New-York tribune., 1885-02-09
MR. HEWITT FOR THE TREASURY.

Mk HEWITT run IHE ihH"'
The report that Mr.. Cleveland now means
to select Mr.. Hewitt as his Secretary Oh the
Treasury places in clear nghC 'ho
difficulties with which he has 10 con,
tend. The selection of Mr.. Hewitt wouid
give intense satisfaction to many peo,
ple. On the other hand, it would affect eood
manv others as a rcd rag does mad bull. III
we NAV conceive of the Democratic party as
having British end and an American end. Mr.
Hewitt's selection would delight the British
end of the party His peculiar desire tor " Tree
raw materials" will delight the foreigners
who want to sell us raw materials which are
the products of almost every industry under
the sun. His belief in hard money and his
strong opposition to the silver coinage, more
over, would enrage the Democrats OF silver
producing or soft-mOney regions. 1t may be
remembered, too, that his interview with the
British Minister about resolution which was
offered in the House not very long ago,
caused some harah remarks to be smade by
Democrats. He is an able and Jealous
man, who has both convictions and courage
and would therefore be a power for good where
he is in the right, and power for evil where ne
is in the wrong.
1t happens that Mr.. Hewitt has not been
able to influence the House of which he Is
a member to any great extent He has sc0lded
it several times, when the scoding was well de-
served, and in that direction he has consider
able faculty. But he has not been able to IN
tluence the majority of his own party to DO or
to leave undOne any particular thing within
our recollection. Even on the tariff question,
though he supported Mr.. Morrison's bill after a
fashion, he could not agree with 1t, and had a
bill of his own which he greatly preferred. MIR.
HewItts hostility to the protective system,
though quite as dangerous to it as that OF Mr..
Morrison. cannot be recOnclled with the Car
isle Morrison ideas, and it follows that about
four-fifths of the Democrats of the House
do not agree with MIR. Hewitt even on
the tariff question; he would destroy pro-
lection if he could, as well as they, but would
do it in very different way. As the way is
everything, in the framing of practical meas
ures. Mr.. Hewitt comes pretty near forming a
party by himself But it is to be inferred
that, though unable to plan legislation which
a majority would adopt, he would probably
advise a President to sign even so dangerous
measure as the Morrison bill, just as he voted
against Mr.. Randall Ill the decisive vote last
spring.
Mr.. Hewitt would doubtless use all his
influence to stop the silver coinage. 1t
would be a matter of great satisfaction
to have In the Treasury a Democrat who
would at least refuse to use the powers of
the Secretary for the debasement of the cur
rency and the destruction of the public credit.
His selection would put Mr.. Cleveland into
very warm water at once, but it would be an
evidence of praiseworthy purpose. 1t would
call to the most important place in the Cabinet
a man of original force and large experience,
in whose integrity everybody would trust, and
in whose capacity to deal with the alarming
problems which confront the Treasury the
country would have asmuch faith..as any Demo-
crat could inspire.