Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1894-09-05
HERE'S GOOD READING.
PRESIDENT CLEVELAN ND
SPEAKS OUT.
A TALK THAT WILL WARM
The Hearts of Honest Democrats.
Why He Would Neither
Veto Nor Sign the
Tariff Bill.

Veto Nor Sign the
Tariff Bill.
Greenville Daily News.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Aug. o.
President Cleveland has written
the following letter to Representa-
tive Catchings, of Mississippi, in
which he sets forth his views of
the new tariff law, and gives his
reasons for not approving the bill /:
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WASHINGTON, D. c., Aug. 81. !
Hon. C. T. Catchings,
My Dear Sir: Since the CONVEX
sation T had with you and Mr..
Clark, of Alabama, few days ago,
in regard to my action on the tariff
bill now before me, I have given
the subject further and most seri-
Gus consideration. The result is,
I an more settled than ever in the
determination to allow the bill to
become d law without my sigma
ture.
When the formation of legisla-
tion, which it was hoped would en-
bodv democratic ideas of tariff re-
form, was lately entered upon by
the Congress, nothing was further
from my anticipation than aresult a
which I could not promptly and
enthusiastically endorse. 1t is
therefore with a feeling of utmost
that l submit to a
denial of this privilege.
I do not claim to be better than
the masses of my party, nor do l
wish to avoid any responsibility
which, on account of the passage
of this law, I ought to bear as a
member of the democratic organ
ization. Neither will ! permit my.
self to be separated from my party
to such al extent as might be i'm
piled by my veto cf tariff legisla-
tion, which, though disappointing,
is still chargeable to democratic
effort. But there are provisions in
this bill which are not in line with
honest tariff reform, and it con-
tains inconsistencies and crudities
which ought not to appear in tariff
laws or laws of any kind. Besides
there were, as you and I we'll know,
incidents accompanying the pass
age of the bill through Congress
which made every sincere tariff
reformer unhappy, while influences
surrounded it in it's later stages
and interfered with it's final con-
struction which ought not to be
recognized or tolerated in demo
cratic tariff reform counsels. And
yet Notwithstanding all it's vicissi-
tudes and all the bad treatment ii
received at the hands of pretended
friends, it presents vast improve.
ment to existing conditions. II
will certainly tighten many a tariff
burden that now rests heavily upon
the people. 1t is not onlr a barrier
against the return of mad protec'
ton, but it furnishes a vantage
ground from which must be waged
further aggressive operations
against protected monopolies and
governmental favorities.
I 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 blind to the fact that the
livery of Democratic tariff reform
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 trusts and combinations
the communion of pelf-whose
Vaccinations have prevented us
from reaching the success we de-
served, should not be forgotten or