New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-01
THE PRESIDENT and THE THIMPS.

THE PRESIDENT And THE TEIMPS.
President Cleveland Is reported 10 have sad
died the responsibility for the tramp agitation
ugon the newspapers. In his Judgment thcy
have paid undue attention 10 The vagarles OF
men like Coxcy and to the manoeuvrcS OF the
wandering unemployed now paradinS III inc
West and in the East ana uniurlinS ih'Ir Dali
neys in the streets OF Washington. Ihey nave
created the President thinks, an appetite 1or
notoriety and a thirst for eccentric adventure
If the newspapers had not advertised the hrSl
travelling variety show organized by CONey' 1t
would not have enlisted Il swarm OF lml'a'orS
nor have involved disturbance OF railway tdiic
and an outbreak of criminal lAWleSsneSS. we
suspect that the newspapers have had sonic
thing TO do with inStigating The tramp move
mcnt. but not in the way suggested 10y 'he
cynical reflections of the President 1t mas De'h
the responsible duty Of the press OF both paru's
10 discuss the great public issue winch the lT'S
ident himself brought before the attention ol
the country in the last two annual messages 81
his first term. and 10 which, as "the leoplc
cause" he consecratcd himself in the last Ma
tional canvass That issue has developed So'lAi
restlcssncsS and class discomfort, ana chlnniha'
cd in Populist agitation, class Legislation anu
the march of the trampS across Inc c"h'lh'h''
President Cleveland has done more IMAM any
other American in recent times 10 produce ms
prevailing feeling of social unrest Ills "'''
onncal 10 the spirit of discomfort was maze III
December, 1857, when the country WAS Pl"H
nervous the public debt shrinking ever! !'"'
and the Treasury oVcrfoWnS Win Su'Pl",
revenues. In his tariff message he dchoun''"
tho system 70 which labor and capital had been
is.
q. vicious source of unnecessary taxation. 10y
which working people were S!N'c""'''""!
rohbod He described the Treasury rs hoard
ing-place for money Withdrawn from '"uc anu
IN. neonle's use. and asserted that the country
development was suspended ana par'H"'' ~
ur.voiiinc financial methods In that message
were the germs Cf the ensuing Dchl"'T"I' "~'
totiou against Protection rs an "incqWAbe ana
monstrous system for cnrichlnG the -" anu
robbing the many and also oil Inc lopuliN'
idea that the Treasury should he emp'l'u 10,
,bn neonle's use. The Presidential canvass OF
1899 witnessed the triumph or the bcnio'Id'''
ponulist coalition. The Nation voted against
pua,oc,ion not because the times were bad. but
hccouse President Cleveland and his PopullS'
allies had convinced a large majority "l 'll'
American people that prosperity was uh"l"'"'
divided among classes. that the rlch were E''
ting TOO much. and that the farmers ana me
vageearncrs were not obtaining falr ahu pro
nortionate share of the countrys wealth
II WAS in the hour Of defeat Ia ISIS Whch 'hr
noonle repudiatcd his ideas and opened He way
for four Harrison years of oNccp'lohal ProSp'I
inv that the Presidents appeal 10 social rest
| lcssncss was loudcst and most dc'lAhi''"i!
| In his message Of that year he deScrlD'u -Nn''
| can cities as the abiding places OF WcH'h an"
| luxury: manufactures rs yielding fortunes
never dreamed of by the fathers OF the h'-
public: business men as madly STRIVING III nv
| race for riches; the working classes rs over
| Whelmed with poverty, Wrc'chrdhoSS ana ul
| rcnuncrative toll; wealth rs the result OF us
eliminating favor Of the Government and large
| " built upon undue cXacuOns from the lh'SN'S,
and the gulf between employers and employed
| as constantly widening with class I"2lS"'o"'
| That message with lis sympathetic references
| 10 the farmers, long suffering anu l'd'I'"''
| STRUGGLING in the race Of life win Inc har"oN'
and most unrcmitting toll, and to the Worklh3
| man. "struggling far III Tie rear or uainp'u
| TO death beneath an iron heel has Snppil'"
| dar,o oocuos East and West for six years with
| ammunition against "the communism OF com
hined wealth and capital, the outgrowth Of over
| Wlcmlng cupluNy anu S'lHHi"'''' WIN - 49,
sdously undcrmincs the justice ana integrity
of free institutions" and lis not less dangerous
than the communism Of oppressed poverty ana
toll which. cxaspcracd by injustice ana discoh-
tent. attacks with wild disorder the citadel oil
power" l...
Americans ought at least to be just to CoXcy
and the other fanatics who are now heading
for the citadel Of power III Washington. lhry
I,tcti aft Ia
ar without the help of the newspapers. but
they are mild and temperate In speech IN com
nar;son with the distinguished American who
;psnirod the discomfort Of the country with
prosperity. arraycd class against class ana
brought on something closely resembling Il
social revolution in the Populist movement.
The tramps invading Washington in Cleveland
hard times are converts TO the Presidents own
doctrines. They have been slow in coming, bnt
they are there Al last. although he may be re-
| luctant to welcome them.