Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1894-11-05
EXTRACTS FROM EX- PRESIDENT
RARRLSON'S GREAT SPEECH IN
NEW YORK

ton of responsibility. For these thir-
ty years it has been an irresponsible
party, but in 1892 full control was Civ
en- to that party to execute its design.
Prior to that time, having a president
or the House, the Senate blocked the
way against radical legislation, but in
that year it was invested with COM
tlemen who had been platform max
ers for thirty years were called to the
unaccustomed duty Of making law
Now it is-as we are to be govern
ed by parties, and as all these q1es-
tions, tariff and finances in their va
rious forms, are to be settled by party
elections and party votes = of the
highest consequence that the views
and principles and purposes ofthe re-
spective parties should be defined
the democratic party now is that it is
an incoherent party. Who could tell
US what it was going to do, what it's
position on the tariff question was?
Why, my countrymen, if I may speak
of that position historically, it was
that the revenues Of the government
should be raised by customs duties,
and that our manufacturer should
at least have, and our workingmen
have, the benefit of such measure of
protection as came from laying duties
upon foreign imports adequate TO the
support of the general government.
This incide ntal protection was talk
ed Of by every one as a thing conced-
ed and desirable, but when they came
to frame their. platform Of 1892 this
doctrine was overthrown, and the
party went into the campaign upon
the proposition that protection, all
protection, protection incidental and
OF a purpose, were unconstitutional.
This declaration, in spite of the court
decisions, in spite of the opinions Of
the most eminent jurists of our coun-
try, was adopted as the principle upon
which the democratic party was pledg-
ed to revise the tariff and administer
the government.
All OuOAhCSo ACN I'll I'd lhdO Si1OLO
shall be some forecast, some fore
knowledge, some estimate of what is
to come. But when the democratic
party took up the work Of revising
the tariff, forecasts became impossi-
BILE; no business man could tell upon
what basis the tariff was to be adjust
ed. If party is to act wisely for the
common good, there must be some
coherent principle adopted and ac-
cepted by the masses OF the party,
which we may expec5 to fnd exem
plified in the laws they make.
But how have we found It?
[ think, perhaps, of all the insects
the grasshopper is the one most with
out an objective point. No one can
ever tell, nor does he know himself,
when he jumps, where he is going to
alight. It may be on the crown of a
flower, or it may be in a horse pond.
And SO this lack Of purpose, this lack
Of harmony, OF which have spoken
and which [ shall presently illustrate,
pervaded the party, and was largely
instrumental in producing that dis
astrous depression under which the
country has been laboring for two
years.
I said in a casual converse ton with
some newspaper people a year and
half ago when was here that feared
Mr.. Cleveland had wild team to
drive. It has turned SO. 1t did not
require a prophet to say that it would
turn out so, for these democratic rep
resentatives, chosen from these wide
ly scattered districts over the whole
country, had been pledging them
selves TO any view of the tariff cues
ton or of the financial question that
seemed to them in their respective
votes. When they came together
they were embarrassed by these
pledges and promises, and the confu-
sion of tongues at the building Of the
tower of Babel was sc arcely greater
than the confusion of voices that we
had at Washington when the tariff
bill came to be considered. He who
would ride in the coach would do we'll
to look to the team as well as to the
driver; and it is absolutely essential
engers that the driver and the horses
should have the same objective point.
The Boston Record makes q Good
suggestion anent the alarmingly in