Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1893-04-01
CLEvELAND's TARIFF VIEWS.
No Uncertainty Conserning the Inten-
tions Of the New Administration.

no uncertainty CoHeernink tn6 Iuteu-
tions OF the New Administration.
President Cleveland shows in his in.
augural address that he has made no
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 inaug-
ural OF 1885 and in his repeated mes
sages to congress is the same policy
declared in his inaugural of 1893 to be
that of the democratic administration.
1t is we'll to bear this fact in mind
when speculating as to the character
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 by
his persistence made it the dominant
issue In what spirit the work Of re-
form will be entered upon can be un-
understood by 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.
The task is to be reformatory, not de-
structve.
In his inaugural of March, 1875, he
said that "a due regard for the inter
ests and prosperity of all the people"
demands that our system of revenue
shall be so adjusted 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, Decent ber, 1885, he said: Jus
tice and fairness dictate that, in any
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-
siroyed 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 "in read
InS I'M ha I'M rta of fnl al IN
a sound public policy requires that
such of our citizens as have built up
large And important industries under
preseI. conditions should not be sud-
denly, and to their injury, deprived Of
advantages to which they have adapted
their business; but, if the public good
requires it, they should be content
with such consideration as shall deal
fairly and cautiously with their inter-
ests while the just demand of the peo
pie for relief from taxation is honestly
answered." adding that "due regard
should also be accorded, in any pro-
posed readjustment, to the interests of
American labor so far as they are in
volved"
In his famous tariff reform message
of December, 1887, after declaring that
''our present tariff laws, the vicious,
inequitable and illogical source of un-
necessary taxation, ought to be at once
revised and amended" he said ut is
not proposed to relieve the country en-
tirely of this taxation. 1t must be ex-
tensively continued as the source of
the governments income; and in re-
adjustment of our tariff the interests
of American labor engaged in manu-
facture should be carefully considered.
as well as the preservation of our man
ufacturers. 1t may be called protec-
tion, or by any other name, but relief
from the hardships and dangers of our
present tariff laws should be devised
with special precaution against imperil-
ing the existence of our manufacturing
interests. But this existence should
not mean a condition which, with
ont regard to the public welfare
or national exigency, must always
profits instead OF moderate profita bic
returns"
In his last annual message to congress,
December, 1883, he said: "A just and sem
sible revision of our tariff laws should
be made for the relief of those of our
countrymen who suffer under present
conditions. Existing evils and
injustice should be honestly recog
nized, boldly met and effectually rem
edied. There should be no cessation of
the struggle until plan is perfected,
fair and conservative toward existing
industries, but which will reduce the
cost to consumers of the necessaries
of life, while it provides for our manu-
facturers the advantage of free raw
materials and permits no injury to the
interests of American labor"
In his inaugural of March 4, 1898,
President Cleveland said the people
have determined in favor of more
just and equitable system of federal
taxation. The agents they have chosen
to carry out their purposes are bound
by their promises, not less than by the
command Of their masters, to devote
themselves unremittingly to this serv-
ice While there should be no surren-
der of principle, our task must be
undertaken wisely and without heed
less vindictiveness. Our mission is not
punishment but the rectification of
wrongs If, in lifting burdens from
the daily life Of our people, we re-
duce inordinate and unequal advan-
tages too long enjoyed, this is but a
necessary incident of our return to
right and justice"
From the inaugural of 1883 to the
inaugural of 1898 every reference to
tariff reform is made on precisely the
same lines. 1t is on these lines that
the democratic tariff bill of 1898 will
be shaped No tariff bill not con-
structed on these lines will receive the
signature of Grover Cleveland. -Cleve-