Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-07-27
A Courageous Leader.
Tho President Against ANY Sur
render to conservatives"
TARIFF REFORM PRINCIPLES Up
HELD.

TARIFF REFORM PRINCIPLES Up
HELD.
Washington, July 10.-The
following is the letter sent by
President Cleveland to Chairman
Wilson, OF the ways and means
committee of the House of Repre-
sentatives, declaring against any
surrender Gu The tariff TO the
Senate conservatives" and read
in the House today at the request
of the recipient:
Executive Mansion, Washington
July ., 1894 - Personal. 10 Hon
William L. Wilson.-My Dear Sir:
The certainty that conference
will be ordered between the two
houses of Congress tor the purpose
of adjusting differences on the
su' iects oftariff 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
Ionged for its accomplishment, and
have so often promised its re-
alization to my fellOw-cOuntlymen
as a result Of their trust and con-
fidence 10 the democratic party
that l hope no excuse is necessary
for my earnest appeal to you that
IN this crisis you strennously Insist
upon party honesty and good faith
and a sturdy adherence to demo
cratic principles. | believe these
are absolutely necessary condlt'
ions to he continuation Of demo
cratic existence.
l cannot rid myself Of the feel
| ing that this conference will pre-
sent the best, il not the only hope
of trle democracy. Indications
point to its action as the reliance
of those who desire the genuine
fruiuon of democrali; efforts, the
fulf 'ment OF democratic pledges
and the redemption of democratic
promises to the people. To recon-
ciIe differences in the details com.
prised within the fixed and we'll
defined lines of principle will not
be the sole task OF the conference;
but, as 1t seems to me, its members
will also have IN charge the ques-
ton whether democratic principles
themselves are to be saved or
abandoned.
There is no excuse for mlstaklng
or misapprehendlng the feeling
and the temper of the rank and
file of the democracy. They are
downcast under the assertion that
their party fails in ability to man.
age the government, and they
are apprehensiGe that tffJrts to
bring about tariff reform may fail
but they are much more downclst
and aDprehensive in their tear that
democratic principle may he sur.
rendered.
In these circumstances they
cannot do otherwise than to look
with confidence to you and those
who with you have pltriOtlcally
and sincerely champlOned the
cause of tariff reform wirhin demo-
cratic lines and guided by GemO.
cratic principles. Thls conf lence
lis vastly augmented by the action
under your leadership of the
House of Representatives upon tue
bill now pending.
Every true democrat and every
sincere tariff reformer knows that
this bill in It's present form and
as it will be submitted to the con.
ference falls far shot OF the con-
summation for which we have long
lahored, for which we have suffer
ell defeat without Encouragement;
which in It's anticipation gave as a
rallying cry in our day of triumph,
and which IN Its promise OF &C.
conplsbment Is 50 interwOyen
with democratic pledges and demo
cratic success that our abandon
ment of the cause or the principle s
upon which it rests means party
perfdy and party dlshonor.
One topic will be submitted to
the conference which embOdies
democratic principle 80 directly
that it cannot be compromised.
We have in our platforms and Ill
every way possible declared IN
favor OF the free importation OF
raw materials. We have again
promised that this should be &C
corled 10 our people and ouI
manufacturers as soon as the
democratic party was invested
with the power to determine the
tariff policy OF the country.
The party now has that power