The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-10-27
SENATOR MORGAN TO THE RESCUE.
Talking of sackyilIe's Letter In a
Long Winded Interview.
The President Not Disposed TO Take
Official Action.
The Minister who Writes Politics
Looking After His Fences.

WASHINGTON, Oct 26.-The administra-
tion people are still engaged in considering
how the effect of the letter of British Minis
ter West, Lord Sackville," can best be
broken. Consultations at the White House
have been almost continuous since the letter
appeared. Secretary Bayard, Senator Nor
gan and the officials of the State Department
have been discussing precedents, but 1t has
not been found possible to suggest anything
except the interviews Of Secretary Bayard
and Senator Morgan, which were carefully
prepared and given to the press. There is
no attempt in any quarter to deny the
authenticity of the letter. Minister West is
busy now in looking after his own fences.
in anticipation of rebuke from his own
government for having been indiscreet
enough to reveal the interest which Great
Britain has in the election. His main effort
seems to be to cause 1t to appear that the
publication Is due to betrayal of confidence,
and that he did not intend to participate In
the campaign. 1t may be Of interest to
know that the newspaper searchers after
truth at the British legation have been ad-
vised by the liveried fiunkies in charge that
not for Minister West.
Ex-senator John b. Henderson Of St.
Louis, who Is here says of the West letter.
That letter shows precisely how English
sympathy stands, and 1t shows, moreover,
that under all this recent bluster of the
administration concerning Canada there was
no real seriousness of purpose, and that Lord
Sackyille knows perfectly well that the
Presidents letter on the fisheries question
was written for effect. l should say that he
has made himself the Democratic Burchard
OF this campaign. 1 think his letter win
cause the Democrats to lose great many
Irish votes"
The interview with Senator Morgan fills
two columns in the Star. That 1t represents
as nearly as possible what the President Is
desirous OF making people believe Is his atti-
tude upon the question cannot be doubted.
Great stress, OF course, is laid by Mr.. Nor.
gan upon the Presidents, as well as his own,
Indignation upon finding the sincerity Of
the retaliation message questioned. Mr..
Morgan Is quoted, for instance, as saying:
Minister West has probably as much
knowledge as to the Presidents disposition
In this matter as you have, or as has any
other private citizen. He has no more. The
only thing he has TO base an opinion on Is
what the whole world has, the Presidents
message. Not only has Mr.. West no private
information, but, as know to be fact. Mr..
Cleveland has mol private views on the sub
Ject that conflict with the clear utterances of
his messages. When Mr.. West attempts to
construe the Presidents attitude differently,
and TO advise an American citizen as to the
disposition Of his political franchise, he is
guilty OF unwarrantable interference with
the anairs OF this country. His deductions
are based on nothing, and his conclusions
are absolutely false. l do not say that he
does not believe in them himself | say
merely that he does pot know Mr.. Cleveland
and Is deceiving hinkelf"
And then Mr.. Morgan branches out in
historical survey Oft the fisheries question
which contains nothing that is either new or
does not constitute the old defence of the
Bayard-C Chamberlain treaty. Referring once
more to the retaliation message, Mr.. Morgan
says:
Il know the motives that inspired that
message, and my admiration for the man (the
PresidenD expands with the knowledge. |
declare solemnly there was no thought of
gazing party advantage by it. 1t was inspired
by the highest motives that ever enter a
statesman's heart. Mr. West, or whoever
else attributes other motives to him, does Mr.
Cleveland gross injustice. In this message
he expressed just what was strongest in his
mind, and 1t was in perfect accord with his
attitude from first to last. He did not doubt
for moment that Congress would grant to
MIN the power he asked for, and he expected
TO exercise 1t at once. l can say with full
knowledge that had the bill that passed the
House so promptly been adopted by the SEN
ate, the proclamation requiring duties to be
collected on goods in transit to and from
Canada through the United Statas would
have been issued. IL the bill should pass
after election at any time during his admin
tratlon he would enforce it at once"
Mr.. Morgan also spoke of the action of
LORD Sackvlile as not only indelicate, but
highly improper, and termed his attempt to
define Mr.. Cleveland's attitude as the height
OF impudence that no man with a regard for
propriety would be guilty Of. He said that
Lord Sackville was on no such terms with
the President, or with the State Department,
TO enable him to judge Of their views,-and
IN tne same breath Senator Morgan declared
that he did not think there should be any Of
hcial notice taken of the Minister'S utter
ances, and he believed that the President
thought so, too.
This, indeed, is the most extraordinary dee-
laration on the part Of the administration
mouth-piece, v0icing the opinion of Mr..
Cleveland. On the one hand it represents
the President as highly indignant and out
ragged at the conduct Of Lord Sackville, and
on the other It asserts that no official notice
ought to be taken Of the matter.
Sackyille himself will regard the whole
question. Though he has shown himself
lndiscreet in this one instance and apparent
ly indifferent as to results, he Is known to be
sufficiently sensitive not to pass without
notice such comments as Senator Morgan
and the President. speaking through him,
see ft TO make upon his conduct
There is one rather ludicrous feature to
this whole business, and that is the specta-
Gle of the British minister advising American
citizens of English birth to vote for an
administration whose postal service he SO
mlstrusted that about year ago he en-
ployed, and still continues to employ, a
special messenger to carry the European
mail of the Legation semi-weekly to New
York to be there put ON board the outgoing
steamer. In explaining this the minister
said at the time that 1t was done as a matter
Of convenience. but 1t is well known that
this special service was resorted to because
of fear that the postal service of the ad-
ministration might prove "leaky."