Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-04-24
A Letter from President Cleveland.


The President has written to Hon.
Chauncey +. Black. president OF the Ma
tional Association Of Democratic Clubs,
the following letter in reference to the
association and its work:
EXECUTIVE MANSION.
WASHINGTON. April IS. 1894
Hon. Chauncey f. Black, President, &C.:
My Dear Sir,--I have carefully read the
communication you lately placed In my
hands, setting forth the future purposes
and present needs of the National AS
ISOLATION Of Democratic Clubs
The achievements of this organization
should be familiar to all who are inter-
ested in the continuation Of Democratic
supremacy. and should enlist the encour-
agement Of those who appreciate the i'm
portance Of an effective dissemination Of
Democratic doctrine
Your association has done much by way
of educating our people touching the par
tcular subjects which are recognized as
belonging to the Democratic faith; but
1t seems to me that its best service has
been an enforcement and demonstration
OF the truth that our party Is best organ
lied and most powerful when IL strives
for principles instead Of spells, and that
IL quickly responds 10 the stimulus sup
piled By an enlistment In the peoples
cause.
This acknowledgment Of the important
services rendered to the advancement of
true Democracy suggests that the Ma
tional Association of Democratic Clubs
and every other Democratic agency
should labor increasingly and earnestly
to save our party. In this time Of its pow
er and responsibility, from the degrade
ton and disgrace of a failure TO redeem
the pledges upon which our felow-coun-
trymen jntrusted us with the control OF
their government.
All who are charged on behalf OF the
Democratic party with the redemption of
these pledges should now be impresslvely
reminded that, as we won our way 10
victory under the banner of tariff reform,
so our insistence upon that principle is
the condition OF our retention of the
peoples trust: and that fealty to party
organization demands the subordination
of individual advantages and wishes. and
the putting aside of petty and ignoble
jealousies and chickering's when party
principles and party integrity and party
existence are at stake.
j cheerfully enclose contribution TO the
funds necessary to carry on the good
work of your organization. with "A hearty
wish for its continued success and use
fulness. Yours very truly.
GROVER CLEVELAND.
This letter was penned not very long
after Mr.. Hill delivered In the United
States Senate his anti-income tax speech.
But it is to be noticed that the President
does not touch the income-tax question
at all. He made his own issue In the
celebrated campaign Of education" and
he Is too wise to permit unfriendly hands
to draw up platform for him now
Nor did he hesitate to disregard the
Mugwumps and contribute to the treasu-
ry Of the Association Of Democratic Clubs.
The President declares that the Demo-
cratic party is pledged to tariff reform"
and that fealty to party organization de-
mands the subordnation of individual
advantages and wishes to the great work
described In those two words Nothing
else than tariff reform is mentioned
This letter will occasion, and ought to
occasion, much comment In Washington,
1t is distinct alignment Of the Demo-
cratic party with the friends Of tariff
reform, and might almost be read as an
endorsement Of the Wilson bill, as be-
tween which and the Voorhees, bill the
President would probably prefer the FORM
er If he felt at liberty to take part in
the contest between the respective friends
| of those two measures.
The President uses very strong language
when he speaks of the degradation and
| disgrace Of a failure to redeem the
| pledges upon which the people entrusted
to the Democratic party the charge of
| their government.
But here 1t will at once occur to the
reader that the pledges the President
refers to must necessarily be not one
but many-not the tariff pledge alone,
but pledges as to silver and as to various
| other matters. The advocates OF State
banks claim that the Chicago platform
| pledged the Democratic party to the re-
peal of the law taxing State-bank notes.
So as to the Nicaragua-canal scheme.
| The letter Is characteristic Of its dis
| tinguished author. 1t said all that he had
| TO say and then stopped. We will follow
| his good example and stop here.