St. Paul daily globe., 1888-07-29
PRESIDENTIAL POWER.

About the time of the holding of the
St. Louis convention the Republicans
we're taunting their Democratic brethren
concerning the extraordinary power the
president seemed to WELD over his
party, and were saying that the national
Democracy bowed to the will of this
one man as though he had been legally
invested with dictatorial power. Now
the Republicans are laughing out of the
3ther sleeve. The joke has been turned
bn them. The Republican senate is
trembling beneath the force eXerted by
that extraordinary man who sits in the
executive chair. They fear his power
and dread the consequences of diSobeY-
ing his will.
Only few weeks ago the Republicans
In national convention defiantly de-
elared their purpose to resist every effort
made by the CLEVELAND adminiStra-
lion in the direction Of tariff reform, and
with that declaration in their mouth
went before the country. Just one
month has passed since then, and how
do we find the situation? The Demo
cratic majority in the lower house of
congress have succeeded in passing a
sariff reform bill in accordance with the
recommendations contained in the pres
ldent'S last annual message. The bill
goes to the senate, and when it gets
there it finds the members of that body
packing their traps preparatory to leav-
Ing the national capital on summers
vacation. The Republican majority say
sour party has declared in Opposi-
lion to all this tariff reform
business, and are not going to
fool away any time On it. We are
going home" But they didn't go.
They are there yet, and they are unpack-
ing their traps with the expectation of
spending the remainder of the summer
in discussion of the MILLS tariff bill.
What caused the halt and produced this
sudden change of mind? A little dicky
bird flew down from the White house
and whispered into the ears of the Re-
publican senators that the day they ad-
iourned the president would issue a
proclamation convening congress in ex-
Era session for the purpose of taking
some steps to relieve the treasury of the
surplus that was daily being piled up,
and to do something toward removing
the load of taxation from the over
burthened shoulders of the masses.
The Republicans knew what that
meant. 1t meant giving addition
al prominence to an issue that
they are already afraid of. A SEN
atorial caucus was Immediately held and
She situation discussed. A few of the
old bosses, like SHERMAN and Ed
MUNDs, made a feeble effort to stand up
jim opposition to the executive power,
BUT they couldn't hold their ground.
When Senator ALLISON rose up and told
the caucus that unless the Republican
senate got over on the CLEVELAND
platform the doubtful states would be
irrevocably lost to them, the whole
batch fell into line and the idea of i'm
mediate adjournment was abandoned.
The senate finance committee were in
structed to go to work and model a
tariff reform bill as nearly after the
fashion of the MILLS measure
as could be done without max.
ing it an exact copy, and tc
report it to the senate. There they
are now, waiting for the report of the
finance committee, and prepared to re-
main there until the report is fully dis
cussed and acted upon. These Repub
3ican senators are not there because
they want to remain. They are simply
there because they are afraid OF
GROVER CLEVELAND, and are aweC
into doing an act against their will by
reason of his overShadowing influence
What is the secret of Mr.. CLEvE
LANDS apparently mysterious power
over political bodies? 1t is easy of so
luton.
1t is merely because he is always il
the right. He possesses no persona
magnetism, nor doesn't pretend to hav,
it. The secret of his power lies only il
the manlineSS of the man. He neve
lodges an issue and never creates one
except that it be in defense of popula
rights. He forced the tariff issue on tn
Republican party because he was homes
in the belief that the interests of tn
country demanded tariff reform. Hay
ing forced that issue, he proposes t
stand by it until he compels the Reput
lican party to surrender.