Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1885-02-02
0be fanfastcr 1ntelliaenfer
LANCASTER, FEBRUARY 2, 1885.
Bad Advice Not Taken.

The New York Herald, which supported
Mr.. Cleveland in the late campaign, and
pretends to desire that his administration
should be creditable and successful, insists
angrily and unreasonably upon him taking
its bad advice in undertaking to influence
and direct the legislation of the present ex-
ring Congress, which has but one month
yet to serve. The Herald idea seems to he
that the president-elect ought to make
known his wishes forthwith to the men,
bers of his party in Congress and by prom
ises and threats compel them to carry out
bis ideas.
It would hardly be believed that any sim
cere friend of Mr.. Cleveland, or even that
any journal of respectable standing would
insist upon such mistaken and improper
policy by an executive-elect except that
the Herald has bluntly and Enthusiastically
expressed this view. In support of it it says
that I" when Mr.. Tilden, in 1876, believ-
ing himself elected, as he undoubtedly was,
believed also that he would be seated in the
presidency, he did not hesitate moment
to send word to Washington that he ex-
pected certain things to be done, and GER
tain thinks not to be done; and he did not
fail to add, in one instance, that whoever
in either House went contrary to what in
his MIR. Tilden's) opinion was right need
never call upon him in the White House :"
and the Herald adds that 50 Mr.. Cleveland
cannot do better than follow that good
jackson example"
INacpita tho Uo,oI1fs pacit,ya JanIa io,,
of what it alleges to be an historical fact
we doubt very much if Mr.. Tilden ever
did any such thing as is alleged of him. If
he did, the Democratic presidentlthat is TO
be could not well do worse than, to follow
his example. To begin with, the term for
which Mr.. Cleveland is elected, begins Just
when the term of the present Congress
ends; its members were chosen when it is
very certain that the thought of him for
president had not entered his mind nor.
probably, into that of any other person. 1t
would, in view of this be the height of i'm
propriety in the incoming president to
bring to bear in the way indicated his in
fuence upon the outgoing Congress.
Mr.. Cleveland is not in any way respon-
sible for the issues which have occupied
the present Congress, by the disposal of
which it seems to be embarrassed and most
Of which it bids fair to leave as a legacy
to his administration. He may have to
meet them and treat of them in his mes
sage, with his cabinet and in his relations
with the next Congress; but, manifestly,
there is no call upon him to grapple with
them until he is established in his new rea-
tions and is fully equipped for them.
The Nicaraguan treaty, for instance,
about which the Herald and its Washington
correspondent are most solicitous and inn
Fortunate, is essentially policy of the
present administration, and its state depart
ment more especially. The public have
heard and thought little about it hereto
fore ; comparatively few congressman have
given consideration to it, or have any well
considered or positive views concerning ii
it would be venturing little to say that Mr..
Cleveland, himself, diligently occupied
with subjects of more immediate concern,
has no such decided opinions on the Near
ayuan treaty as would justify him in bull
doing congressman into SUI )rt of or oppo-
siton TO tiff such indecent coercion as
the Herald suggests could by any circum-
stances be tolerable in the chief executive
of the government and the chosen head of
party.
Not to speak of the fragrant improprety
of president not yet inaugurated interfer-
fering so violently with the work of Con-
gress, nor Of the delicate position which
any executive would occupy in thus med
ding with legislation, the course indicated
by the Herald would necessarily create
party dissension and dissatisfaction at the
very outset Of an administration, the con-
spicuous object of which no doubt will he
peace with honor " in its party.
In none of all his manifestations of
strong mind and good common sense has
the president-elect better shown himself
possessed of the right qualities for the
presidential office than in avoiding the very
course to which the Herald would goad
him on. And it ought to have learned by
this time that, once having set himself on
an appointed way, Gov. Cleveland is not to
be sweryed from it by such renewal and
reiteration OF [" advice " as that i'm which
the Herald insists upon indulging