Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-08-31
TRUE TO TARIFF REFORM.
PRESIDENT CLEVELAND DECLARES
THE STRUGGLE NOT ENDED.

TRAITORS OF DEMOCRACY MARKED.
THE MASSES or THE PARTY EXPORTED
70 BOLDLY CHALLENGE TO OPEN WAR
FARE AND GUARD CONSTANTLY AGAINST
TREACHEKY-A LETTER TO REPRESEN-
TkTlvE CATCHiNGs OF MISSISSIPPI, IN
WHICH THE CHEF EXECUTIVE STATES
HIS REASONS FOR NOT SIGNING The
GORMON BILL.
The President Monday sent the following
letter to Representative Catchings, of Missis
sippi, who consented to it's publication in view
of its public character and Importance:
Erecatjoe Nans5on Washington, D. c., dug
81, ls94.-Hon. Z. c. Catca5ags.-My Dear
Sir:-Since the conversation had with YOU
and MI CLARK, OF Alabama, few days ago
in regard to my action upon the tariff bill
now before me L have given the subject fur
Their and most serious consideration. The re-
suit Is, am more settled than ever in the de-
termination to allow the bill to become law
without my signature. When the formula
ton of legislation which it was hoped would
embody democratic ideas Of tariff reform was
lately entered upon by the Congress nothing
was further from my anticipation than a re-
suit which | could not promptly and enthusi-
astically indorse, 1t is, therefore, with a
feeling of the utmost disappointment that l
submit to adenial of this privilege.
do not claim to be better than the masses
of my party, nor do l wish to avoid any re-
sponsibility which on account of the passa &c
Of this law ought to bear as member of the
democratic organization. Neither will per
| nit myself to be separated from my party to
such an extent as might be implied by my
veto of tariff legislation, which, though dis
appointing. is still chargeable to democratic
effort. But there are provisions in this bill
which are not in line with honest tariff re-
form, and it contains inconsistencies and cru
dities which ought not to appear in tariff laws
of any kind. Besides there were. as YOU and
| we'll know, incidents accompanying the
passage of the bill through the Congress
which made every sincere tariff -reformer I'm
happy, while influences surrounded it in it..
latter stages and interfered with its final con
struction which ought not to be recognized o.
tolerated in democratic tarff-reform coun
sells.
And yet Notwithstanding all it's vicissi-
tudes and all the bad treatment it received al
the hands Of pretended friends, it presents a
vast improvement to existing conditions II
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 vantage ground
from which must be waged further aggressive
operations against protected monopoly and
governmental fayoritism.
l take my place with the rank and file of
the democratic party, who believe in tariff
reform and who know what it is; who refuse
to accept the results embodied in this bill as
the close OF tic war; who are not blinded to
the fact that the livery of democratic tariff
reform has been stolen and wornin the serv-
ice of republican protection, and who have
marked the places where The deadly blight
of treason has blasted the counseIs of the
brave i'll their hour of might.
The trusts and combinations-the commu-
nism of peIf-~whose Vaccinations have d, e.
vented US from reaching the success we de-
served, should not be forgotten nor forgiven.
We shall recover from our establishment at
their exhibition of power, and if then the
question IS forced upon us whether they shall
submit to the free legislative will of the peo-
pies representatives or shall dictate the laws
which the people must obey we will accent
and settle that issue as one involving the in
tegrity and safety of American insiitutsons
love the principles of trne dem ycracy be.