The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1891-1893, 1892-04-03
CLEVELAND SPEAKS.
TARIFF REFORM THE SHIBBO-
LETH OF TRUE DEMOCRACY.
EmbIazOn the Words Upon the Dem o.
cratic Banner--RhOde Island
Democrats Must Win.

PROVIDENCE, r. l., April 2.-(By
Telegraph ).-Ex- President Cleveland
spoke here to-day After being intro.
duced, he said:
"My Fellow-Cit'zens: | have found
il impossible to decline the invitation
you sent me to meet here to-day the
Democracy of Rhode Island. | have
come to look in the faces of the men
who have been given the place of honor
the advance of the vast army which
moves toward the decisive battlefield
Of next November. have not come
q point the way to consolation in case
Of your defeat, but / have come to
share the enthusiasm which presages
victory.
Large and bright upon your ban
uers are blazoned the ds Tariff
Reform" the shibboeth of true Deinoc-
racy and test ofloyality to the peo-
pies cause. These who oppose tariff
reform delude themselves if they sup
pose it rests wholly upon appeals to
selfish considerations and the promise
Of advantage, right or wrong, or that
our only hope of winning depends
upon a arousing animosity between
different interests among our people.
The fight for justice and right is a
clean and comforting one; and because
the American people love justice and
right, ours must be a winning fight.
The government of the union is a
government OF the people; it emanates
from them. Its powers are granted
by them and are to be exercised d.
lctly on them and for their benefit.
"lhis is not the language of a po-
ltical platform 1t is declaration
OF the highest court in the land, whose
mandates all must obey, and whose
definitions all .partisans must accept.
ln the light of this exposition of
the daty the government owes to
t. people, the Democratic party
claims that when, through Federal
taxation, burdens are laid on the
daily life of the people not
necessary for the governments eco
omical administration, and intended,
whatever be the pretext, to enrich
iew at the expense of the many, the
governmental compact is violated.
AT the Waterloo of 1890 tariff re-
form had IT'S vindication, and principle
and steadtast devotion to American
fairness and good faith gloriously tri-
umphcd over plausible stiffness and
ATTEMPTED popular deception. The
Democratic party still champions the
cause which defeat could not induce it
to surrender, which no success short of
complete accomplishment can tempt it
to neglect. It. position has oeen from
the first frankly and fairly stated, and
no one cml honestly be mi led concern
ing it.
we invite the strictest scrutiny of
our conduct in dealing with this sub
lect and we insist that our cause has
been open fair and consistent. | be-
lleye this IS not now soberly denied in
any quarter. Our opponents, too,
have record on this question.
"lhose who still adhere to the doc
trne that an important function OF the
government Is especially to aid them
II cher business, those who only see
III the consumers Of our land forced
contributors to artificial b ,nefts per-
mltted by governmental favoritism.
thoSe who see in our working
men only the tools with which
their shops and manufactures are to
be supplied at the cheapest possible
cost, and those who believe there is no
moral question involved in the tariff
l'AatlGH oi the people, are probably
le''lif With this record, and abun-
dantly satisfied with it. This, then. is
the record.
when we began the contest for tariff
reform, II was said by our Republican
opponents, IN the face of our avowal,
ana acts, that we were determined on
ifee trade. A long advance was made
- thelr lnsincerity and impudence
When they accused us of acting in the
interest o. foreigners, and when they
more than limited that we had been
bought with British gold Those who dis
trusted the effectiveness of these sense.
le'S aPneals lnsulted the intelligence of
our people by claiming that an in
'leaSe In the cost of articles to the
consumer caused by the tariff was not
'aN pad by han, but that it was paid
y foreigners who sent their goods to
our markets. Sectional prejudice was
invoked in the most outrageou man.
ner' and the people of the North were
asked to condemn the measure oftar;H
Felorm proposed by US because mem.
'ers Of Congress from the South had
supported it.
These are fair samples of the argu.
Hithts submitted to the American peo.
ie N the Presidential campaign of
300. / will be observed that the
purpose OF these amazing delivernaces
was to defeat entirely any reform in
''ie 'arlii-though it had been enacted
~ - .ime when the expense of a tre-
HFhdOuS war justified rho exact;on &c