The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-10-24

|
peal bill.
Jones OF Arkansas, a rampant silver man.
was the last one to sign the document. al
though Senator Palmer OF Illinois held out un-
| til almost the last one. announcing that he
would never surrender his principles and COM
| NIT himself to such an albino bill as that He
| was dragged in on Saturday night on Mr.
Voorhees, assurance that It was a measure
| favored by the Administration. With his
rs the thirty fifth name. and Jones as tho
| thirty sixth. everything looked lovely for
compromise The only dissonant sounds In
the camp were the feeble pipings Of the popu-
lists threatening obstruction. and the mouth
| ings OF Jones and Stewart on the Republican
| side. who threatened to rip up compromise
| till it sagRed wide open.
AS for the Republicans as party. they op-
| posed the hybrid measure but talked only OF
making passive resistance by not voting for
| 1t. They had all stood for repeal only a
party principle. as THE Sun has shown time
and time again. and under Sherman's mastery
| lead they had spurred the Democrats
| into uniting for compromise. intending 1t only
! as pitfaI. However. the new measure had
| majority. and. as the lungs OF the silver mon
| could not have held out against it very long.
| the compromise goose hung very high.
| That was the situation on Sunday morning
| and until late last night. During the afternoon
Messrs. Carlisle. Gresham. and Voorhees, were
| out at Woodley. the Presidents country place.
and 80 we're several others. The situation was
| talked over. and the President saw that it
was necessary for him to convince his friends
that he had never favored compromise
in any degree or In any form. He mndo him
self clear. In his characteristic and forcible
way and In words that left no doubt. showing
his callers that he believed unconditional re-
peal could be had and that he would not
consider anything else. There was nothing
new about this. There had been no doubt
about his position from the first. until 1t was
suddenly asserted that he favored the queer
product OF Saturday.
But President Cleveland did not stop at OK
pressing his opinion to visitors He told
Messrs. Gresham and Carlisle that he would
like them. when they reached town. to take
steps to make his attitude clear to
the public. These two members OF the
Cabinet returned to town at night
and selected Mr.. Frank Jones. the first
Assistant Postmaster General to mako the
situation public. He gave the news to the
United Press as 1t was seen In The Sun this
morning, and this morning the little group Of
thirty-six men who had signed the compro-
mise measure was scattered as II dynamite
bomb had burst in what PETER would call their
midst Compromise disappeared from public
view like ship that sinks within sight Of
land. The situation them became and yet re-
mains precisely as it was week ago. The main
question now is: How the Admlnistra-
ton Senators could have SO msunder-
stood the wishes Of the Presldent2
Anywhere except in Washington. where
men contradict tomorrow what they
say to-day. The SUN would be justified in say
ing that the cause Of the Misunderstanding
and collapse is traced directly to Secretary
Carlisle. II the Inundated individuals who
fell from the ladder Just as they were within
reach Of their goal are to be believed. 1t was
the claims OF Carlisle as to what tho
Administration would accept that led to the
union OF the Democrats. II the same men are
to be believed Mr.. Carlisle was not as certain
OF his ground as he should have BEEN and so
was turned down when the President heard
what was going on. The Presidents friends do
not put the case in that way They arc more
diplomatic. They say they cannot see how
Mr.. Carlisle could have been 30 misunder-
stood" Some Of the Senators are ore out
spoken. and deny that they misunderstood Mr..
Carlisle. They say: Tho committee never
had any direct statement from the President
but enough was said by Mr.. Carlisle to con-
vince the committee that 1t was their duty to
prepare such legislation as they thought
would relieve and satisfy the country. and that
such q bill would 60 through" 1t is
part OF the Senatorial bunkum for tho Sen
ators to insist that they never went to
Mr. Carlisle or the President to get any advice
or opinions. Senators are much too great to
take anybody's advice or opinion. Perhaps
that is why they are just now the laugh
ing stock OF tho country. Those who
have been going to visit Mr. Carlisle
say that they only went to get data All the
same those who saw Mr.. Carlisle came away
with the report that the compromise bill would
81 oh hal hA,u fhay,f
men like Palmer OF Illinois to sign the agree
ment.
Senator German and the others OF the steer
ing committee are not children. and are not in
the habit OF counting their chickens before
they are Matched. At least they do not count
them until they have an incubator ready to
hatch out the eggs They say In SO many
words that the compromise fell through
because the Administration positively de-
clined to assume responsibility for it, and
yet thoy say it was framed to meet the sug-
gestlons and advice OF the Administration and
in the hope y harmonizlng the Democrats In
the Senate"
TO make clear the puzzling question how
Mr.. Carlisle can be responsible for this mud
die and yet can escape responsibility for it,
there can be added here the report Of at least
two Senators upon the subject They say that
Mr.. Carlisle. on being told of the COM
promise scheme. remarked. Il cannot
toll what tho Administration will do. The
President favors unconditional repeal But
go ahead. gentlemen and get up your bill"
or course this did not commit the President.
but tho Senators remarked that it would have
been Just as easy for the Secretary to say.
Don't go ahead. and don't get up any COM
promise"
The Republicans are all laughing. They
are tickled almost to pieces. One OF their
wits says that "the President has sat on |
his party. and all you can sac now are
fow feet and hands sticking out
from under him." The Republicans |
say they have no plans. and can have none. |
They intend TO look on. and let the Democrats |
Tight out their own battle. AS for the sug-
gestion that President Cleveland has said he |
will accept nothing that is not satlsfac-
tory to the Republicans who have helped |
him thus far. they have nothing to say. In |
tho chamber to-day Senators Hoar and Sher- |