The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-09-04
COMMUNISM OF PELF.
THE PRESIDENT WRITES A LIT
: TER,

In Which He Thus Styles Trusts and
Combinations Democratic Trait
ors Marked.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 28.-The Presi
dent yesterday sent the following letter
to Representative Catchings, of Missis
sippl, who consented to it's publication
IN view of it's public character and inn
portance:
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
Washington, D. O., Aug. 81, '94.
Hon. z. G. Catchings:
MY DEAR SIR:-Since the converse
ton / had with you and Mr.. Clark, of
Alabama, a few days ago in regard to
my action upon the tariff bill now be
fore me, l have given the subject
further a most serious consideration.
The result is, / am more settled than
ever In the determination to allow the
bill to become a law without my sigma
ture.
When the formulation of legislation
which 1T a hoped would embody
Democratic ideas of tariff reform was
lately entered upon by the Congress,
nothing was further from my anticipa
tlon than a result which I could not
promptly and enthusiastically endorse.
1t is therefore, with a feeling of the
utmost disappointment, that l submit
to a denial of this privilege.
/ do not claim to be better than the
masses OF my party, nor do I wish to
avoid any responsibility which on &C
count Of the passage of this law I ought
to bear as a member of the Democratic
organization. Neither will / permit
myself to be separated from my party
to such an extent as might be implied
by my veto of tariff legislation, which,
though disappointing. is still charge
able to Democratic effort. But there
are provisions in this bill which are in
line with honest tariff reform, and it
contains inconsis tencies and crudities
which ought not to appear in tariff laws
or laws Of any kind. Besides, there
were, as you and l we'll know, incidents
accompanying the passage of the bill
through the Congress which made
every sincere tariff reformer unhappy,
while influences surrounded it in its
latter stages and interfered with it's
final construction which ought not to
be recognized or tolerated in Demo
cratic tariff reform counsels.
And yet, notwithstanding all its
vicissitudes and all the bad treatment
it received at the hands of pretended
II AAA Az PAC6O4G6 q NdoV
to existing conditions. 1t will certainly
tighten many tariff burdens that now
rest heavily upon the people. 1t is not
only a barrier against the return of
mad protection, but it furnishes a want
age ground from which must be waged
further aggressive operations against
protected monopoly and govern mental
favoritism.
/ take my place with the rank and
file of the Democratic party, who be
lieve in tariff reform and who know
what it is; who refuse to accept the re-
suits embodied in this bill as the close
Of the war; who are not blinded to the
fact that the livery of Democratic tariff
reform has been stolen and worn in the
service of Republican protection, and
who have marked the places where the
deadly blight of treason has blasted the
counsels of the brave in their hour of
might.
The trust and combinations-the
communism of ~pelf-whose machina
tiOns have prevented us from reaching
the success We deserved, should not be
forgotten nor forgiven. We shall re-
cover from establishment at their
exhibition of power, and if then the
question is forced upon us whether they
shall submit to the free legislative will
of the peoples representatives or shall
dictate the laws which the people must
obey we will accept and settle that
issue as one involving the integrity and
safety of American institutions
love t. @ principles of true Democ-
racy because they are founded on
patriotism and upon justice and fair
ness toward all interests. / am proud
II Of mn OnRfu nrnonTDafGnn hnanTIoo - -
conservatively sturdy and persistent
in the enforcement of its principles
Theref i do not despair of the efforts
made by the House OF Representatives
to supplement the bill already passed
by further legislation to have engrafted
upon it such notifications as will more
nearly meet Democratic hopes and as
pirations.
l cannot be mistaken as to the neces
sity Of free raw materials as the foun-
dation of logical and sensible tariff re
form. The extent to which this Is
recognized in the legislation already
secured is one of it's encouraging and
redeeming features, but it is vexatious
to recall that while free coal and iron
ore have been denied US, a recent letter
of the Secretary of the Treasury dis,
closes the fact that both might have
been made free by the annual surrender
of only about 500, 900 of unnecessary
revenue,
I am sure that there is a common
habit of Understanding the import
ance of free raw materials in tariff
legislation, and of regarding them as
only related to concessions to be made
to our manufacturers. The truth is,
their Influence is so far reaching that
if disregarded a complete and benef
cent scheme of tariff reform cannot be
successfully inaugurated.
When we give to manufacturers
free raw materials we unshackle Ameri.