The Worcester spy., 1898-11-20
CLEVELAND.
Watterson Says Grover
Killed Revenue Reform.
(From the Louisville Courier journal,
Nov. 81

The democratic platform of 1876,
inspired and revised by Mr.. Tilden, had
embodied an admirable tariff plank.
This recited the exact state of the case
existent at the time, and ended with a
demand that all custom house taxation
shall be only for revenue. The plat
form Of 1880, hastily constructed to
meet an eXigency which had not been
provided for retained the last sentence.
simply declaring in favor of a tariff for
revenue only. Immediately after the
defeat which followed the exclusion of
of the old ticket, and the substitution
IN lts place of the Hancock and Eng
ilsh ticket, there arose great hue and
cry among those unprincipled demo-
Gratis who, putting aside obvious con-
Slderatlons of right and duty, had failed
OF success. This hue and cry proclaim
ed that it was the tariff plank which
had lost us the election
"On that proposition the debate be-
came stubborn and heated. Tt divided
the counsels of the party for many
years in the popular branch Of con
gress, Mr.. Carlisle led the free trad
ers, Mr., RandalNthe protectionists. 1t
is not too much to claim that the Cou-
rler-Journal led the movement for rev
enue reform in the country at large.
Defeated for the speakership in 1883
by Mr. Carlisle MI. Randall carried
the issue into the national democratic
convention of the next year, and sue
ceeded in forcing upon the party
straddle; but even worse than this, the
convention put Mr. Cleveland in nomi-
nation for the presidency
he was a new and Untripd man He
knew little, if anything, of the best
democratic traditions He knew little,
If anything, of the operations of the
federal government. He was totally
uneducated in questions of political
economy. BY one Of those lucky acci-
dents which sometimes happen in pub
lie life he had been elevated to the
goVernorship of the state of New York
at the preceding election by an over
whelming majority. The time-serving
among democrats thought they saw in
this the precursor of an equal vote in
the coming presidential election AS it
turned out, Mr.. Cleveland carried New
York by a scant margin. and even at
this rate, it required a series of mis-
chances happening TO the republicans
to pull him through. Once again the
democratic party had upon the spur of
fancied eXDediency, taken leap in the
dark.
Mr. Cleveland became on the 4th of
March, 1885, the first democratic pres
ident in a quarter of a century. A
strong, self-confident, but uninstructed
man, he proved a very bull IN china
shop. Of the tariff he knew nothing
and almost next to nothing Of the men
who had fought the battle for revenue
reform. He did not temporize. He
simply loundered. The only question
he seemed to care about was civil ser
vice reform Finally. in December, 1887
having imagined in an imperfect way
that he had seen a light, he sent a
message to congress, of which. though
it electrified the country, he did not
remotely foresee the consequences. or
in the least comprehend the force. Then
partly admonished by the immediate
AND spontaneous outcry of the protect
iohists, he sought to modify it; and
frSm that time forward Mr. Cleveland
wore the mask of revenue reform only
to lure the party to its ruin. The great
body of democrats saw in him a free
trade Moses: all the while he was
afraid of the very shadow of revenue
reform. In 1888 he sent German and
Scott to the national convention with
a cut and dried platform. ignoring his
own message, ignoring the Mills bill
then before congress, and repeating the
straddle which. with Gen. Butler as
tride our back and Mr. Randall on our
flank, we We're compelled to make in
1884. In 1892 he sent Mr. Villas to the
national convention, accompanied by
all the members of his original cabi-
net except one. to engineer a retro
grade movement with respect to the
tariff. What happened later on, when,
owing to the Homestead riots, which
cost the republicans the labor vote,
he became president for a second term,
is matter Of history.
During these events the Courier
Journal stood by its guns and kept
them we'll shotted with wholesome dem
ocratic truth. 1t refused to worship the
newly risen sun or to permit it's read
ers to be deceived by false claims and
pretences. Finding in Mr.. Cleveland's S
good intentions much TO approve. it
yielded such of those intentions most
cordial and loyal support But. in
spite Of all, it saw him go out of of
nee without having brought to a sue
ceSstul issue any one of The measures
on which his party had set its hope.
1t saw him go out of office after 10
years Of personal ascendaucy. having
wrecked the party that had thrice
nominated and twice elected him pres
ident. Because it was unrem1ttfng in
its warnings it was made the object
OF the unceasing and malevolent abuse
Of those who Worshipped at the throne
OF grace. But there was about to come
as consequence of Mr.. CieVeland's S
selfishness and lack of sagacity a com
plete overthrow of conservative and
enlightened forces in democratic coun-
selS and for time a revolution of both
leaders and ideas destined to bring
with them multiplied disasters and bit
I a Ielg Il liC-giTN NeSf f,,t ts,g,s,