Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1894-07-25
GROVER TO THE RESCUE.
The President Encourages His Fol
lowers to Oppose the Senate
Tariff Measures.

| interest was created by Mr.. Wilson'S an
nouncement in the House today that he
had 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 ST
lence. 1t was in the Presidents vigor-
Gus style and was stirring tribute to 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, D.
| c.. July ,, 1S94.-To Hon. William l..
Wison-My Dear Sir: The certainty
that conference will be ordered be-
tween the two houses of Congress for
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, / have SO lOnged for its
accomplishment, and | have SO often
promised its realization to my fellow
| countrymen as a result Of their trust and
confidence in the Democratic party,
hope no excuse is necessary for my
earnest appeal to you that in this crisis
you strenuously insist on party honesty
and good faith, a sturdy adherence to
Democratic principles. l believe these
are absolutely necessary conditions to
the continuation of Democratic existence.
Il 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-
| demptlon of Democratic promises TO the
people.
ITO 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 it
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-
| mOcracy. They are downcast under the
assertion that their party fails in ability
to manage the government and they are
| apprehensive that efforts to bring about
tariff reform may fail: but they are much
| more d0WncaSt and apprehenSlve in their
fear that Democratic principle may be
| surrendered.
In these circumstances they cannot do
otherwise than to look with confidence
TO you and those who with you have patr-
otically and sincerely championed the
| cause of tariff reform within Democratic
lines and guided by Democratic princ-
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
| it 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
| ment: which in its anticipation gave us
a 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 abandon
ment OF the cause or principles upon
; when 1t rests means party perfdy and
! party dishonor.
''One topic will be submitted to the con-
ference which embodies Democratic prin-
ciple so directly that it cannot be com
promised. We have in our platforms
and IN every way possible declared in
favor OF the free importation of raw ma
! terlaIs. We have again and again prom
! lsed 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
| the inauguration of this policy and moth
| ing has occurred to release us from our
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 a
genuine Democratic badge that does not
| provide for free raw materials.
| In these circumstances it may well ey-
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 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 III 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
| their subsection to any rate of tariff taxa
| ton, great or SMALL it alike violative of
| Democratic principle and Democratic
| good faith.
II hope that you will not consider it in
| trusve 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.
'fUnder our party platform and in ac-
| cordance with our declared party pur-
poses sugar is legitimate and logical
| article of revenue taxation. Unfortu-
nately, however, incidents have accompa-
Hleu Certain Stages OIL UH0 loS1SlaCl0n
which will he submitted to the conference
that have aroused in connection with this
subject u natural Democratic animoslty
| 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 coolly to weigh the consdera tons,
which, III formulating tariff legislation,
ought to guide our treatment of sugar as
| 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 | sug-
gest 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 this principle and policy
we may indirectly and Unfortunately ell
courage a combination of sugar refining
interests. l know that in present condi
| tons this is a delicate subject, and | APP
| nrariatQ the daDth and Strenpth of tha