The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-08-24

Gorman's idea be accepted, that platforms
mean nothing, or are meant to mislead,
we had better have done with them. If 1t
be accepted, and we continue them, then
a poison has been injected into the very
fountains Of our political life. In the
same connection, Mr.. German tells us
that he went to st. Louis in 1888 as Mr..
Cleyeland's immediate, personal repre-
sentative, carrying with him con-
servative tariff plank. Carefully pre-
pared by the leaders behind the
scenes that is by Mr.. Cleveland and his
friends, ignoring Mr.. Clevelands own mes
sage, ignoring the Mills bill, and repeat
ing the straddle which-with old Ben But
Ter on our back and Sam Randall on our
fank-we had been forced to make at
Chicago in 1884 This is strictly true. If
any one should doubt it, Mr.. German has
in his possession the original draft, with
Mr.. Cleveland's interlineations. The
Maryland senator was accompanied by
the late William L. Scott, Of Pennsylvania.
Mr. German and Mr.. Scott knew the char
acter of the convention they had to deal
with better than Mr.. Villas and Mr.. Whit
ney knew the later convention, which they
so miscalculRted. So, In 1888. the differ
ence was composed in committee, where
in 1892 it had to be settled and was settled
we had hoped unequivocally and for all
time-in open convention.
Where, we might once have asked,
is that "bold, undaunted, courage eous
mann whom the mugwump mystics
and hypnotized refOmers once thought
they perceived in Grover Cleveland?
The question today is unnecessary
Mr.. Cleveland has himself answered it
The country which once thought it
saw in him another Andrew Jackson
is at last prepared to credit the confess
sion of the late Daniel Manning that
on the very day following the publica-
ito II of the celebrated tariff reform
message of 1887, Mr. Cleveland, fright
ened at the hostility evinced in its re-
ception by the country, had penned q
supplementary hedging message,
which was smothered by his cabinet
advisers only after struggle that al
most involved physical force. The
country, we say, will readily believe
this of the man who would write
hedging tariff plank and yet cling to
a stultifying nomination after his
plank had been knocked into splin-
ters; and who would proclaim loudly
his repugnance to pending tariff
measure involving "party pertidy and
party dishonorn and yet lack the cour-
age either to sign or veto such a meas
ure when passed.
We are, however, forgetting the
chivalric, theatric, always interesting
editor of the Louisville Couner-Jour-
nal. In his opinion "there is but one
way out of it, for the Democratic par
ty, land that is a tariff measure so
simple a child may understand it, so
obviously honest that every Democrat
may defend it, or, falling to do so, cease
to be Democrat, and get over to the
Republicans, where he belongs. We
mean "a tariff for revenue only No
complicated schedules, to afford snug
hiding places for sneaks and rascals in
our own ranks. No misleading classi-
fications, full Of sinkholes to catch
unwary Democrats, but making in
Vulnerable ritle-pits from which
protectionism may pour its vol
leys into our line Of march. No
free list; everything not taxed, free.
One single bar Of import duties, EN-.
bracing those foreign products that
yield the most revenue-sugar, tea and
coffee to head the list-down through
those domestic products duties on
which will yield the most revenue,
discrimination to no interest, favor to
no class, heed of nobody and nothing,
except the public purpose of raising the
money needful to support the govern
ment economically administered. The
party must inevitably come to this if
we are to escape the disgraceful scenes
and events of this congress-" We give
Colonel Watterson credit for candor
and directness. He knows that his
party is free trade party at heart and
he wants it to stop its shamming.
That is right, fair and honest. The
c country, too, wants that to come to
pass. We thank Colonel Watterson
for his aid in the matter; and for the
never-failing liveliness which he in
variably injects into the gloomiest
periods of Democratic duplicity and
deception.