Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-03-13

[From the Brooklyn IN. " Timcs,l

LAivm inc Dloohiyh ~ ~ iinc1'
Mr.. Harrison II. Riddleberger,
junior Senator from Virginia, drew
down upon himself the wrath of his
colleagues by boldly violating an
ancient rule Of the Senate, which is
to promptly confirm the appoint
ment to the Cabinet Of any OF its
own members. Mr.. Riddleberger
objected to the confirmation OF Mr.
Bayard as Secretary of State and,
as a single objection was enough to
defeat confirmation at the time and
as the other Senators were unwill
ing 10 confirm Garland and Lamar
before Bayard, the whole question
was lett unsettled by an adjourn
ment.
OF course there is not the slight
est doubt of the confirmation of the
entire Cabinet. Mr.. Riddleberger''
objection only compelled the nom
nations to go through the regular
form of reference to a committee
and a favorable report therefrom,
after which "a bare majority will be
sufficient to confirm. But the de-
lay has at least given Mr.. Riddle
berger an opportunity to express in
pretty emphatic terms his opinion
of Mr.. Bayard's unftness for the
position Of Secretary of State by
reason of his undoubted bias to-
ward Great Britain--an opinion
which is shared by a large and
growing portion Of the community
and which seems to have no expo
nent on the floor of the Senate save
Mr.. Riddleberger.
But however much the Senate
may protest at this seeming slight
put upon one of its members, it is
just as well that Mr.. Cleveland
should know that a decided senti-
ment in opposition to Mr.. Bayard
does exist in both parties. Mr..
Riddleberger no doubt regretted as
much as his colleagues, the neces-
sity of disregarding the presidents
and traditions of the Senate, but
he felt it his duty toprotest against
Mr.. Bayard's confirmation just as
he was compelled to protest some
weeks ago against Mr.. Bayard's
resolutions expressive of sympathy
with Great Britain at the time of
the dynamite explosions. Every
one sympathized with Great Britain
at that time. Neither Mr.. Riddle.
berger nor any one else cares to ex-
cuse the use of dynamite. But
what Mr.. Rlddleberger, as the
mOuth.piece Of the general Ameri.
can sentiment, did object to was the
passage of a resolution which
might easily be understood as
meaning too much. If Mr.. Bayard
had introduced a resolution which,
while proflering the sympathy of
the Senate for the misfortunes OF
England, had at the same time en-
phatically discIaimed any toler-
ance of her outrageous policy in
Ireland, no earthly objection could
have been made to its passage. But
such a resolution would not have
satisfied Mr.. Bayard. He felt too
deeply the sorrows Of his transat-
lantic friends to be able to discrim,
mate between the just expression
Of natural sympathy and an i'm
piled excuse for a mOnstrOus inva-
sion Of human rights.
1t is just as well, We repeat, that
Mr. Cleveland should be clearly
made to understand that Mr.. Rid
dleberger speaks for larger con
stituency than the State of Virginia
IN this matter. 1t is perhaps the
one thing that most menaces the
success of Cleveland's administra-
ton hat he has shown himself as
yet obliviGus TO this sentiment
There is danger ahead in that di.
rection, and the new President will
do we'll to carefully heed what Mr.
Riddleberger has to say of his chief
adviser. 1t may save him some
trouble if he heeds the lesson. An
English administration was never
yet popular in this country and il
will not be nov.