The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-07-20

Mr.. Cleveland touches upon the po-
smirched and infamous sugar schedules.
Beginning in deprecatory way ne
hopes that "You will not consider 1t in
trusive if say something in relation to
another subject which can hardly fail to
be troublesome to the conference. re-
fer to the adjustment OF tariff taxation
on sugar"
This first sentence indicates what his
treatment of the subject will be. Weak,
vacillating and trying to ride two horses
at once. 1t smells Of compromise and
yielding from afar. Mr.. Cleveland con-
tinues "Under our party platform and
| in accordance with our declared party
purposes sugar is legitimate and logi-
cal article of revenue taxation"
He then suggests with that innate
delicacy Of which he is at times past
master, that UNFORTUNATELY, however,
incidents have accompanied certain
stages of the legislation which will be
submitted to the conference, that have
aroused in connection with this subject
a natural Democratic animosity to the
methods and manipulations of trusts
and combinations. i confess to sharing
in this feeling; and yet it seems to me
we ought, if possible, to sufficiently free
ourselves from prejudice to enable MS
coolly to weigh the considerations which
in formulating tariff legislation ought to
guide our treatment of sugar as tax
able article" Certainly this is nom
chalant way of treating the worst scan
dial that ever attached to any attempt
to revise the tariff. The besmirched
and infamous sugar schedules. every
word in which bears evidence of trades
and the debauchery of public servants,
obtain from President Cleveland only
the mild criticism of being "unfortunate
| incidents"
| He continues, for he feels that he must
in some way carry out his part Of the
bargain, by saying: "While no tender
ness should be entertained for trusts,
and while / am decidedly opposed to
granting them, under the guise of tariff
taxation. any opportunity to further
their peculiar methods, suggest that
we ought not to be driven away from
the Democratic principle and policy
which lead to the taxation of sugar, by
the fear, quite likely exaggerated, that
in carrying out the principle and policy
we may indirectly and inordinately en-
courage a combination Of sugar refin-
ing interests, / know that in pre-
sent conditions this is delicate
snbject, and I appreciate tho depth
and strength of the feeling which
its treatment has aroused. l do
not believe we should do evil that good
may come, but it seems to me that we
should not forget that our aim is the
completion of tariff bill, and that in
taxing sugar for proper purposes and
within reasonable bounds, whatever else
may be said of our action, we are in
no danger OF running counter to Demo-
cratic principle. With all there is at
stake, there must be in the treatm ent
of this article some ground upon which
we are all willing to stand, where toler-
alton and Cancellation may be allowed
to solve the problem, without demand
ing the entire surrender of fixed and
conscientious convictions. We all know
that tariff covering all the varied
interests and conditions of country as
vast as ours, must of necessity be
largely the result Of honorable adjust
ment and compromise"
Now, what does all this mean, except
that the President is sorry that the bar
gains were SO blunderingly made as to
be found out and become unfortunate
incidents" but that they must be in the
main kept, and this is why he urges the
House to remember that ga tariff cover
ing all the varied interests and condi-
tions of country as vast as ours must,
of necessity, be largely the result of
honorable adjustment and compromi se."
You must yield or else stand by your
position, is the alternative proposed by
SleVelduus
Why?
Because if the House yields the Sugar
Trust will get all it wants. If it refuses
the Senate will not pass the tariff bill,
and the Trust will enjoy the protection
granted by the Mckinley bill.
In a word, the whole letter was writ
ten from start to finish to carry out the
infamous Sugar Trust bargain, from
connection with which Mr.. Cleveland
has by no means been absolved by the
houghtful public. His skirts have been
dragged through the mire and of his
own accord he again defaces them by
insisting on protection for the trust. 1t
is true that he also wants to help his
friend Whitney out, but this is not the
cause for the existence of the letter.
1t is apity that man who can be so