that i
should meet them in the same spirit and
actwith them as long as they maintain
that high standard of policy and of ad-
ministration.
1t is the more easy to do so because
the Republican party, securing it's re-
turn to power four years ago by promis-
ing to preserve matters as they were, at
once embarked upon what regard as
reckless and revolutionary policy-even
overturning all the safeguards of legiS-
lation in the house of representatives i'll
their haste to pass the force bill and the
Mckinley bill, both, to my mind, un-
necessary and unwise measures.
The opposition to the force bill is not
only sure to create far greater evils than
it could cure, but as also subYersive of
the rights of the states has become so
earnest and widespread that it is said to
have been Abandoned; but it must not be
forgotten that only two years ago such
a measure was warmly advocated by
President Harrison, earnestly supported
by the Republican party and very mar
rowly escaped becoming law.
There is no pretense, however, that
the Mckinley bill is abandoned. On the
contrary, our express approval of it is
demanded. No doubt that bill, which /
cannot but think was an uncalled for
disturbance Of the then existing tariff,
greatly benefited few interests, but
certainly it really oppressed many
others. OF the protected industries
themselves many were then, as now, in
far more urgent need of free raw mate
rails than of higher protection; but with
raw materials on the free list the bill
could not have passed, for those having
such materials for sale controlled enough
votes to defeat it, and they were very
likely to do SO if their bounties we=e
discontinued. The manufacturers need
ing free raw materials were therefore
obliged to join in the Objectionable proc
esses of increasing prices by restricting
production, thus adding to the number
of trusts by which the price of the nee
essaries of life is placed at the mercy
of unlawful combinations of capital.
1t is not surprising that labor, believ-
ing itself to be oppressed, soon rose in
revolt, and civil war has actually ragged
this summer in four different sections
of the country. And of course the
farmers, paying more for what they buy
and getting less for what they sell, grow
poorer day by day, and excellent farms
in some of the most fertile sections of
this most highly protected state will
hardly bring the cost of the buildings
upon them.
But the economic evils, however great,
of the Mckinley bill, and the unreason-
able system of protection it represents,
are of far less Importance to my mind
than the moral evils which follow in
their wake. In deciding for what pur-
poses the masses of the people may prop
erly be taxed it must not be forgotten
that taxes have wonderful capacity
for fltering through all intervening OBJ
stacles till they reach the bowed back of
toll and rest there, and therefore the
giving of bounties, under any form of
taxation, is mainly the giving away of