He seems to have understood the iniqui
ties of our Tariff system, and it was a
bold, manly act for him to challenge the
High Tariff Barons and to make Tariff
reform an issue in his campaign for re
election.
Os his second term, nothing good can
be said. Honestly, we believe it to have
been the rottenest administration which
this or any other country ever had —a
possible exception being the Imperial
regime of Napoleon the Third. His elec
tion, having been brought about by the
lavish expenditure of money, the prom
ises which had been made to predatory
corporations, to induce them to contribute
so liberally to the campaign fund, had
to be redeemed at the expense of the peo
ple. It is a frightful thing to remember
that the Sugar Trust was given the privi
lege of writing the Tariff Schedule which
affected their own business; and that a
Cabinet officer practically acted as
amanuensis for the Trust in preparing the
schedule just as they wanted it!
The contribution of the Sugar Trust to
the campaign fund had been $500,000.
The sugar schedule, as thev dictated it,
enabled them to rob the people of this
country of $50,000,000 per year for sev
eral years!
A society man, named J. J. Van Alen,
had contributed $=;o,ooo to the campaign
fund, with the understanding that he was
to be appointed minister to Italy. Mr.
Cleveland made the appointment, as per
contract, and it never did seem to dawn
upon his mind that the Van Alen episode
was a most disgraceful barter of place
for boodle. Newspaper clamor forced a
resignation from Van Alen; it had
no apparent effect upon Mr. Cleveland.
