Daily Texarkana Democrat., 1893-12-06
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Mr.. Clevelane's Views on the Tariff
Question, as Contained in
His Message.

The following extract is taken from
President Cleveland's message to Con-
gress and relates to the pending legis-
lation on the tariff:
"At this time, when a depleted pub
lie treasury confronts us, when many
of our people are engaged in a hard
struggle for the necessaries of life, and
when forced economy is pressing up
on the great mass of our countrymen,
| desire to urge with all the earnest
ness at my command that congression-
al legislation be so limited by strict
economy as to exhibit an appreciation
of the conduct of the treasury and a
sympathy with the straitened eircum-
stances Of our w-citizens The
duty of public economy is also of inn
mense Importance in its intimate and
necessary relation to the task now in
hand of providing revenue to meet
government expenditures and yet re-
ducing the peoples burden of Federal
taxation.
After hard struggle tariff reform
is directly before us. Nothing so
important claims our attention and
nothing so clearly presents itself as
both an opportunity and duty; an
opportunity to deserve the gratitude
of our fellow-citizens, and duty i'm
posed upon us by our oft-repeated
professions and by the emphatic man
date Of the people. After full discus
sion our countrymen have spoken in
favor of this reform, and they have
confided the work of its accomplish
ment to the hands of those who are
solemnly pledged to it. If there is
anything III the theory of represen-
tation in public places of the people
and their desires, if public officers are
really servants of the people, and if
political promises and professions
have any binding force, our failure to
give the relief so long awaited will be
sheer recreancy.
Manifestly, if we are to aid the peo-
pie directly through tariff reform one
of its most obvious features should be
a reduction in the present tariff ch0rg-
es upon the necessaries of life. The
benefits of such q reduction will be
palpable aud substantially seen and
felt by thousands who would be bet
ter fed and better clothed and better
sheltered. This gift should be the
wiling benefactions of government
whose highest function is the promo
tion of the welfare of the people. Not
less closely related to our peoples
prosperity and well-being is the re-
moval of the restrictions upon the i'm
portation of the raw materials neces-
sary to our manufactures. The world
should be open to our national ingen-
uity and enterprise. This cannot be
while Federal legislation, through the
imposition of a high tariff, forbids to
American manufacturers as cheap ma
terial as that used by their competi-
tors. 1t is quite obvious that the en-
hancement of the price of our manu-
factured products resulting from this
policy not only confines the market
for these products within our own
borders, 10 the direct disadvantage of
our manufacturers, but also increases
their cost to our citizens.
In conclusion, my intense feeling of
responsibility impels me to invoke for
the manifold interests of generous
aud confding people the most scrupu-
lous care and pledge my willing sup
port TO every legislative effort for the
advancement of the greatness and
prosperity Of our beloved country.
GROVER CLEvELANDp