Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-09-11

is; who refuse to accept the results en-
bodied 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 councils
of the brave in their hour of might
''Strong and sanguinary words these,
and new to Mr.. Cleveland's vocabulary
treason and close of the war' war for
and against whom and what? Traitors
against whom and what? War against
the best and highest interests of the
people of the United States, whose Chief
Executive, nevertheless, he is. War
against our industrial independence and
business prosperity. How blithely he
sounds the note of battle! How conf
IDENTIFY he again calls to arms every enemy
to our industrial system, and challenges
to open warfare the friends of American
prosperity and American labor. How
| scOrnfully he charaCteriZes as traitors in
his party every friend, however weak and
hesitating, both in Congress and out, to
the cause of American protection!
| NOTHING SETTLED.
Even the active agents to the settle
ment avow it is a settlement which does
not settle anything. They openly dis
claim it as such, and invite the protec-
tionists of the country to again join
issue with them on the doctrine of free
trade against protection, which they
declared in their last National plat
form was fraud and a robbery" Then,
as now, we accept their challenge, and
appeal to the voters OF the country for
| their sutfrageS.
This means, unfortunately, con-
slant agitation until the 4th day of
March, 1895, at least, and for two years
longer after that, unless the people in
the Congressional elections this year
make the House Republican, in which
event no further wrecking of our indus
tries or interference with the labor of
our people can occur during the Admin
istration of President Cleveland.
"What will your verdict be? A Dem
| ocratic victory means further and longer
steps in the direction of free trade
deeper cuts and more deadly blows upon
our industrial life. A Republican vic
| tory-a Republican House-means that
during the closing half of Mr.. Cleveland's
Administration the enemies Of the pro.
tective system will be unable to wage
war upon the prosperity of the country.
| On which side will you vote-for more
war or less war? For further
attacks on the home industries that
are still running, or for more industry
at home? If it be true that a revival of
business and general prosperity are to
| follow the passage of the new law, as is
claimed by our political adversaries,
| then why should they interfere with the
glad prospect by still further changes in
tariff schedules or renewed agitation of
the subject?"
HISTORY OF THE BILL.
He then reviewed the parliamentary
history of the tariff bill, which, he said,
was "traded through, without regard to
principle, public policy, public interest
or public morals" by "a self constituted
Adjusting Committee unknown to the
Constitution, and quoted Senator Jones'
remarks in the Senate admitting this
He added: "In every schedule there is
the greatest exhibition of sectionalism
and unjust discrimination" He recall
ed Senator Gorman's confession in the
Senate on July Goth, that Cleveland prac
tically made contract with the Louisi-
ana Senators, prior to the election in
1892, to protect sugar. Commenting on
this the Governor said:
"An agreement as to the action of a
political party upon great public ques-
tion made in private; made with two
Senators and the candidate for president
himself; made to secure the electoral
vote of the State of Louisiana; made In
absolute secrecy; that sugar should be
taken from the free list, where the Re-
publican party had put it, and be taxed
for the benefit of the producers and the
Sugar Trust, which tax should be borne
by the American consumer. Suppose
President Cleveland and Senators Cor
man and Brice had issued an address to
the country announcing that they had so
far modified the Democratic platform as
to provide for taxed sugar, what do you
think would have been the effect? Does
anybody believe that if this agreement
had been thoroughly understood, Mr..
Cleveland would have carried the coun-
try? No Democratic orator, or editor,
certainly in the North, ever so much as
limited that the boon of free sugar was
to be taken from the people.
A FRAUD ON VOTERS.
"The great public was not taken into
this conference. They were not advised
of it. 1t was not in the Democratic
platform. 1t was not announced in any
Democratic newspaper. 1t was not
talked of upon the stump. 1t was pri-
vate arrangement with the campaign
managers anu Ine pT6Slueulldl CduuludJo
to barter away the platform of their
party for the vote of State. 1t was de-
ception base and rank. 1t was fraud
upon every voter. The bargain was
made-Louisiana was saved, and the
only thing honorable in connection with
it, if that be honorable, was that the pri-
vate contract was written into public
law by those who made and profited by
it. The President himself, if Senator
German be right, was a party to this
contract, and he, too, much as he loathed
the bill, was not unwilling to have the
sugar bargain carried out. Perhaps,
too, it is one of the hidden reasons why
he did not veto the hideous offspring of
party perfdy and party dishonorp
after most bitterly denouncing the
bill they have just passed, Democratic
leaders and press console themselves by
declaring that the new law, after all, is
better than the act of 1890. Better for
whom? Better for what? Better in
which particular? Not better in its free
list! No better in its dutiable list! Not
better for the United States. Not bet
ter for American industries. Not better
for American labor. Not better for the
Continued on 4th Pdge.l
T.L..A ~ - H...,L d o,,o,A