CONGRESS. (TiiE TARIFF BJLL.) 



193 



dith, Moon, Morse, Moses, Newlands, Kandall, Kay, 

 Kayner, Robinson of Pennsylvania, Schermerhorn, 

 Settle, Shaw, Sibley, Sickles, Simpson, Stallings, 

 Stockdale, Sweet, Taylor of Tennessee, Thomas, 

 Tracey, Turpin, Walker, Washington, Wever,Wheeler 

 of Illinois, White. Whiting, Wright of Massachusetts 

 81. 



What are known as the " popgun bills" were 

 then passed: that for free coal by a vote of 162 

 to 104; that for free iron ore by a vote of 172 to 

 102 ; that for free barbed wire by a vote of 191 to 

 84 ; and that for free sugar by a vote of 276 to 11. 

 These measures, in the Senate, were referred to 

 committees and reported with amendments, but 

 no final action was taken on any of them. 



The Wilson bill became a law without the 

 President's signature. His explanation of his 

 course in neither signing nor vetoing the meas- 

 ure was given in a -letter to Representative 

 Patchings, of Mississippi, as follows : 



EXECUTIVE MANSION, 

 WASHINGTON, D. C., Aug. I?,", 189k. 

 Hon. T. C. Catching, s. 



MY DEAR SIR : Since the conversation I had with 

 you and Mr. Clark, of Alabama, a few days ago, in 

 regard to my action upon the tariff bill now before 

 me, I have given the subject further and more serious 

 consideration. The result is, I am more settled than 

 ever in the determination to allow the bill to become 

 a law without my signature. 



When the formulation of legislation which it was 

 hoped would embody Democratic ideas of tariff re- 

 form was lately entered upon by Congress, nothing 

 was further from my anticipation than a result which 

 I could not promptly and enthusiastically indorse. 

 It is therefore with 'a feeling of the utmost disap- 

 pointment that I submit to a denial of this privi- 

 lege. 



I do not claim to be better than the masses of my 

 party, nor do I wish to avoid any responsibility 

 which, on account of the passage of this law, I ought 

 to bear as a member of the Democratic organization. 

 Neither will I permit myself to be separated from my 

 party to such an extent as might be implied by a veto 

 of tlie tariff legislation, 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 contains inconsistencies 

 and crudities which ought not to appear in tariff' laws 

 or laws of any kind. Besides, there were, as you and 

 I well know, incidents accompanying the passage of 

 the bill through Congress which made every sincere 

 tariff re former' unhappy, while influences surrounded 

 it in its later stages, and interfered with its final con- 

 struction, which ought not to be recognized or toler- 

 ated in Democratic tariff reform. 



And yet, notwithstanding all its vicissitudes and 

 all the bad treatment it received at the hands of pre- 

 tended friends, it presents a vast improvement to ex- 

 isting conditions. It will certainly lighten many 

 tariff burdens that now rest heavily upon the people. 

 It is not only a barrier against the return of mad pro- 

 tection, but 'it furnishes a vantage ground from which 

 must be waged further aggressive operations against 

 protected monopolies and governmental favoritism. 

 I take my place with the rank and file of the Demo- 

 cratic party who believe in tariff reform and who 

 know what it is, who refuse to accept the result, em- 

 bodied in this bill as the close of the war, who are 

 not blinded to the fact that the livery of Democratic 

 reform has been stolen and worn in the service of Re- 

 publican 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 communism of 

 pelf, whose machinations have prevented us from 

 reaching the success we deserved, should not be for- 

 VOL. xxxiv. iy A 



gotten nor forgiven. We shall recover from our as- 

 tonishment at their exhibition of power, and if then 

 the question is forced upon us whether they shall 

 submit to the free legislative will of the people's rep- 

 resentative, or shall dictate the laws which tne people 

 must obey, we will accept and settle that issue as one 

 involving the integrity and safety of American in- 

 stitutions. 



I love the principles of true Democracy because 

 they are founded on patriotism and upon justice and 

 fairness toward all interests. I am proud o'f my party 

 organization because it is conservatively stur'dy and 

 persistent in the enforcement of its principles. There- 

 fore I do not despair of the efforts made by the 

 House of Representatives to supplement the bill al- 

 ready passed by further legislation, and to have en- 

 grafted upon it such modifications as will most near- 

 ly meet Democratic hopes and aspirations. 



I can not be mistaken as to the necessity of free 

 raw materials as the foundation of logical and sensi- 

 ble tariff reform. The extent to which this is recog- 

 nized in the legislation already secured is one of its 

 encouraging and redeeming features ; but it is vexa- 

 tious to recall that while free coal and iron ore have 

 been denied us, a recent letter of the Secretary of the 

 Treasury "discloses the fact that both might have 

 been ma'de free by the annual surrender of only about 

 $700,000 of unnecessary revenue. 



I am sure that there is a common habit of under- 

 estimating the importance of free raw materials in 

 tariff' legislation, and of regarding them as only re- 

 lated to concessions to be made to our manufacturers. 

 The truth is, their influence is so far-reaching that, if 

 disregarded, a complete and beneficial scheme of 

 tariff reform can not be successfully inaugurated. 

 When we give to our manufacturers free raw mate- 

 rials, we unshackle American enterprise and inge- 

 nuity, and these will open the doors of foreign inar- 

 kets'to the reception of our wares and give opportu- 

 nity for the continuous and remunerative employ- 

 ment of American labor. W T ith materials cheapened 

 by their freedom from tariff charges the cost of their 

 product must be correspondingly cheapened. There- 

 upon, justice and fairness to the consumer would de- 

 mand that the manufacturers be obliged to submit to 

 such a readjustment and modification of the tariff 

 upon their finished goods as would secure to the peo- 

 ple the'benefit of the reduced cost of their manufac- 

 ture, and shield the consumer against the exaction of 

 inordinate profit. 



It will thus be seen that free raw materials, and a 

 just and fearless regulation and reduction of the 

 tariff' to meet the changed conditions, would carry to 

 every humble home in the land the blessings of in- 

 creased comfort and cheaper living. 



The millions of our countrymen who have fought 

 bravely and well for tariff reform should be exhorted 

 to continue the struggle, boldly challenging to open 

 warfare and constantly guarding against treachery 

 and half-heartedness fn their camp. Tariff' reform 

 will not be settled until it is honestly and fairly set- 

 tled in the interest and to the benefit of a patient and 

 long-suffering people. Yours very truly, 



GROVER CLEVELAND. 



The full text of the tariff measure is as fol- 

 lows: 



An act to reduce taxation, to provide revenue for 

 the Government, and for other purposes. 



Be it enacted %_ the Senate and House of Represen- 

 tatives of the United States of America in Congress 

 assembled, That on and after 'the first day of August, 

 eighteen hundred and ninety-four, unless otherwise 

 specially provided for in this act, there shall be levied, 

 collected, and paid upon all articles imported from 

 foreign countries or withdrawn for consumption, 

 and mentioned in the schedules herein contained, the 

 rates of duty which are, by the schedules and para- 

 graphs, respectively prescribed, namely : 



