New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-12
GOLDEN SILENCE.

Ex President Clevelands speech at the Re-
form Club was eloquent in what 1t did not say
TO suppose that it satisfied the club would DC
an insult TO It's intelligence Inc kelormeTs
have won great victory with their policy,
but know that it is barren if not intrenched
in the statute books in the form of legislation
They invited their leader, by his clarion voice
at a banquet. to point the way to final triumph
He came, and from his lips there fell the most
dreary and meaningless platltudes that ever
veared human ears. The clarion cal! to glory
became confession that the task Is aWluiiy
difficult. and the responsibility frlghtful, ana
cannot be undertaken without the greatest eau
ton. Ic who was supposed TO be the one
mite ritied and unfinching leader of leaders has
not one word TO say about the repeal OF the
Mckinley act. That sacred duty, to which all
Cleveland Democrats were consecrated lonS ago
becomes work of unspeakable complexlty'
which DrmOc ats can only approach with qlak-
inc knees and chatterins teeth. NO one can
read Mr.. Cleveland's singular utterances AT
the Lanouet without feeling that he has walked
- profound consciousness that the pledges
e . condidate are cruel manacles for an eXecu-
tive.
Mr.. Cleveland was also extremely eloquent
about the silver question. He SAID not one
word about it. and thus disclosed more OF his
state of mind than by all the words he uttered
Eight wears ago before he was inaugurated, he
took occasion to appeal most strongly TO MS
friends in Congress against free coinage or
silver Now they have before House more
than two-thirds Democratic bill for that pur-
pose, which has already passed the Senate.
But Mr. Cleveland is as eloquent about 1t as
an oyster Whether he thinks his party had
better raSs this bill before he can be called upon
to sign it. or repeal the present silver act, or
devise some new measure to settle the ques-
ton. he offers not one hint. This seems to
indicate that Mr. Cleveland is in some way
under mortgage not to antagonize his party in
what it may decide to do on this subject.
Else, surely. as private felloW-cltlzen ne might
have offered word of advice.
1t Is eaay to say that Mr.. Cleveland appre-
cia.es the great difficulties of his party, and
does not want to add to them by any premature
utterance That he has avoided with dis
tinguiShed success he has said nothing to hurt,
nothing to help, nothing. But could it possibly
cmbarra>s the party to repeat its own deliberate
pledges? Certainly, if it now means TO put
a now Interpretation on those pledges. Would
it embanasS the party t. reiterate his own often
/ av0wed convictions? Certainly, if he has
/ undertaken 10 modify them or keep them TO
himself as political expediency may require.
Otherwise why this most eloquent passage OF
silence?
one would suppose that Mr.. Cleveland, with
out tleading on forbidden ground, might have
Il dor
able or what legislation his party friends who
now control the House should strive to secure
at the present session. But even on such inno-
cent topics as these he had not one word to
say. Presumably he will not know officially
whether an extra session will be needed until
he sees what the present session may have
done and he cannot appropriately recommend
ANYTHING to the present session because he
has not been inaugurated, which is like the
digniiied BrtOn who could not save a mar
from drowning because he had not been intro
duced to him.
1t will he understood, of course, that Mr.
Cleveland is silent on such an occasion as this
out of deliberate purpose. lie begins TO per
ceive the difficulty of his task. For the first
time in his life he is called upon, for the first
time in the lives of the present generation OF
Democrats they are called upon for constructive
>tltesman,hip. His task was easy, when he
had only to decam against the niquity OF
thing, other people had done. The task Of
his party was easy when it had only to frame
/ bills which it knew could not be passed. But
now its bills are liable to become laws anC
its laws are to be tested by their actual re-
suits. Mr. Cleveland manifestS an access OF
good sense in suddenly pcrccivns the virtues
Of silence. All their lives he and his party
have been talking before they thought but thai