The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-05-13
CLEVELAND AND THE TARIFF.

fresloent Cleveland shows in his i'm
augural address that he has made NJ
departure from the position he has al
! ways held on the subject of tariff
reform by reduction of tariff taxation
The policy he set forth in his inauo
ural of 1885 and in his repeated mes
sages to congress is the same policy
declared in his inaugural of 1898 to be
that OF the democratic administration
1t is we'll to bear this fact in mind
when spccuiating as to the characte,
of the tariff reform bill which Will be
! reported to congress next fall as the
| result of the summers labors of the
| democratic leaders in congress and the
| democratic administration. 1t was
| Grover Cleveland who directed
! the attention of the dem.
| ocratic party to the necessity of tariff
| reform by tariff reduction and who bv
his persistence made it the dominant
issue. In what spirit the work of re-
form will be entered upon can be un-
nderstood by a review of the several
declarations of President Cleveland on
the subject In every one of them,
from the first to the last. it is insisted
that the work must be done with pru-
dent regard for business interests and
the welfare of the industrial classes
Inc task is to be reformatOry, not de-
structive
In his inaugural of March, IT'S, he
said that "a due regard for the inter-
ests and prosperity of all the people"
DEM ands that our system of revenue
shall be SO ad justed as to relieve the
people OF unnecessary taxation, having
a due regard to the interests of capital
invested and workingmen employed in
American INDUSTRIES
In his first annual message to con-
gress, December. 1885, he said: Jus
modification of our present laws re-
lating to revenue, the industries and
interests which have been ENCOURAGED
by such laws, and in which our citi-
zens have large investments, should
not be ruthlessly injured or de-
stroyed. We should also deal with the
subject in such manner as to protect
the interests of American labor, which
is the capital of our workingmen."
In the second annual message, De-
cember, 1886. he said that lin read |
]usting the burdens of federal taxation
sound public policy requires that
such OF ou> citizens as have built up |
large and important industries under !
present conditions sho~ld not be sud-
ienly, and to their injury, deprived of |
advantages to which they have adapted
their business; but. if the public good
'eauires it, they should be content
With such consideration as shall deal
'airly and cautiously with their inter-
'sts, while the just demand Of the peo-
Die for relief from taxation is honestly |
answered." adding that due regard
mould also be accorded, in any pro-
'osed readjustmcnt, to the interests of
american labor so far as they are in
'olved.''
In his famous tariff reform message
Il Decein Der, 1887. after declaring that
our present tariff laws, the vicious,
ncquitable and illogical source of I'M
ecessary taxation, ought to be at once
evised and amended he said: at is
nrOnOSed to rel iox |
rely of this taxation. It must be ex- ,
ensivety continued as the source of !
ne governments income; and in a rel
djustnent of our tariff the interests .
American labor engaged in manu- :
acture should be carefully considered.
we'll as the preservation of our man.
facturers 1t may be called protec-
on, or by any other name. but relief
ON the hardships and dangers of our r
resent tariff laws should be devised
18th special precaution against imperil- y
e the existence of our MISUNDERSTANDING
lterests. But this existence should
1T mean n condition which. with ::
1T regard to the public welfare
a national exigency, must always r
sure the realization of Immense
'ohts instead of moderate profi.abl
turns
eeemb Der, 1888, he said: "A just and SEN
bic revision OF our tariff laws should !
, made Tor the relief of those of our 81
vino suffer under present r.
nditions. Existing evils and c.
Justice should be honestly recog. II
zcd, boldly met and effectuallv rem II
led. There should be no cessation of "
e struggle until plan is perfected, a.
IL and conservative toward existing "
dustries. but which will reduce the p
st to consumers of the necessaries | &
life, while it provides for our manu- CO
cturers the advantage of free raw VI
aterlals and permits no injury to the m
'erests of American labor" Pr
In his inaugural of March 4, 1904 P1
esident Cleveland said the people W
We determined in favor of a moro NJ
st and equitable system of federal tu
xation. The agents they have chosen CT
carry out their purposes are bound OF
their promises, not less than by the az
nmand of their masters, to devote ti<
emselves unrernittingly to this serv- I'll
While there should be no surren- ne
: of principle, our task must be or
dertaken wisely and without heed RI
S vindictiveness. Our mission is not sp
but the rectification of
ongs. IT, in lifting burdens from
daily life of our people, we re- til
,e inordinate and unequal advan- co
'es too long enjoyed, this is but a tn
incident of our return to wi
hit and Justice mi
rom the inaugural of 1855 to the ur
ugural of 1898 every reference to or,
If reform is made on precisely the fu1
ne lines. 1t is on these lines that tn,
emOcratic tariff hill IF 1893 | az,