The Opelousas courier., 1894-09-01
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT.
Tariff Bill. and Points Out It's Evils
and It's Good Points.

asfit1gt0G, u. u, aug. ~, 1894.
The President to-day sent the follow
ing letter to Representative CatchiDgs
of Mississippi who consented to it
character and Importance:
Executive Mensiou, Washington, Aug
81, 1894. - HoLS T. C.. Catchings: NJ,
Dear Sir-Since the conversation | hat
with you and MIR. Clark, Of Alabama, il
regard to my action upon the tariff bill
now before me-, | have given the sub
Ject further ard most serious considera'
ton. The result is, / am more settled
than ever, in the determination to allow
the bill to become Il law without my
signature. When the formulation OF
legislation, which it was hoped would
embody Democratic ideas of tariff re-.
form, was lately entered upon by con.
gress nothing was further from my
anticipation than a result which l could
not promptly and enthusiastically in.
dorse. 1t is therefore with a feeling OF
the almost disappointment. that | sub
NIT to a denial of this privilege.
do not claim to be better than the
masses OF my party, nor do l wish to
avoid any responsibility, which. on &C
count of the passage of this law,
ought to bear as a member of the
Democratic organization neither will
l permit myself to be separated from
my party to such an extent as might be
implied by my veto of tariff legislation
which, though disappointing, is still
chargeable to Democratic effort. But
there are provisions in this bill which
are not in line with honest tariff reform,
and it contains Inconsistencies and
crudities which ought not to appear in
tariff laws or laws of any kind.
| RnS1dao fharn y.Jara ms Uor 0rl --11
know, incidents accompanying the
passage of the bill through congress
which made every sincere reformer I'M
happy. while influences surrounded it
In its later stages and interfered with
its final construction which ought not
to be recognized or tolerated in Demo-
cratic reform councils. And yet, not
withstanding all its vicissitudes and the
bad treatment it received at the hands
of pretended friends, it presents a vast
improvement to existing conditions.
It will certainly tighten many tariff
burdens that now rest heavily upon the
people. 1t is not only barrier against
the return of mad protection, but it
furnishes a vantage ground from which
we must wage further aggressive opera
tions against protected monopoly and
governmental favorItism. take my
pfuAo With Gto dLh ahO uIC w LiIc
Democratic party who believe in tariff
reform and who know what it is, who
refused to accept the results embodied
in this bill at the close of the war, who
are not blinded to the fact that the
livery of Democratic reform has been
stolen and worn in the service of
Republican protection, who have mark
ed the places where the deadly blight
of the season has blasted the councils
of the brave in their hour of might.
The trusts and combinations-the CON-
munism of pelf-whose Vaccinations
have prevented us from reaching the
success we deserve, should not be for
gotten or forgiven. We shall ecover
from our establishment at their ex-
hibition of power, and il then the gues-
shall submit to the free legislative will
OF the peoples representatives or shall
dictate the laws which the people must
obey. we will accept and settle THAI
issue as one involving the integrity and
safety of American institutions.
| love principles Of trua Democracy
because they are founded in patriotism
and upon justice and fairness toward
all interests.
am proud of my party organization
because it ia vatively sturdy and
persistent in the enforcement Of the
principles. Therefore l do not despair
of the efforts made by the house of
representatives to supplement the bill
already passed by further legislation
and TO have engrafted upon it such
notifications as will more nearly meet
Democratic hopes and aspirations.
cannot be mistaken. az the necessity
of free raw materials is the foundation
of logical and sensible tariff reform.
The extent to which this is recognized
in the legislation already secured j. one
of it's encouraging and redeeming feat
ures, but it is vexatious to recall that |
while free coal and iron ore have been
denied, a letter of the secretary of the
treasury discioses the fact that both
might have been free by the annual
surrender of only about 100000 of
unnecessary revenue.
am sure that there is a common
habit of misunderstanding the i'm
portance Of free raw materials in tariff
legislation, aud of regarding them as
only related to concessions to be made
to our manufacturers.
The truth Ia, their influence is SO far
reaching that, if disregarded, a COM
cannot be successfully in
When we give to our manufacturers
free raw materials we unshackie
American enterprise and ingenuity, and
that will open the doors of foreign
markets to the reception of our wares
and give opportunity for the continuous
and ~remunerative employment of
American labor. With materials cheap
ened by their freedom from tariff
charges, the cost of their production