Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-08-28
CLEVELAND AND THE TARIFF.

CLEVELAND AND THE TARIFF.
The President yesterday evening sent
the following letter to Representative
Catchings, of Mississippi:
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WASHINGTON, D. c., Aug. 81, 1874. J
Hon. T. C. CatchingS:
NV Dear Sir-Since the conversation
l had with you and Mr.. Clark, OF Ala
bama. a few days ago, in regard to my
action upon the tariff bill now before
me. have given the subject further
and most serious consideration. The
result is l am more settled than ever in
the determination to allow the bill to
become law without my signature.
When the formulation of legislation
which it was hoped would embody
democratic ideas of tariff reform was
lately entered upon by the Congress,
nothing was further from my anticipa-
ton than a result which / could not
promptly and enthusiastically endorse.
It is. therefore, with feeling of the
utmost disappointment that | submit to
denial OF this privilege:
I do mot claim to be better than the
masses of my party, nor do wish to
avoid any responsibility which: on ac-
count of the passage of this law,l ought
to bear as q member of the democratic
organization. Neither will / permit
myself to be separated from my party
tn snch an extent as might be implied
by nv veto of teriff legislation, which,
though Disappointing, is still charge
able to democratic effort. But
there are provisions in this
bill which are not in line with
honest tariff reform, and it contains in
consistencies and crudities which ought
not to appear in tariff laws, or laws OF
any kind. Besides, there were, as you
and I well know, incidents accompany
ing the passage of the bill through the
Congress which made every sincere
tariff reformer unhappy. while intiu-
ences surrounded it in its latter stages,
and interfered with its final construc.,
ton, which ought not to be recognized
or tolerated in democratic tariff reform
counsels.
And vet, Notwithstanding all its VI
cissitudes and all the bad treatment it
received at the hands of pretended
friends, it presents vast Improvement
to existing conditions. 1t will certain
| ly tighten many tariff burdens that now
rest heavily upon the people. 1t is not
onlv barrier against the return OF
mad protection, but it furnishes van
tage ground from which must be waged
further aggressive operations against
protected monopoly and governmental
favoritism.
l 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 now blinded to the fact
that the livery of democratic tariff re-
form has been stolen and worn In the
service of republican protection, and
who have marked the places where the
deadly blight of treason has blasted the
counsels of the brave in their hour OF
might.
The trust and combinations-the
communism OF pelf-whOse machina-
tions have prevented US from reaching
the success we deserved, should not be
forgotten nor forgiven. We shall re-
cover from our establishment at their
exhibitions of power, and if then the
question is forced upon US whether they
shall submit to the free legislative will
of the peoples representatives, or shall
dictate the laws which the people must
obey, we will accept and settle that
issue as one involving the integrity
and safety of Americon institutions.
1 love the principles of true demo-
cracy, because they are founded on
patriotism and upon justice and fairness
toward all interests. am proud OF my
party organization because it is con-
servatively sturdy and persistent in the
enforcement of its principles. There
fore do not despair of the efforts made
BY the House of Representatives to
supplement the bill already passed by
further legislation, and to have engratt-
ed upon it such notifications as will
more nearly meet democratic hopes and
aspirations.
| I cannot be mistaken rs to the neces-
sity of free raw materials as the foun-
dation of logical and sensible tariff re-
form. The extent to which this is rec
ognized in the legislation already Sc
cured is one of its encouraging and re-
| deeming features but it is vexatious
to recall that while free coal and iron
ore have been denied us, a recent let
ter of the Secretary of the Treasury dis
closes the fact that both might have
been made free by the annual surren-
der of only about seven hundred thou
sand dollars of unnecessary revenue.
am sure that there is common
habit of understanding the impor-
lance of free raw materials in tariff leg
islation, and if regarding them as only
related to concessions to be made to
our manufacturers. The truth is, their
influence is 80 far reaching that, if dis
regarded, complete and benehcent
scheme of tariff reform cannot be sue
cessfully inaugurated.
When we give to our manufacturers
tree raw materials We unshackle Amer
lean enterprise and ingenuity, and
these will open the doors of foreign
markets to the reception of our wares,
and give opportunity for the continuous
and remunerative employment OF
American labor.
With materials cheapened by their
freedom from tariff charges. the cost of
their product must be correspondingly
cheapened. Thereupon justice and
fairness to the consumer would de-
| a +Lo+ tho manufacturers be