The Portland daily press., 1885-08-28
cLEvELAND's ADMINISTRATION.
Its Conduct Reviewed by Senator
Sherman.

LGJ us TAKE NI6NtIduu administration
and test it by its acts thus far, as they affect
great public interests. The greatest danger
to the country now is found in fraud at elec-
tions. As | have said, the Democratic party
now holds the Solid South by the meanest
frauds; but Mr.. Cleveland may say that is
for Congress and for the law to deal with
But he had before him recently, an applica-
tlon for the pardon of Lieutenant Mullen of
Cincinnati, a police officer convicted of the
greatest oppression and wrong. Here was
an opportunity for him to emphasize his
view of violence at elections Mullen ar
rested more than 100 colored men the night
before the last October election and held
them in the Hammond street prison until
after six o'clock on election day, so that they
could not vote. And without an opportunity
to appeal for the benefit of the writ of
habeas corpus and by gross wrong, he de-
prived them of their franchise. He was ar
rested, indicted, tried and pleaded guilty in
the United States court of the offence
charged. Judge Baxter, of the circuit court
OF the United States, in his sentence says:
The testimony demonstrated that you knew
some OF them to have been citizens of Cincinnati
for several years preceding their arrest and yet
proceeded without inquiry, complaint or proof, to
arrest and hold them in durance vile, as alleged
In the Indictment under pretence of official duty,
but in fact to prevent them from exercising their
constitutional right to vote for representative in
Congress. The evidence of your guilt was so con-
yincing that your jealous and able counsel yOlun-
tarily yielded to its irresistible force, and with
your acquiesence manifested in open court con-
sented to the tindlng made by the jury. The find
ing thus obtained Is virtual confession by you
that the arrest and Imprisonment of the persons
named were for the wrongful purpose alleged in
the Indictment.
Hara xvos ba looea of ~, oeco,,oc on ,s-o-c
and scandalous that no circumstance could
be added to make it more criminal. Mullen
was sentenced to serve one year in the
county Jail, and yet long before his term ex-
pired he was pardoned by the President of
the United States.
1t does not help the matter to say that this
pardon was passed upon the petition of Gov
Hoadly of Ohio and other Democratic parti-
sans, for such a petition, under the eircum-
stances, only condemns those who signed it.
If such an offense as this can be condoned in
this way, there is no protection against
violence or fraud at an election, and the
Mississippi murders, the Danville riots and
the manipulating of ballot lboxes can hardly
be classed as crimes. Here was an officer of
the law, charged with the duty of protecting
citizens in their rights, arresting by whole
sale more than 100 citizens, confining them
where they could not be reached until after
the election was over, and then discharging
them without accusation or trial. This par
don we may fairly regard as evidence of the
view taken by the President of the United
States of frauds against the elective fran
chlse. LII such wrongs can be thus condoned,
and there is no protection to the citizen
against similar occurrences, the time will
soon come when elections will cease, by the
general confession of the people that free
government by elections has failed, and the
imam on horseback will be called upon to
repeat again his role of history. With my
kindly feelings toward President Cleveland
| believe that in this act he has done more to
lower his administration in the opinion of
conservative men than by any other, or all
other acts of his life.
Take another act of this administration.
Both parties are pledged to adopt all suit
able measures to restore our foreign COM
merce, destroyed by the operation of rebel
cruisers during the war. Many efforts have
been made by Congress and by American
shipbuilders to secure this great national OBJ
Ject. One of the most successful of these
was John Roach, an uneducated Irishman,
but whose native genius and energy enabled
him to establish great shipyards, where he
built many ships for private parties and
some for the United States. He had nearly
completed the Dolphin, a government vessel
and was constructing, under contracts, other
government vessels. Every part of the work
Aittu bCCu uOliC flliu dt JIC 1udItIldlS
nished under the direct supervision Of naval,
officers, according to plans prescribed by
them. The Dolphin, nearly completed. went
out on trial trip to test her speed 1t is
alleged by Mr. Roach that she fully met all
the requirements OF his contract The Sec
retary of the Navy however, claimed that
the vessel did not attain the rate fixed by the
law. The Attorney General decided that,
although Roach had built the vessel in pre-
else conformity with the plans of the naval
engineers and of materials hx-
them, yet, if their joint handiwork did not
secure the speed required by the law the
vessel costing $5O0,000 might be refused and
thrown on the hands of Roach. The decision
made Roach guarantor of the intelligence
and skill OF the government officers, and yet
required him without question to follow their
plans and specifications as to model, work
and material. 1t is sufficient to say tha
with such rule none but fool OF mad
man would take contract of the govern
ment to build ship or anything else The
rate of speed fixed by the law was directory
to the naval engineers. If their plans and
models, properly executed by the contractor,
did not secure vessel of the proper speed,
it was the fault of the government and its
agents, and not of the contractor; and vet,
upon such decision, they forced Roach to
stop his works, to make an assignment to
throw out of employment thousands of
wOrkmen and arrest for the time the con-
struction, not only of government vessels,
but of many commercial vessels for private
parties, and greatly add also to the general
depression of business.
Another case of disregard of American in
terests by this administration was the prac-
tical notification of the law of the last
session of Congress apprOpriating 100000
to enable the Postmaster General to contract,
after legal advertisement, with the lowest
bidder among American steamship COM
panies for the transportation of foreign
mails. This act of Congress, intended to
foster and build up American commerce, was
by the Postmaster General disr9garded, and
contracts were let mainly to English steam
ship companies. have not, as a rule, sup
ported any system of subsidies, but this
proposition did receive the support of men,
bers of both political parties, and was be-
heved to be very Important for american
interests In building up commerce, especially
with the South American States. The sub
ject had been fully and fairly debated in
Congress The law was plain and directory,
and should have been executed by the Post
master General with view to carry out the
will of Congress. have carefully read the
papers in respect to this matter, and it
does seem to me that by refusing to make
the arrangements for carrying the
foreign mail in American steamships,
he has violated the spirit If not the Ian
gauge, of the law and shown an utter dSre-
gard of the intent of Congress as well as of
the rights and interests of American Ships
and acted solely in the interests of foreign
steamship companies. No act of the admins
tration has tended in the slightest degree to
revive the business Of the country. 1t was
the hope that change would make times
easier that led many persons to vote the
Democratic ticket. What has been the re-
suit? What suggestion, even, has been made
by any member of the administration that
will brighten in the least the industry of the
country? None whatever. The Secretary
OF the Treasury changed the form Of the
monthly debt statement and made obscure
what was formerly clear He excluded
from the moneys on hand the entire body of
fractional silver coin, thus tending to lessen
the stated balance in the Treasury below its
real amount, and at the same time tending
to depreciate the value of this silver cur
rency. One.gOod effect of this pretended re-
form is to show how foolish Mr.. Hendricks
was in the last campaign in stating that
there was $400000000 belonging to the Uni
ted States lying idle in the Treasury, kept
there by the Republican party. Where is
this surplus?
How many barrels of flour will it buy for
each citizen of the United States? How
shallow was the hypocrisy and demagogism
by which the party came into power! The
arrangement by the Secretary with the ma
tional banks in New York to get as a matter
of favor some gold in exchange for silver
coin seems to me violation of the sub-treas-
ury act, which clearly forbids all exchange