New-York tribune., 1885-01-15
MR.. BAY1RD'S Oh LECTION.

And now M Bayard gets snuDDcu anu u!
The Herald, too. Notwithstanding his great
friendship for the house of Belmont. he has IN
CURED the ire Of The Herald because he does
not enthusiastically approve the commercial
treaties. The newspaper organ OF foreign IN .
tcrests is naturally indignant. Any Senator
who does not rush at the first opportunity To
enlarge foreign importations, and to secure Tor
foreign traders the command of the American
market, is of course an Objectionable person,
who ought to be deprived OF influence with the
coming Administration. Accordingly The
Herald SAYS, "We advise Mr. Cleveland TO get
"some more rapid thinkers than Mr. Bayard
"about him. Events will not wait for Mr..
"Bayard, good man that he Is"
II seems that the Senator from Delaware, in
conversation about the commercial treaties,
raised the natural objection that they involved
many new questions and an entire change of
National policy, as well as a radical change in
the system of taxation, and large increase of
expenditure. Moreover, they had been cmptied
upon the Senate just at the close of Prcsi-
Dental term with hardly two months time for
their consideration before the session of Con
gress must terminate. 1t seemed to Mr. Bayard
that there was hardly time for the consiaera-
ton which such treaties dcmaDdcd, and that
action upon them prior to the Inauguration OF
the President recently elected would place the
Administration in difficult position. Ii must
be admitted that these remarks of the Senator
from Delaware show much good sense. But
The Heraid is moved to intense Indignation by
them, and treats Mr.. Bayard with great scorn
After all, it may as well be understood that
the people of this country arc not so anxious
for an increase Of foreign trade that they are
ready to sacrifice everything else To that end.
1t is but right that treaties, which when once
made cannot be revised or revoked, If ut any
time they prove injurious to the public interest,
| and which involve radical change of the Ma
| tional policy both foreign and domestic should
be thoroughly considered, both by Congress and
| by the people. Those who care for nothing but
| foreign interests may find it easy to make up
| their minds without delay. 1t is quite likely,
| however, that Mr.. Bayard represents in this
matter the feelings of Mr.. Cleveland himself.
| Whether Mr.. Cleveland desires the maintenance
or the overthrow of the protective system, at
all events it is highly probable that he does not
care to have the policy of his administration
fixed for him beyond possible change, in mat
ters of the greatest Importance, before he has
been inaugurated. He may naturally wish to
be President himself little. Under these cir
cumstances, the anxiety of some of his most
noisy supporters tn get him virtually gagged
] and handcuiied before he comes into Office does
I not evince on their part an astonishing venera-
tion for his intellectual powers or executive
faculties.
Meanwhile, it is to be noted that the so.called
Independent clique, small it is, has proved
large enough to split. Part of it violently op-
poses the commercial treaties, on the ground
that they might prevent free-trade legislation.
But another part passionately favors them, as
steps toward free trade.