The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-04-29
GROVER cleveland SPOKE.
DEMAGOGUES AND AGITATORS ARE
HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR MUCH
OF CONTINUED DISTRESS.
REPUBLICAN PARiY'S |NF|DEuTY.
The Party in Power Has Deserted the
Issue of the Campaign for the
Paternalistic Tariff Policy
of That Party.

of That Party.
New York, April 24.-The annual din
ner of the Reform club, which was given
tonight in the new bali room of the
Hotel Waldorf, was notable gathering.
Representative men from all parts of
the United States, who played a promi-
nent part in the recent campaign of the
gold democrats, were present. 1t was
the first occasion on which ex-President
Cleveland has delivered public speech
since his retirement from Office. When
the list of invited guests was made pub
lie it was generally understood that the
speeches which would be delivered would
in a large measure indicate the policy of
the gold wing of the democratic party in
the next presidential campaign. Mr.
Cleveland was the central figure in the
dining hall, and his speech in response
to the toast present Problems" was
the chief feature of the occasion. He
spoke, in part, as follows:
I'VE are gathered here tonight as pa
triOtic citizens anxious to do something
towards reinstating the prosperity of our
fellow countrymen and protecting the fair
name of our nation against shame and
scandal. On every side we are confronted
with popular depression and complaint.
These are largely due to causes of natural
and certain recurrence as the inevitable
accompaniment of all human endeavors,
and perhaps they are largely due to the
work of agitators and demagOgues who
have busily sowed the seeds of discomfort
in order that In the harvest they may reap
personal advantage. Distressing ills, real
and imaginary, have been SO constantly
and luridly presented to the minds of hon
tt,nf how farfl nfn IN
without taking counsel of reason and Judg-
ment, any nostrum cunningly offered as
a remedy for the low condition. But even
so promising field as this has not salts
fed the designs of ruthless agitatOrs.
While scattering the seeds of discomfort,
they have also cultivated a growth of
sectional and class suspicion and distrust
which threatens to choke or destroy that
fraternal feeling which leads to CONSOLE
dation in the day of common misfortune,
and which is absolutely essential to the
success of our plan of government The
fundamental truth that our free instltu-
lions offer opportunities to all within their
influence for the advancement and i'm
proyement of their condition, has been so
far denied that honest accumulation is
called a crime and the necessity OF habit
of individual efforts and struggles, which
are the main springs of sturdy American
ism, are described as unjustihable bur-
dens while unwholesome paternalism IS
presented in handsome and inviting garb.
"Those enlisted in this crusade of dis
content and passion, proclaimlng them
selves the friends of the people, exclude
from that list all their countrymen, except
those most unfortunate or unreasonable
and those whom they have made the most
disconnected and credulous.
"These forces and conditions have for
years, with greater or less dlstlnctness,
lowered about our national life, lacking
effective organization and concentration,
neglected by those who deprecated their
existence and unheeded even by those
who partially appreciated their danger
GUS tendency. In the meantime there
has laid in wait by them an all impatient
power, ready to marshal them in effect
tive activity when depression, misfor-
tune. neglect and passion had done their
work. This power, born of sordid greed
and maintained by selfish interest and
partisan ambition, has at last assumed
command and has largely recruited it's
forces by infaming those inclined to be
patient with tales of an ancient crime
against their rights to be avenged by
encouraging the results, and turbulent
with hints of greater license and by Of
fering to the poor smooth road TO
wealth and to those in debt plan for
easy payment, and to those who, from
any cause, are unfortunate and discour-
aged as remedy for all their ills, the
free and unlimited and independent coin
age of silver at the ratio of 16 to l with
deprecated currency and cheap
money.
at was a rude awakening for the neg
ligent and over-confdent and day of
terror for sober and patriotic men, when
the bold promoters of this reckless crowd
captured the organization of powerful
political party, and, Selling it's banners,
shouted defiance to the astonished con-
science and conservatism of the country.
Hosts of honest men. in blind loyalty,
gathered behind the flag they had been
accustomed to follow, failing to discov-
er that their party legends had been eff
faced. None can forget the doubt and
fear of that boisterous and passionate
campaign, when the fate of the nation
seemed in the balance. The danger of
the situation arose from the hasty inn
pulse of those whose misfOrtunes had
been cruelty played upon. and from the
enthusiasm. of unqmestioning, thought
through the action of those who saw the
trick and loved the principles of their
party too well to follow its stolen ban
ners in an attack upon the nations safe
guard, which party as well as patriotism
should at all times defend.
Though the first engagement resulted
in the defeat of the combined forces of
dangerous and unwholeseme policies a
survey of the field is by no means re-
assuring. The party placed in power as
the result of splendid democratic patriot
ism has failed to meet the obligations of
the peoples trust; it's distinct campaign
declaration that it was unreservedly in
favor of sound money the character and
effectiveness of the support it gained on