Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-08-18
WHAT MR.. CLEVELAND SAID.


ksAG 1<A0A< - III A&4AA-a - ~
Perfidy and Dishonor.
The following are the essential parts
of President Cleveland's famous let
ter to Chairman Wilson Of July 2.
"The certainty that the conference
will be ordered between the two houses
of Congress for the purpose Of adjust
ing differences on the subject Of tariff
legislation makes it also certain that
you will be again called on to do hard
service in the cause Of tariff reform.
MY public life has been so closely
related to the subject. have SO long,
ed for its accomplishment and ! have
so often promised its realization to my
fellow-countrymen as result of their
| trust and confidence in the Democratic
party that hope no excuse is neces-
sary for my earnest appeal to you
that in this crisis you strenuously in
sist upon party honesty and good
faith and a sturdy adherence to Dem
ocratic principles. l believe these are
absolutely necessary conditions to the
continuation of Democratic existence.
Il cannot rid myself of the feeling
that this conference WILL PRESENT
THE BEST IF NOT THE ONLY
HOPE OF TRUE DEMOCRACY.
Indications point to its action as the
reliance of those who desire the gen.
uine fruition of Democratic effort, the
fulfillment of Democratic pledges
and the redemption of Democratic
promises to the people. To reconcile
differences in the details comprised
within the fixed and we'll defined lines
of principle will not be the sole task
of the conference, but, as it seems to
me, its members will also have in
charge the question whether Demo.
cratic principles themselves, are to be
saved or abandoned.
"There is no excuse for installing
or misapprehending the feeling and
the temper of the rank and file of the
Democracy. They are downcast un-
der the assertion that their party fails
in ability t. manage the Government
and they are apprehensive that efforts
to bring about tariff reform may fail
but they are much more downcast
and apprehensive in their fears that
Democratic principle may be surren-
dered.
Every true Democrat and every sin
cere tariff reforiner knows that this
bill in its present form and as it will
be submitted to the conference falls
short of the contamination for which
we have long labored, for which we
have suffered defeat without discour.
agement which in its anticipation gave
us a rallying cry in our day of triumph
and which in its promise of accom-.
plishment is so interviewer with Dem
ocratic success that our abandonment
of the cause or the principles upon
which it rests MEANS PARTY PER
FIDY AND PARTY DISHONOR.
Zone topic will be submitted tc
the conference which embodies Dem.
ocratic principle so directly that il
CANNOT BE COMPROMISED.
We have in our platforms and in every
way possible declared in favor of the
free inn ortation of raw materials. We
have again promised that this should
be accorded to our manufacturers as
soon as the Democratic party was in.
vested with power to determine the
tariff policy of the country.
"The party now has that power
We are as certain to-day as we have
ever been Of the great teleft that
would accrue to the country from the
Inauguration Of this policy, and moth.
ing has occurred to release us from oui
obligation to secure this advantage to
our people. 1t must be admitted that
no tariff measure can accord with
Democratic principles and promises
Cr haor crapr,na IoIrro
that does not provide for free raw
materials.
In these circumstances it NAV
well excite our wonder that Demo-
Gratis are willing to depart from this,
the most Democratic of all tariff prin-
ciples, and that the most INCONSIS-
TENT ABSURDITY Of such propos-
ed departure should be emphasized
by the suggestion that the wool of
the farmer be put on the free list and
the protection of tariff taxation be
placed around the iron ore and coal
of corporations and capitalists. HOW
CAN WE FACE THE PEOPLE AZ
TER INDUCING IN SUCH OUT
RAGEOUS DISCRIMINATION AND
VIOLATIONS OF PRINCIPLE?
ut is quite apparent that this ques-
ton of free raw material DOES NOT
ADMIT OF ADJUSTMENT ON ANY
MIDDLE GROUND, since their SUBJ
lection to any rate of tariff taxation,
great or small, is alike violative of
Democratic principle and Democratic
good faith.
81 hope that you will not consider
it intrusive if say something in re-
lation toanother subject which can
hardly fail to be troublesome to the
conference. l refer to the adjustment
of tariff taxation on sugar.
Under our party platform and
in accordance with our dec1ar-
ed party purposes, sugar is legiti-
mate and logical article of revenue
taxation. Unfortunately, however,
incidents have accompanied certain
stages of the legislation which will be
submitted to the conference that have
aroused in connection with this SUBJ
ject natural Democratic animosity
to the methods and manipulations