New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-03-13
WILL HE REFORM HIMSELFi

There are signs that President cleveland
medtates a new departure. That his position
of late can hardly have been gratlfyir to him
is evident. lie has been denounced by his own
party for keeping Republicans in office;
denounced by Republicans for removing faith
full officials without cause; denounced by
spoilsmen for refusing to use all his power to
help his party, and at the same time dlstrusted
by ref in both parties and deprived OF
their hearty support because many OF his NOM
nations have been so bad that, in the phrase
of prominent Democrat, the Senate holds Its
nose over them. Some escape from position
so embarrassing and lonely he may naturally
seek.
A conversation between the President and
Senator Eustis of Louisiana, is reported in Inc
Washington Post, which may mean much. The
report is significant, not because OF anything
said by the President for the Senator is repre-
scented as doing most of the talking, but
because it is stated at Washington, apparently
on good authority, that the account of the con-
versation was examined and revised by the
President himself, and was made public with
his knowledge and consent. Hence it shows
that the President wishes to have the country
informed that he is considering the important
tened TO it with interest, refrained from eX
pressing any opposing conviction, and at the
close warmly expressed his thanks. No capable
President without some definite and important
motive, would allow a report of such con-
versation to be made public after personally
examining it,
Senator Eustis represented, it is stated, that
@it would be fatally unfortunate if the Repub-
"licans shonld be able to establish serious
"charges against any considerable number OF
Shis appointees" This suggestion the
Senator would not have made unless from his
knowledge of evidence presented in secret
sessions of the Senate and in committees he
had become convinced that such serious
charges were likely to be established against
considerable number of men. The President
answered that if any of the appointees were
found unworthy he hoped they would be
rejected that the Senate could not be too eX-
acting for his taste. But said the Senator, the
Republicans will thus be able to show that
"your Administration has not been equal to
ats responsibilities that it is under reckless
sor ici0us influences, and in support of this
Gwill bring forward the list of defeated nom
"ipees with the charges made and sustained
against their competency, fitness and moral
q characters and then will ask the country to
remember that but for the Republican Sen
"ate's ntery ention these men would have been
@holding Office under a Democratic Admins
"tration."
The Senator urged that I" the Democratic
sparty could not afford to go before the
apeople in the approaching Congressional
selections with the record of hav ing produced
" so much rejected material" In the Senator's
belief, then, the amount of rejected material
is so great as to be fatal. But the President
answered: u don't see how that is to be
prev vented now," and the Senator thereupon
urged him to withdraw the name of every man
about whose fitness there is any doubt. This
was the vital part of the conversation, and 1t
cannot be supposed that its publication after
revision by the President himself is meaning
less. But where would he begin, If he should
act on the advice the Importance of which he
recognizes by the publication Of the interview ?
Evidently with the Attorney General.
1t is too late for mild remedies. If the Pres
ident means to act upon the Senator's advice at
all, in the hope of saving his party from