News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1894-09-06
Branded BY Himself.


has sneaked out of his obligations to
the country. He has not signed the
German bill, but his responsibility
for its enactment cannot be shirked
by his neglect to veto il, as he was
morally bound to do after writing
the Wilson letter of July 2. His fell
low-eitizens will not think any better
of him for this contemplate effort to
evade his public duty.
In the Wilson letter the President
said Every true Democrat and
every sincere tariff reformer knows
that this bill in its present form, and
as il will be submitted to the con-
ference, tails short of the consumma-
ton for which we have long labored,
for which we have suffered defeat
without encouragement, which in its
anticipation gave us rallying cry
in our day of triumph, and which in
its promise of accomplishment is SO
interviewer with Democratic pledges
and Democratic success that our
abandonment of the cause of the
principles upon which it rests means
party perfidy and party dishonor."
The President by his neglect to veto
the bill arIaigns himself before the
American people. He pleads guilty
to the charge of abandoning the
cause of which he has been the leader.
He brands himself with the shameful
and degrading words, ''perfidy and
dishonor."
In the same Wilson letter the Presi-
dent cOntended with great force that
"this question of free raw material
does not admit of adjustment on any
middle ground, since their subsection
to any rate of tariff taxation, great
or small, is alike violative OF Demo
cratic principle and Democratic good
faith" Continuing with characteristic
fervor and earnestness, he remarked
1T must be admitted that no tariff
measure can accord with Democratic
principles and promises or bear a gen.
uine badge that does not provide for
free raw material. In the circumstan-
cesit may well excite our wonder that
Democrats are willing to depart from
this, the most Democratic of all tar
if principles, and that the inconsist-
ent absurdity of such proposed de-
parture should be emphasized by the
suggestion that the wool of the farm
Ell be put on the free list and the pro-
lection of tariff taxation be placed
around the iron ore and coal of CAPT
talists. How can we face the people
after indulging in such outrageous
determinations and violations of
principles p In allowing Democratic
principles to be compromised, and in
condoning this breach of party faith,
the President turns his back upon
the people whom he does not dare to
face. How can he look any honest
American citizen. in the eyes after
'indulging in such outrageous dis
ordinations and violations OF prin-
ciples ?"
In the same Wilson letter the Presi-
dent described The Democracy as
pleading for the speedy completion of
tariff legislation, but as demanding
mot less earnestly that no stress of
necessity shall tempt those they
trust to the abandonment of Demo
cratic principles. Mark how COM
pletely the President has cut himself
off from apology or defence in these
words, mo stress of necessity He
has allowed a bill involving, accord
ing to his own deliberate confession,
abandonment of principles to become
law when he described the Democ-
racy of the land as pleading with
those whom they trust to resist the
temptation to do exactly what he
has done. Under mo stress OF ne
cessity" ought the President to have
placed himself in so humiliating and
dishonorable "a position.
Who will ever say again that Pre- $,
ident Cleveland is either courageous,
or consistent or honorable in his pub
lie relations, or in any respect be tier
than his party ?-N. Y. Tribune.