Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-09-10


ward to denounce and condemn, although
they are responsible for its passage.
A law of which the House OF Represen-
tatives were so thoroughly ashamed that
they had no sooner passed it than they
made hot haste to seek its immediate
amendment by passing supplementary bills
which put their tariffed sugar, COAL lead,
iron and barb ID wire on the free list. under
threat of still further similar assaults on
the much-disturbed and distressed indus
tries of the country, utterly needless of the
stupendous ruin they had already wrought
A law which the President condemned
before its passage, and from which, when
passed he withheld his approval.
A law which was characterized, before
its passage, by the greatest leader in the
Democratic party. the senior senator from
New York, as "a violation of Democratic
pledges and principles; )" andwhich was de-
nounced by the official head of the govern
ment as such an act Of ''party pertidy and
party dishonor," that if the House should
at last concur in it. "tkey would not dare
to look the people Of the country in the
face" and which the executive still con-
demns, since their surrender, as the very
communism of pelf.'
Their Fatal Mistake.
Those who believe that the present adj
ministration was to settle the tariff question
and take it out of the domain of politics
and public discussion, have already dis
covered their fatal mistake, for they find
that even those who make the law spurn it
as settlement. 1t is a settlement where
the participants-those who projected and
carried it on-boldly declare either that it
is no settlement, or, if anything, spurious
one.
After Is months useless agitation, not yet
content with the vast ruin they have
wrought, they are still unwilling to give the
business interests of the country any rest
or relief, but continue and constantly renew
the threat of still other and more hurtful
changes in our tariff schedules.
Even the President himself in his letter
to Congressman Catchings of Mississippi
says; :>: ..".. IT,
1.-The millions of our countrymen who
have fought bravely and well for tariff re-
form mot accepting this bilD should be e1-
horted to continue the struggle, boldly chal-
lenging to open warfare, and constantly
guarding against treachery and half
heartedness in their camp"
And who, while he permitted the bill to
become law, lacking the moral courage
to veto it, yet boastingly announces: ~.
II 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 the war; who are
not blinded to the fact that the livery of
Democratic tariff reform has been stolen
and worn in the service of Republican pro-
lection; and who have marked the places
where the deadly blight of treason hss
blasted the councils of the brave, in their
hour of might" @
Strong and sangninary words these, and
new to Mr.. Cleveland's vocabulary-'trea-
SON and the s'close of the wsr."
War for and against what? Traitors against
whom and what: War against the best and
highest interests of the people of the United
States, whose chief executive, nevertheless,
he is War against our industrial indie
pendence and business prosperity. How
blithely he sounds the note of battle, How
confidently he again calls to arms every
enemy to our industrial system, and chal-
lenges to open warfare the friends of
American prosperity and American labor.
How scornfully he characterizes a. traitors
in bis party every friend, however wesk
aud hesitating, both in Congress and out,
to the cause of American protection!
Does Not Settle Anything.
Even the active agents to the settlement
avow it is settlement which does not set
tie anything. They openly disclaim it as
such, and invite the prote ctionists Of the
country to again join issue with them on
the doctrine of free trade against protec-
ton, which they declared in their last ma
tional platform was a "fraud and robbery"
Then, as now, we accept their challenge,
and appeal to the voters of the country for
their suffrages. -.
But even if the Democratic leaders were
satisfied " it'll what they have done, before
the settlement could be accepted as final,
and the country be set at rest, the new law
must pass the review of the people and be
approved by them. Ii the country was
disposed to accept it as final, and could per-
Continued on I'd page. ri.