Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-04-22

admitted that he so acted because he thought
1t was his duty to hasten the removal OF the
tariff taxes under which the people were bur-
dened? But did it ever occur to you that MI
Cleveland could not have forced the issue
upon the party if the representatives in con-
gress had not been in favor OF it? The Presi-
dent has no power to offer bill, much less
to enact law. Is it not a fact that the tariff
issue, as presented in 1888, was found in
what was known as the Mills BILL and not the
Presidents message?
But suppose that his message did hasten the
conflict; did it not give us the issue upon which
we gained in the congressional fight of 1890 so
many Northern and Western congressman?
Do you recall any Democratic candidate who
did not in that campaign persistently cite
Mr. Cleveland as the man who had bravely
demanded that the people should be relieved
from the burden Of tariff taxation? IT that
was true then, it is equally as true now.
|. You do not know, do you, that the Western
and Northern congressman were elected upon
the issue of the Force bill or fraudulent pen
olOlo OO YOU ullIk ~ WUulu Ut WISE W
arouse the distrust of the Northern and West
ern voters by refusing to nominate him who
gave the issue and who. the people believe,
will never sec it abandoned until they have
obtained the desired and needed relief? Con-
cede that the issuance of his message may
have been temporary mistake, but shall not
our party make greater one it we refuse to
seize the present advantages which it gives us?
Will the people have as much confidence in
the party's declaration to reduce the tariff
when they see that party setaside that leader
who sacrificed himself in the effort to bring
about such reduction? Which would be wiser,
to have the peoples confidence or their dis.
trust? Even if party organization and polit-
cal management is as effective as you seem to
think, yet you will not deny that it is always
more effective when backed by the people,
confidence.
CLEVELAND AND THE FORCE BILL.
You also comment most unfavorably upon
Mr.. Cleveland's> course as to the Force bill
You go to such an extreme as to say that in
your opinion Mr.. Cleveland would have pre-.
ferred the adoption of the Force bill rather
than the enactment of law favoring free
coinage" Can you point to any act of Mr.
Cleveland by which he has ever shown that
he regarded pecuniary benefits or financial
matters as of greater Importance than human
liberty and human rights? On the contrary,
has not every official act of his shown that he
regarded the latter as of paramount impor-
lance? Surely to justify your charge you
should have offered ample and reliable evil
dence
On the contrary, you seem to base your
! charge upon the allegation made by you that
when the "Force bill was upon its passage
Mr.. Cleveland took occasion to announce his
views upon the silver question" respect.
fully submit that you should have first made
certain of your facts and dates. Surely your
basis should first be correct before YOU deduce
your presumption. The Force bill was not
under discussion when Mr.. Cleveland wrote
in a letter that he was opposed to free and
unlimited coinage of silver. The Senate Silver
bill had been passed nearly month before
, Mr.. Cleveland wrote that letter to Mr. E. e.
Anderson. That bill was lyingin committee
of the House, smothered by the will of Speak
Ell Reed. The Force bill was defeated on jan
uary 26, 1891, by a motion of Senator Wolcott
sentation each State should have in the House
of Representatives. 1t was never taken up
again in the Senate. Mr.. Cleveland wrote his
letter Oh February 10, 1891, about month
after the Senate Silver bill had been passed.
Hence it was impossible for "the Democratic
members of the United States Senate to have
adopted those views" And as the Force bill
had been dead for about two weeks, submit
that you are not justified in intimating that in
writing that letter Mr.. Cleveland showed that
he was Indifferent whether the Force bill was
passed OF not.
Can it be possible that one so conversant
with public events as you are, did not remem.
Der when you were thus writing about Mr.
Cleveland that in speech delivered on Jan
uary s. 1891, in Philadelphia long before the
Force bill was defeated, he said: "We will
stubbornly resist such a dangerous and revo
lutionary scheme in obedience to our pledge
for the support of the State governments in
all their rights"
May l not suggest that hereafter it would
be we'll to at least have the dates involved in
your charges correct?
THE SILVER QUESTION.
You next insist that MI. Cleveland should
not be nominated because of his views upor
the silver question. notice that you did moi
state whether you favor or are opposed to the
unlimited coinage of silver. While you were
giving advice, would it not have been we'll te
have given your views fully on that question:
With your learning and ability you might
have lightened the path which to some is now
SO dark and uncertain. You might have pre-
vented some from insisting upon an ISSUE
which you yourself denounce as simple fol
ly and madness" Might you not have warned
them againsta measure to which is attached
if not the certainty, at least the risk of finar
cial disaster?
You and I, Judge, might be able to take the
risk which would attend the adoption of sucf
a measure, but there are millions in this coun
try to whom such course would mean bank
ruptcY if such step should prove unwise
You and l. do not live upon salaries and wag
es. You and I, in the event of deprecated
currency, would merely enlarge our fees il
order to make up for the smaller purchasing
power of the money we would receive. But
how about the farmers, the mechanics and
the clerks? 1t would be folly for the last two
to dream of an increase in salaries or wages
In times of financial danger or depression EN-
ployers do not increase salaries OF wages
Hence the clerks and mechanics would re-
ceive the same wages, if not less; but the dol
lars which they would receive would not buy
as much as they would heretofore have been
buying. The farmers, also, would suffer il
the measure should not prove success. The
prices given for his crops are fixed, not by the
home market, but by the markets OF the
world, which take the surplus of his crops
not needed by the homo market. The farmers
would get the same number of dollars and
cents for their wheat and corn, but the pur-
chasing power Of those dollars and cents must
necessarily be less if the currency be depreci-