Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-31
REVIEWS OLD WAR ON TARIFF
Cleveland Reiterates DenunciatiOn Of Pro-
lection He Made az President.
SAYS EVILS ARE YEARLY INCREASING
Trusts Fatten on HiRh Duties aud
Everyday Consumer f. Robbed
y by Law TO Aid o
Manufacturer.

MoRRIsTowN, N. j. oct. ~3O.-Former
President Cleveland spoke here tonight in
Lyceum hall. He said:
I am especially plea sed 10 learn that tariff
reform has been made the principle Issue
in the canvass you have on hand. or course
customs duties must continue TO be the
anither plan is devised, but a taTin. con
structed for the purpose Of protection is an
unjust and unfair burden upon the masses
of the people.
Renews Old Battle.
It was not long since the democratic
party in advocating the reduction of tariff
taxation TO the reYenue needs of the gov
serpment, based It's insistence upon the duty
of .cheapening the prices Of necessities ana
Withdrawing so much protection from a IA
Vofed few as allowed them abnormal prof
it's But the exactions on account OF pro-
tection we're made In such a stealthy man
ner that It was difficult TO Impress the evil
on purchases.
articles we're charged such high duties as
to create a surplus revenue. This surplus
represented a small proportion of the, un-
protection. But this amount was insigniii-
cant as compared with the sum manufac-
turers pocketed.
Proceeding he sketched the history of tho
tariff movement since 1887, when he urged
a reduction in customs duties, to the pres
ent time.
DthH ludn u year dlLtI lnhl mtbshBb ~
was made a target, he said, for all sorts
of! attack in a presidential election, and
acting on the idea that the tariff must he
reformed by its friends. the people we're
persuaded to keep those friends in political
control. and they forthwith constructed a
new scheme Of high protection.
The bill then passed was so full OF abom-
nations and so plainly showed the needless
ness Of its authors OF the interests Of the
people, that voters were prompt in their re-
venge. But sooner than they expected
friends Of the tariff, or, in other words,
those who sought TO grow rich with gov
ernment help at the expense Of the people,
came into power again. -,
Capitalists Framed Law.
He had heard 1t said upon excellent au-
thority that expectant benenciaries we're
actually allowed to construct the schedule
by which they expected to profit.
1 believe this last exploit of the so-called
friepaS Of the tariff in its revision should
amply+ satisfy any thoughtful citizen that
the spirit of a high protective tariff grows
by indulgence and mocks what 1t feeds
upon, and that its progressive greed and
ruthlessness Is becoming more and more a
menace to the welfare and happiness OF the
people. @
How long has 1t been thought decent, or
even safe, to cheat consumers of coal by
putting II on Inc free ISL, out ulbnOneStiy
providing for its taxation in another cum
ningly constructed provision of the law
l have called your attention to the fact
that In 1881 competition which, IL unre-
stricted. might modify the effect upon our
consumers OF a high protective tariff, was
spoken Of eas i'toe ,of1en strangled by COM
btnations, quite prevalent at this time and
frequently calhsd trdSts."
When this was written I suppose the
might have been counted on the fingers.
When the friends of the tariff last took up
the, work OF its reconstruction those trusts
had Increased by huhdteds. 1t was as plain
defends Them against foreign competition
price they defend themselves against COM
petition at home. 1t was perfectly apparent
that qpder, the broad wings Of high protee-
ton they could complacently close their
ears to the troublesome cry for easier iiv-
Ing from the everyday consumer.
is II not true. Them that the encroaeh-
ments of the doctrine of high protection
have been constantly progressive, and is II
not true that to all other reasons for tariff
reform there Is added the birth and growth
trusts and combinations, which stand guard
against all attempts to seek relief In the
field Of free competition?
That present tariff conditions have as
sumed h complexion which not only re-
qpires a check. but actual amendment. is
at last admitted among those responsible
for these conditions.
We hear It on every side. 1t means that
they see the handwriting on the wall as
they have meyer, seen 1t before. Does II
mean that they are sincerely willing to do
something for the people. as against old
comrades who haveJ heretofore paid well
for the neglect of the people?
How, can we believe this when we see
still paraded UP and down before our sight
the hGlryNheaded and maIodorous old fraud
and pIstense. that the tariff should be re-
vised by Its friends2
i have supposed my fellow citizens
thoughtful on this subject and DESTROYS of
an amendment OF the tariff and / have at
tempted to give reasons Thy this work
ah0nln nnl ha anfFfrQfa1 IN fhnAa uuhA haw TO-,
so fully demonstrated their insincerity and
un0tness for the task