The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-11-26
A M0MENT0US MESSAGE.
THE FATE OF THE REPUBLICAN PAR
TY IN THE BALANCE.

the Force Eli and Tarin-His Coming
Message to Congress VIII Tell the Story.
WASHINGTON, Nov. l9-President
Harrison to-day held an informal con,
ference with several members of his
Cabinet on the subject of his annual
message to Congress upon which he is
now hard at work.
The liveliest curiosity exists here as
to what the document will contain
Speculation about the outcome is even
" divided between the theory that the
paper must in reason be only conven-
tional commonplace summary of de-
partment reports, topped of with few
executive gencralities and the e1pecta-
ton. shared by the more aggressive Re-
publican politicians, that the President
will. improve the occasion to give an
emphatic reimbursement to both the
Mckinley tariff bill and the force bill
and, so far as lies in his power, keep his
party up to the work already begun
Herewith are given the views Of a pro-
minent Republican in a position to
know the inside status OF his party S
affairs:
The present week will witness some
earnest and probably some exciting
cabinet conferences. The Presidents
advisers us usual are having the mes
sage read by sections and are thus af-
forded an opportunity in advance to in
Il M ~,
expressed 1t is believed that the cabi-
net, like the general Republican public
is divided on the subject Of what the
occasion calls for. Certain it is that a
serious difference of opinion exists be-
tween the President and Mr.. Blaine as
to both of the measures to which by
general agreement now is laid the
blame Of the recent Republican rout.
Mr.. Blaine, originally opposed to the
force bill. IS against it still and thinks it
ought to lie on the Senate's table. He
diScourases all talk about committing
the party further to its fortunes. He is
likewise opposed to any re-assertion of
the principle of high protection as illus
trated by the Mckinley bill. Freer
trade through the medium of reciproci-
ty is the shibboleth he proposes shall be
substituted for the unfortunate cry
which the party adopted in the last
campaign.
The President to-day leans in the op-
posite direction on both propositions.
lie wants the force bill passed, and is
inclined to give it the active and un-
qualified support of the administration.
He holds that the Senate acted unwiSe-
ly in not enacting the measure into a
law at the last session, and could do
nothing better than to pass the bill as
early after reassembling in December as
possible. 1t is believed, too, that his
present purpose is to give some emphat-
ic expression of these views in the mes
sage now preparing. AS to the Nc
kinley bill he stands by that. He sym
pathizes with Mr.. Mckinley's assertion
that the bill was condemned without
the proper hearing, and hehas hopes, as
Mr.. Mckinley seems also to have, that
the developments of the next two years
will put an improved face on the mat
ter. At any rate he stoutly resists the
suggestion from the Blaine quarter of
away from the party's recent
economic record, and while not ignoring
or belittling reciprocity, seems little in
clined to bring that question forward to
the exclusion of everything else.
These facts make it plain enough that
the President and his premier are rap
idly approaching if indeed they have
not already reached point seriously
their own and the party's for
tunes If they are to hang together, a
very nice and diplomatic adjustment in
existing differences between them must
speedily take place, whereas, if they
should part company and Mr.. Blaine
should leave the Cabinet as the result of
his open repudiation of the Harrison
Reed-Mckinley program the Republi-
can collapse would be complete.
1t is no secret here that the Presi
dents friends are now warmly denounc-
ing Mr. Blaine. They regard him as a
traitor in the camp, bent only upon his
own ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. They want him
driven out of office, and as the situation
now appears demand to that effect
may shortly be made. They have been
prodding the President on the subject
ever since Mr.. Bla1ne'S merciless criti-
cism of thesNIcknley bill was first made
public. The Interpretation given to
that expression of opinion was that Mr..
Blaine was willing to help the democra-
cy win the coming fight in order that
his own views about reciprocity, which
must then come in for seperate exami-
nation, might dominate the platform in
the presidential year. They fully eX
pect him to repudiate those views. But
Mr.. Blaine remains mute, or when
speaking at all only adds to the belief
that he was from the outset one of the
most extreme and uncompromising of
the opponents of the Mckinley tariff
bill
That all of this is with purpose and
that purpose the making of Mr.. Blaine
the Republican nominee for the presi-
dency in 1892, the friends of the Presi
dent believe. The Harrison people ad-
nit that if Mr. Blaine should break
away from the President or be forced
out of the cabinet the prospect of Re-
publican success in 1892 would be dark
indeed. But in order to down Mr..
Blaine, whom they suspect of scheming
disloyalty to his Chief, they are willing
to pay any penalty.
As they view the situation there is
small hope of success under the best
and their idea of the Presi-
dents only duty in the premises is that
he should unmask and dismiss without
hesitation the one man who seems will
ing to discredit all of his party associ
ates in order to clear the path for his
own advancement. If the penalty is
defeat for everybody let it come, they
say Better that than success achieved
under and for the benefit of shrewd
juggler, who has no sense Of the obliga-
tions of fair dealing or true comrade-
ship.
It is because the Presidents message
must throw much light on this contro-
versy that such great interest attaches
to it. II the passage of the force bill is
in it and the principle of pro-
lection as illustrated by the Mckinley
bill reasserted, then Mr.. Blaine will have
been turned down. But itzthe message
cbould hc ono only of Recommendation and