Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-07-23
CLEVELAND'S SPEECH.
"Let Us Tell the People What
We Believe"
The Republican Party, Tariff, Protection
and the Force Bill Arraigned at
Madison Square.

notifying him Of his nomination. 1t
is strong indictment, has Demo-
cratic ring and deserves careful read
ing and study:
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen
The message you deliver from the
national democracy arouses within me
emotions which would be we'll nigh
overwhelming, if l did not recognize
here the assembled representatives of
the great party who must share with
me the responsibility your mission
invites. / find much relief in the
reflection that / have been
selected merely to stand for the prin-
cirles and purposes to which my par
ty is pledged, and for the enforce
ment and supremacy of which all
who have any right to claim dt mo.
cratic fellowship, must constantly
and persistently labor.
Our part of the responsibility is in
deed great. We assume momen.
tous obligation to our countrymen,
when in return for their trust ana
confidence we promise them the rec.
filtration of their wrongs and better
expet tations of the advantages which
are due to them under our free and
benificent institutions.
But il our responsibility is great,
our party is strong. 1t is strong in
its sympathy with the needs of the
people in it's insistence upon the ex-
ercise of the governmental powers
strictly within the constitutional per-
mission, the people have granted,
and in its willingness to risk its life
and hope upon the peoples iutelli-
gence and patriotism.
Never has great party, intent up
on the promotion OF right and justice,
had better incentive for effort than
is now presented to US. ss.s
Turning our eyes to the plain -peo-
pie of the land,sw see them burden
ed as consumers, with tariff system
that unjustly and relentlessly de-
mands from them IN the purchase Of
the necessaries and comforts of life,
scarcely to be met by hard and steady
toll, while the exactions thus wrung
from them build up and increase the
fortunes of those for whose benefit
this injustice is perpetuated.
We see the farmer listening to the
delusive story that fills his mind
with visions of advance, while his
pocket is robbed by the stealthy hand
of high protection.
Our workingmen are still toll the
tale oft repeated, in spite of its dem
onstrated falsity, that the existing
protective tariff is boon to them,
and that under its benificent opera
tion that wages must increase; while
as they listen scenes are enacted in
the very place of high protection
that mock the hopes OF toll aud at
test the tender mercy the working
men receive from those made selfish
and sordid by unjust governmental
favoritism.
We oppose earnestly and stubborn
ly the theory upon which our oppo-
nents seek to justify and uphold the
existing tariff laws. We need not
base our attack on constitutional per.
mission or legislative power. We
denounce this theory upon the high
est possible grounds, when we con-
tend that in the present conditions its
operation is unjust, and that laws.
enacted in accordance with it are un.
fair.
Ours is not a destructive party.
We are not at enmity with the rights
of any of our citizens. All are our
countrymeI.
We are not recklessly needless OF
any American interests, nor will we
abandon our regard of them but
invoking the love of fairness and
justice which belongs to true Ameri-
canism, and upon which our cOnsti-
tuition rests, we insist that no plan of
tariff legislation shall be tolerated
which has for its object and purpose
a forced contribution from the earn
ings and income Of the masses of our
citizens, to swell the accumulations
of Il favored few, nor will we permit
the pretended protests for American
industries, nor any other specious
pretext of benevolent care for Others
10 blind the eyes of the people to the
through the aid of unequal tariff
law, to gain an unearned and unrea.
sonable advantage at the expense of
their fellows.
We have also assumed, in our cove
nant with those whose support we
invite, the duty of opposing to the
death another ayowed scheme of our
adversaries which, under the guise
of protecting the suffrage, does not.
conceal the design thereby to perpet-
uate the power of party afraid to
trust its continuance to the untram-
meled and intelligent votes of the
American people. We are pledged
to resist all legislation intended to
complete this scheme, because we
have not forgotten the saturnalia of
theft and brutal control which follows
one another; because we know that
to the managers of the party which
did not scruple 10 rob the people of a
president would not hesitate to use
the machinery used by such legisla-
tion 10 serve corrupt instrumental
ties for partisan uses; because an at
tempt to force such legislation would
rekindle animosities and destroy the
peace and hopefulness which now
prevails; because such an atter,Dt
would replace prosperous activity
with encouragement and dread
throughout large secticn of our
country and would menanee every
where in the land the rights reserved
to the States and to the people, which
underlie the safeguards OF American
liberty.
shall not attempt TO specify at