The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-11-06
GROVER CLEVELAND
ON PRESENT ISSUES,
TARIFF RRFORM HIS THEME
lie Makes Il Political Speech
For the First Time Since lie
Went Out of Office.

political meeting held IN MOrristown
N. D., few nights before the cam
paign closed, and special trains brought
hundreds of people from other towns
and cities. AS it was his first political
speech since he left the White House
six years ago, his dclivcrances are in
toresting if not important. Mr.. Clcvo-
land said in part:
am especially pleased to learn
that tariff. reform has been made the
principal issue in the canvass you have
IN hand. Never within my observa-
tion or experience has there boon a
Time when this should be more earnest
ly, pcrsistcntly and honestly pressed
upon the attention of our countrymen
than now.
"Of course custom dutios must con-
tinue to be tho source of govern
mcnt maintenance until another plan
is devised; but Il tariff, constructed for
the purpose of protection as its chief
object, is at all times and in every
feature OF 1t, an unjust and unfair
burden upon the masses of our people;
but the bold and arrogant develop.
mcnts Of it's unfairness and in Justice
in recent years, and the new dircc.
lions They have taken, ought to
especially arrest the attention and ap-
prchcnsion of every thoughtful, sober
miudcd person."
MIR. Cleveland reverted to former
Democratic tariff campaigns and quot
Ell several paragraphs from his tariff
message Of 1887:
For the purpose Of showing not
only the accepted position of the Demo
cratic party on the tariff question, but
also sas suggesting the material then
available in attacking tariff iniquitics.
want, if can," he continued, "to
lead you to a contemplation of the ini-
quitlcs that have since accumulated TO
the numerous additions to vicious
AMI dangerous progeny born of tariff
license and depraviLy, to the increased
mater!,l Of successful attack, and to
the present duty of all who love our
people more than self, to strike blow
whenever and wherever it is possible,
for our country's honor and etnancIpa-
ton.
For this purpose | hope you will
permit me TO add one further quotation
from the same passage as follows:
In speaking of the increased cost
to the consumer Of our home manu-.
features resulting from duty lald
upon imported articles of the same
description, tho fact is not overlooked
that competition among our domestic
producers sometimes has the effect of
keeping tho price of their products be-
low the highest limit allowed by such
duty. But it Is notorious that this
pNnNnnt itinn q fft.,,, of 1oI lu
combinations quite prevalent at this
time and frequently called trusts,
; Which havo for their object the reg
nlatlon of The supply and price of
commodities made and sold by men,
bers OF tho combination. The people
can hardly hopc for any consideration
in the opposition of their selfish
;: schemes.
. " Less than a year after this an
nouncement Of Democratic doctrine, 1t
was made q target for all sorts of at
tacks in Presidential election. The
timid we're assured that absolute free
trade would follow Democratic success,
that tho importers paid The custom
taxes, and above all, that if any re-
. vision or change was eXpedient, it
should be entrusted to the friends of
the tariff. The people were persuaded
to continue these friends in political
r. cohtrol and they forthwith constructed
new scheme of high protection. The
bill then passed was 50 full of abomi-
! nations and so plainly showed tho
heedlessness of its authors and benef-
ciarics and their disregard of the in
tercsts of the people, that the voters of
The land, though accustomed to yield
ing to tariff delusion were prompt in
their revenge and condemnation.
&C 1t might naturally be supposed that
so violent blow as was then given
would admonlsh, if il did not reform,
these promoters of selfish tariff benefits.
This, however, was by no means in
accord with their natures, nor in agree
mcnt with their Vaccinations. They
T. sullenly surrendered control of govern.
mental policies and laid in wait for
their opportunity. The lamcntable
conditions which quickly gave this op.
pOrtunity are familiar to you all.
am not here to speak of Democratic
J. misf0rtunes or miscarriage, but to call
attention to tn: unyielding tenacity OF
high tariff, rapacity and arrogance and
to the manner in which they grow and
develop whoncver they have an op
: portunlty.
"Sooner than they had the leas
reason to expect the friends of the tariff
= or in other words, those who sought tt
grow rich with government help at th'
expense Of the people with their aider
and abettors, had turned over TO then
the work of again adjusting tariff rates
How did they approach the task? Wa
. it with patriotic intention to beneh
the masses of our people and max
their burdens lighter. This they woul'
hardly declare without Sly wink
Was it even with the fear of the peopl
before their eyes? Surely nothing in
dcates it. Their work was undertaken
"a thoy would have entered upon
= ~ 5ilege--to make tho most of it.
:, have heard il said upon excellent AT
thority that expcctant beneficiaries ur
der the existing tariff laws--made b
: !. It's ffieHiIa4 ~ wore actually allowed
" constrdct&the schedule lby which the
4 n ~