Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1894-07-26
GROVER TO THE RESCUE.
The President Encourages His Fol
lowers to Oppose the Senate
Tariff Measures.

| Washington, D. c., July 19.-Intense
| interest was created by Mr.. Wilson's an
nouncement in the House today that he
| had a letter from President Cleveland
which the latter had permitted to be
| made public The letter was then sent
| to the desk and read amid profound 81
| lence 1t was in the Presidents yl2or-
| Gus style and was stirring tribute 20 the
| Wilson bill and & direct blow at any sur
| render to the Senate bill.
President Cleveland's letter is as fol
lows:
! PERSONAL
Executive Mansion, Washington, 2.
c.. July 9 1S94.-To Hon. William L.
| Wilson-My Dear Sir: The certainty
that a conference will be ordered be
| tween the two houses of Congress tor
the purpose of adjusting the differences
on the subject of tariff legislation makes
it also certain that you will be again
| called upon to do hard service IN the
cause of tariff reform.
My public life has been closely related
to the subject, l have SO longed for its
promised its realization to my fellow
| countrymen as a result of their trust and
| confidence in the Democratic party, L
| hope no excuse is necessary tor my
earnest appeal to you that III this CRISIS
you strenuously insist Oh party honesty
Democratic principles. L beheve these
are absolutely necessary conditions to
the continuation of Democratic existence.
L cannot rid myself of the feeling that
| this conference will present the best II
not the only hope OF true Democracy.
| Indications point to its action as the re
| lance of those who desire the genuine
fruition of Democratic effort, the fulfill
ment Of Democratic pledges and the re-
denption of Democratic promises to the
people.
TO reconcile differences in the details
comprised within the fixed and well-de-
fined lines of principle, will not be the
| sole task Of the conference, but as 1t
seems to be its members will also nave IN
charge the question whether Democratic
principles themselves are to be saved or
| abandoned.
There is no excuse for installing or
| misapprehending the feeling and the
temper of the rank and file of the De
assertion that their party fails in ability
to manage the government and they are
| apprehensve that efforts to bring about
tariff reform may fail; but they are much
more downcast and apprehensive in their
fear that Democratic principle may be
| surrendered.
In these circumstances they cannot do
! otherwise than to look with confidence
otically aud sincerely championed the
cause of tariff reform within Democratic
lines and guided by Democratic princi-
pies. This confidence is vastly augment
ed by the action under your leadership
of the House of Representatives upon the
bills now pending. Every true Democrat
and every sincere tariff reformer knows
that this bill in its present form and as
1t will be submitted to the conference
falls far short of the consummation for
which we have long labored for which we
have suffered defeat without discourage
I
q raliylng cry in our day OF triumph and
which in it's promise of accomplishment
| is so interviewer with Democratic pledges
and Democratic success that our abandon
ment OF the cause or principles upon
which it rests means party pertdy and
party dishonor.
One topic will be submitted to the con-
ference which embodes Democratic prin-
| clple so directly that it cannot be com
promised. We have in our platforms
aud in every way possible declared in
favor of the free importation of raw ma
| teri}Is. We have again and again prom
| iSed that this should be accorded to our
! people and our manufacturers as soon as
the Democratic; party. was invested with
the power to determine the tariff policy
OF the country The party has now that
| power. We are as certain today as we
| have ever been that the great benefit
that would accrue to the country from
| he inauguration of this policy, and moth
|
obligation to secure this advantage to
our people. 1t must be admitted that no
| tariff measure can accord with Demo-
cratic principles and promises or bear
genuine Democratic badge that does not
| provide for free raw materials.
| an these circumstances it may we'll ex-
| cite our wonder that Democrats are will
| ing to depart from this. the most Demo
cratic of all tariff principles, and that the
Inconsistent absurdity of suct a proposed
departure should be emphasized by the
suggestion that the wool of the farmer be
| put on the free list and the protection of
| tariff taxation be placed around the iron
| ore and coal of corporations and capital
| lists. How can we face the people after
indulging in such outrageous discrimina-
tons and violations of principle?
1T is quite apparent that this question
| of free raw material does not admit of
adjustment on any middle ground since
, tier subsection to any rate of tariff taxa
| ton, Great or small, it alike violative of
Democratic principle and Democratic
good faith.
Il hope that you will not consider it in
| trusive if | say something in relation to
another subject which can hardly fail to
| be troublesome to the conference | refer
to the adjustment of tariff taxation on
sugar.
Under our party platform and in ac-
| cordunce with our declared party pur-
poses sugar is a legitimate and logical
| article of revenue taxation Unfortu-
nately, however, incidents have accompa-
MED certain stages of the legislation
| which will be submitted to the conference
that have aroused in connection with this
subject Il natural Democratic animos1ty
TO the methods and manipulations of
trusts and combinations. | confess to
sharing in this feeling: and yet it seems
TO ME we ought. if possible. to sufficiently
| free ourselves from prejudice to enable
Us cooly to weigh the considerations
which. in formulating tariff legislation,
ought to guide our treatment of sugar as
| q taxable article
| while no tenderness should be enter
| tanned for trusts. and while | am decided
| " opposed to granting them. under the
| Guise of tariff taxation. any opportunity
! to further their peculiar methods l sug-
| gest that we ought not to be driven away
! from the Democratic principle and policy
| which lead to the taxation of sugar, by
] .hn fnar n1litn lilnl1- rmca.n ..nl rl,nt