The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-09-16

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pantomine.
The distinguished statesman William ii
Seward was for years most radical poll
tician, preaching the perllous doctrine
that a mans conscience is to him higher
law than the constitution, and one he Is
bound to obey before any statute of the
land. Yet when Mr.. Seward was made pre-
mier of an administration of which he came
near being the head, he grew more conser-
vative than President Lincoln himself and
became a stickler for constitutional re-
strictions.
Lord Randolph Churchill before he got
into the British ministry melted the saw
age outbreaks which caused so much blood
shed and destruction in Belfast. Since he
has had the responsibility of cabinet of
fee he has been eager to suppress lawless-
ness in Ireland.
= = 4 x 4
President Cleveland, when he first went
into the presidential office, played havoc
with custom. He kicked out of doors a
centurys reverence for the sanctity of pub
lie files. and boldly told the startled sena-
tors that letters addressed to him, al
though on the files of the departments,
were his private property, which he was at
liberty to cart away if he felt so disposed.
This certainly showed a courageous de-
fiance of precedent, even 1t 1t did seem
little discourteous to congress. Yet we
now find President Cleveland such strict
constructionist of his legal powers and
privileges that he hesitates to invite the
representatives of the French republic to
attend the Inauguration of the Liberty
statue until he shall have had an opportu
nifty, after his return from the Adiron-
dacks, to study the statutes and consult
authorities. 1t is true the original resolu-
ton of congress authorized the president
to accept the Liberty statue and provide
for a becoming Inauguration, which
should express our peoples grateful APP
probation of the gift of the French re-
public. It is true also that the appropri-
alton of last congress sets apart $4,000
for the entertainment of invited French
guests. Yet Mr.. Cleveland pauses
to study the laws in order to as
certain whether he possesses statu
tory authority to indulge in an
ordinary act of courtesy. At the same
time the appeal of the Charleston people
for an immediate supply of government
army tents cannot be met because of the
time necessary to unbind the red tape
with which the tents are tied up in the
war department, and the sufferers are
compelled to call on the states for similar
aid, fortunately with more success.
If President Cleveland had always been
A strict constructiOnist, with his face set
firmly against innovations and his knees
ever ready to bend before the idol of
it would not be surprising to
find him now such stickler for regular
ity as to hesitate to do an act of courtesy
TO friendly Republic which has honored
US with national tribute until he finds
for his politeness in the consti
tuition and the laws. But the president
has been hitherto so gloriously independ-
ent of precedent and example that his
new tangled scrupulousness excites Won
der. Certainly no one would be surprised
to see Mr.. Cleveland 'throw statutes to
the dogs as soon as he gets out of the
woods and send a hearty invitation to our
French friends without regard to law.
even if Massachusetts stateliness does
stand in the way of the free transmission
If army tents to the Charleston sufferers,
IN act of humanity in which we are GER
ain the presidents nature, free from rou-
inc and red tape, would rejoice.
4 x X
The death of the yellow fever patient"
n the Rece ption hospital in this city,
With what are said to have been "unmis
akable indications" of the disease, as
shown by the autopsy, need cause no
Harm. There is similar case in our
,ity nearly every year, but the disease
ias never. in recent times, extended be-
yond the imported cases. Whether this is
lue to climatic changes or to the better
,are at quarantine and in the hospitals,
he immunity from the dread scourge is
equally grateful.
X
The proposition to remodel the organi-
,ation of the knights of Labor upon that
If the federal and state governments is
rather an ambitious one-suggesting a
union within the Union, so to speak; but
nasmuch as the usefulness if not the per-
nanency of the order depends upon the
of its organization, some
such plan is necessary. The INDEPENDENCE
of the assemblies in all merely local af
fairs, the appeal to the state assembly IN
matters of graver concern, and the iuris-
diction of the national body over affairs
that are common to all, would be an or
ganizatiOn conforming qui closely to
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