Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-09-07
DEMOCRATIC TESTIMONY

The Troy Press scores CleYeland, and
comments upon the effects of the new
tariff in these words, it being extracts
from the Press's leading editorial of
Tuesday of last week:
Mr.. Cleveland has chosen to pursue a
policy of weak inactiOn in his treatment
of the tariff bill. The document which
he so recently denounced as perfidious
and dishonorable he permits to become
law, swallowing his own words suffi-
ciently to extol it as "a vast improve
ment to existing conditions" If this be
true, than German, Smith, Murphy and
Brice are entitled to the gratitude of the
country, for without their diplomatic
and sGatesmanlike efforts to make the
bill reconcilable to the majority, it could
never have passed the Senate. In effect
therefore, Mr.. Cleveland now pays high
tribute to the Senators whose action he
but short time ago blusteringly de-
nounced as ''perfidious" and "dishonor
able" Surely not sweet pill for the
Presidents digestion.
From the view point of the great in
dustrial North it is unfortunate for the
popular estimate of Mr.. Cleveland that
his two essetially official but professedly
private letters on the tariff bill should
both be addressed to Southerners of Sec
tional stripe, who have neither sympa-
thy for nor knowledge of the needs Of
the stupendous manufacturing and labor
interests North of Mason and Dixon's
line. 1t reveals oneness of sentiment
on the tariff question between the Presi-
dent and the ex Shareholders and ex-Con-
federates more indigenous to New Or
leans than to New York. Congressman
Catchfngs-to whom Mr.. Cleveland ad-
dresses his 9ugubrious letter, setting
forth his apologies for neither signing
nor yetoing the Senate BILLS resident
of Vicksburgh, Mississippi, and is about
as thoroughly out of touch with the
great industries mainly affected by tariff
legislation as it is possible for public
man to be. Yet he, like Prof. Wilson of
Nthe West Virginian backwoods, is the
Que to whom the President most natur-
allN turns in a crisis affecting billions of
NoNthern capital and millions of North
ern 4Rborers. But there is certain fit
neSS'in the fact that man who views
the controlling economic issue of the
tirhes through Southern spectacles
use very applicable if vulgar express
sion. Tariff agitation the past
year has cost the country millions upon
millions of dollars and it doomed thou
sands upon thousands of workingmen to
enforced idleness. Yet Mr.. Cleveland
threatens to perpetuate these conditions
by re-Opening the subject at the next
session of Congress. Happily, however,
we have so many Northern Democrats
who are not Doughfaces in the United
States Senate that his menance is not
half so disturbing as it otherwise would
be. The President has forgotten his
pledge for the party against "destruc-
tive policies" which he made when a
candidate, but Northern Senators and
Democrats have not. They will not Join
hands with the Southern sectional free
traders in mad crusade for free trade
In the discussion offree raw materials,
lower duties on goods and the expansion
of markets for our manufacturers, Mr..
Cleveland antagoniZes the overwhelming
sentiment of the men whose capital is in
vested and whose business experience is
all in the line of productive enterprise
Here is theoretical lawyer, with no
practical experience whatever, saying in
effect to the manufacturers of the coun-
try that he knows what they need far
better than they do themselves. Could
any proposition be more ridiculous?
At the end of a generation of protec-
ton, goods were never before so cheap as
they have been during the last two years.
Yet Mr.. Cleveland reiterates the stereo-
typed fallacy that the people need free
TRADE for the sake of more home COM
forts and cheaper living. His thread
bare trade against Protection to home
industry shows tbaf the prodigious and
illuminating experience of the last year
has taught hiE nothing. The lower the
price OF goods, the louder the howl about
Mckinley prices" But such a howl
cannot deceive even schoolboy with a
thimbleful of brains.