The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-25
TAKES A HAND.
President Cleveland Is at Last Pushing the
Tariff, aud Wants at Least One
Pledge Redeemed.

President Cleveland Is at Last Pushing the
Tariff, aud Wants at Least One
Pledge Redeemed.
WASHINGTON, July 19.-The follow
ing is President Cleveland's letter to
Representatives Wilson read as a part
of his remarks in the House this after
noon:
"Executive Mansion, Washington,
july IS, lS94.-(Personal. )-Hon. Will
liam l.. Wilson-My Dear Sir: The
certainty that conference will be
ordered between the two Houses Of
Congress for the purpose of adjusting
differences on the subject Of tariff legls-
lation makes it also certain that you
will be again called Oh to do hard SER
vice in the cause of tariff reform.
MY public life has been so closely
related to the subject; have so longed
for its accomplishments, and l have
so often promised its realization to
my fellow countrymen as a result OF
their trust aud confidence in the Dem
ocratic party that l hope no excuse is
necessary for my earnest appeal to you
that in this crisis that you strenuously
insist upon party honesty and good
faith and study adherence to Demo-
cratic principles. believe these aoso-
iute!y necessary to the constitution or
Democratic existence.
II cannot rid myself of the feeling
that this conference will present the
best, if not the only hope of true DEM
ocracy. Indications point to its action
as the reliance of those who desire the
genuine truitioa of Democratic effort,
the fulfllment of Democratic pledges
and the REDEEM ption 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 be,
its members will also have in charge
the question whether Democratic prin-
ciples themselves are to be saved or
abandoned. There is no excuse for
mistaking or misapprehending the
feeling and the temper of the rank and
file of the Democracy. They are down.
cast under the assertion that their
party fails in ability to manage the
government, and they are apprehensive
that efforts to bring out tariff reform
may fail, but they are much more
downcast and apprehensive in their
fear that Democratic principles may be
surrendered.
THE PEOPLE DID LOOK TO CONGRESS.
"In these circumstances they cannot
do otherwise than to look with conf
dence to you and those who, with you,
have patriotically and sincerely cham
pioned the cause of tariff reform within
Democratic lines, guided by Demo-
cratic principles. This confidence is
vastly suggested by the action, under
your leadership of the House of Repre-
sentatives upon the bill now pending.
Every true Democrat aSd every sincere
tariff reformer knows that this bill, in
it's present form and as it will be SUBJ
mitted, to the conference, falls far short
of the consummation for which we
have long labored; for which we have
suffered defeat without encouragement;
which in its anticipation gave US a
rallying cry in our day Of triumph, and
which in its promise of accomplish
melt is so interviewer with Democratic
pledges and Democratic success that
our abandonment of the cause or the
PRINCIPLES upon which it rests means
party perfidy and party dishonor.
"Oue topic will be submitted to the
conference which embodies Democratic
principle so directly that it cannot be
com mpro,nised. We have in our plat
form, and in every way possible, de-
clared in favor of the free importation
of raw materials. We have again and
again promised that this should be
accorded to our people and our manu-
facturers as soon as the Democratic
party was invested with the power to
determine the tariff policy of the coun-
try. The party now has the power.
We are as certain to-day as we have
ever been OF the great benefit that
would accrue to the country from the
inauguration of this policy and nothing
has occurred TO release US from our
people. 1t must be admitted that no
tariff measure can accord with Demo-
cratic principles and promises. or bear
genuine Democratic badge that Goes
not provide for free raw material. In
the circumstances it may we'll excite
our wonder that Democrats are willing
to depart from this, the most Demo-
cratic of all tariff principles; and that
the inconsistent absurdity of such b
proposed departure should be empha-
sized by the suggestion that the wool
of the farmer be put on the free list and
the protection of taxation be placed
around the iron ore and coal of corpora
ton and capitalists. How can We face
the people after indulging in such out
ragious determinations and violations
of principle?
APLEA FOR SUGAR.
"It is quite apparent this question of
| free raw material does not admit of
adjustment on any middle eground, since
their subjection to any rate of taxation,
great or small, is like violation of
Democratic principle and Democratic
good faitl..
II hope that you will not consider it
intrusive if say something in relation
to another subject which eau hardly
fail to be troublesome to the conference.
l refer to the adjustment Of tariff taxa
tion on sugar. Under our party plat
form, and in accordance with our de-
clared party purposes, sugar IS !eglll'
mate and logical article of revenue
taxation. Unfortunately, however, in
cidents have accompanied certain
stages of the legislation which will be
submitted to the conference that have
aroused in connection with this subject
a natural Democratic animosity to the
methods and nanipulations of trusts
and combinations. confess to sharing
in this feeling, yet, it seems to me, we
ought, if possible, to sufficiently free
ourselves from prejudice to enable US
! coolly to weigh The considerations
which in formulating tariff legislation
ought 10 guide our treatment of sugar
az taxable article. While no tender
ness should be entertained for trusts,
and while I am decidedly opposed to
granting, under guise of taxation, and
opportunity to further their peculiar
methods, l suggest that we ought not
to be driven away from the Democratic
principle and policy which leads to the
taxation of sugar by the fear, quite
likely exaggerated, that in carrying out
this principle and policy we may in-