The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-12-12
WAITING ON THEIR ORACLE
Until Cleveland Speaks Definitely His
Followers Will Be in a Q~uandary.
No Important Step Can BE Taken in Iegisla.
tion Till the Maker of Policies Issues His
Ncree-TbeN New York Senalorship.

The p~olicIes Of the Democratic party or
of whatever definition may be applied to
the misguided forces which have mad Mr..
Cleveland the next President. arc still to
be defined. Their only oracle 10 the Presi-
dent-elect. What will he say as to the
tariff In what way will he attitudinize be-
fore the public in contrast with the Chi
cago PLATFORM How will he define his po-
sition as to the currency problem. which
necessarily includes the great question OF
silver coinages
These are the questions which public men
in Washington are asking one another, and
which few of them hope to see definitely
answered before next March. But. In the
meantime. every indication as to these
yexed questions of the policy of the next
administration Is eagerly seized by pub
licists and by political prophets. and IL ex-
banded into elaborate explanations OF Mr..
ClevsIand's purposes. Every day Cabinets
are erected, and policies are framed az
fecting everything from the annexation OF
British America down to the duty on Jute.
In the meantime the well-informed leaders
who are not possessed of all this vast store
OF knowledge about the Democratic Popu-
lite purposes, are eagerly awaiting the re-
suits of the conference between Mr.. Cleve-
land and the Democratic Senators and
members of the House who went over to
New York to attend the Reform Club din
ner Saturday night.
The speech delivered by Mr.. Cleveland
was awaited with great interest by many
thousands of Democrats as well a. by many
thousands of Republicans who were not
present to hear him. but who read has pom
derous and evasive words IN the Sunday
newspapers and didn't learn anything fSom
them. More interesting, however. than
anything Mr.. Cleveland will probably ever
say in public would be an accurate report
of his private conversation with Senators
Brice. German and Carlisle. the members OF
the steering" OF the Democratic
side of the Senate. who have gone to New
York to consult with the President-elect
1t Is quite fitting that these representatives
of the ~cepitalistic forces which will CON-
troll the next administration should travel
from WASHINGTON to New York In a priv ate
palace car. When one reads the objections
of excited msss-meetlngs of Populites IN
Kansas to the exhibition of dress coats and
decOllete gowns at an inaugural ceremony
and contrasts this exaggerated sentiment
used by men who will have much to say
about the policy OF the next administra-
ton the farce of political pretenses begins
to become evident.
Democratic members OF Congress as TO the
outcome of the tight In New York over the
successOrship to Senator Hisoock. Mr..
Hiscook has long been known as the most
handsome member of the Senate. and his
title to that distinction Is only disputed by
Senator Gibson, of Maryland. 1t Is said
here that the fiQht for Mr.. Hiscock's scat
among the Now York Democrats will de-
yelop before January into q contest more
serious than any one has expected. The
Hill machine, aided BIZ Tammsny. claims
70 be certain of it's power over the Legisla-
ture to elect Murphy. But the Cleveland
Democrats In Congress. whether by author
thy that tr within TUis na q few Wedd ays before the meeting
of the Albany Legislature. the opposition
to Mr.. Murphy will make itself 80 violently
manifest IS to neceseitate the withdrawal
of the candidate and the substitution OF q
man who shall be acceptable to both wings
of the party in New York.
NO TAMMANYITE wANTED.
The name that naturally points into the
suggestion is that of Bourke Cochran, who
spoke so magnifcently at Chicago against
the nomination of Mr.. Cleveland. and who
proved his loyalty to his party by after
wards taking the stump in behalf of the
candidate whose nomination he opposed.
But the Clevelaed Democrats who view
the New York situation from this distance
are now so confident of defeating Mr..
Murphy that they are beginning to declare
against any compromise and against ac-
cepting any man for Senator who has
about him the slightesL faint of allegiance
to 1ammany. In this connection there has
been some talk about q possible meeting
between MIR. Cleveland and Sena tor Hill.
The fact that MIR. Hill has been honored by
the Democratic caucus with O membership
of the steering" committee of the Demo-
cratic members of the Senate, has sug-
gcsted the idea that Mr.. Hill may rave
been placed upon this committee with the
purpose OF bringing about the conditions
which would mako it absolutely necessary
for him to come into personal contact with
the PresideD G~-elect. The suggestion is
plausible. but 10 does not comport with the
VIGOROUSLY public expressions of hatred for
Mr.. Cleveland to which Senator Hill has
given utterance both before and since the
| November elections.
In ali this ak about the senatorship It
is to be remembered that Mr.. Cleveland. if
he proposes to fight Mr.. Murphy or any
other candidate of the Hill machine. has
now the power to create q machine of his
own more powerful than any which can be
maintained by the man from Elmira. No
State patronage can overcome the tre-
mendons treasury of Office brokerage upon
which Mr.. Cleveland can draw % bribe the
men who create legislatures into deserving
MIR. HILL and rallying to the cause of the
man of destiny.
There is one figure in the conferences be-
tween Mr.. Cleveland and his senatorial
| visitors W hose relations TO the next admin
lstratl0n have been greatly misrepresented.
This Is senator German. of Maryland. It
IL we'll known that Mr.. German was not dis
tinctly favorable to the denomination OF
Mr.. Cleveland ut Chicago, but 1T has not
been as we'll understood that after the
verdict OF the convention MI. German was
thoroughly loyal in bis su pport of the nomi-
nee OF tho party. The relations of the
Maryland Senator to the next President
grew very close during the closing week of
the campaign and mans decisions as To it's
conduct, far more important than any
known at the national headquarters on
Fifth avenue, were reached at Mr. Germans
private apartments in the Hoffman House.
Hence 1t is that the astute and priestiike
garded AS the perSonsl representative of
the administration on the floor of the
senate. This fact furnishes another reason
for the belief that Mr.. Hill will not venture
upon any open warfare with Mr.. Cleveland
over the continuation OF appointments.
Congress has written the history Of it's
first week. 1t is q history we'll worth con-
siderInG. There has been a Hood OF bills
for the repeal Of the Sherman act for the
monthly purchase of silver-b!lls which
promised no practical resuIt-for Mr.. Bland
has declared that there shall be no legls-
lation restricting the pnrchasc of SILVER.
but that, on the contrary no proposition
TO repeal the Sherman act shall be passed
unless it Is coupled with his own pet meas
ure for the free and unlimited coinage of
silver. The past session has shown that
Mr.. Bland Is not strong enough ia tho
| House to carry 10 q successful issue his