The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-10-25
CALLED II A DUNCO GAME.
Democrats Say the President Agreed
to the Compromise,
AND THEN BLUNTLY REPUDIATED
THE WHOLE THING.


Senate In a Strange Position and Made
Life Hardly Worth Living When the
News Got Out-They Were at First
Accused of Being the Buncoers But
Were Later Acquitted.
New York, October 24.--A Washington
despatch to the Tribune says:
The announcement issued through the
medium of Secretary Carlisle that the
President wholly discountenanced the
Steering Committees" plan of compro-
mise, and still hoped to secure the uncon-
d1tional repeal of the Sherman act, fell
with benum bing and bewildering
effect upon the leaders of the Compromise
movement in the Senate, and for several
hours all was confusion, discouragement
and wrath in the ranks of the Senate
majority. The blunt Reputation by the
President and his secretary of all the
hints and suggestions on which tho
trainers of the compromise had been
proceeding since Thursday caused at first
stupof, then amazement, then indigna-
tlon, on the part of those who in GOOD
faith had signed the terms of that agree,
ment
The published statement raised in fact
plain issue OF political integrity and
veracity between Secretary Carlisle and
the Administration members of the
Steering Committee II the President
and Mr.. Carlisle had not countenance5
and practically assented to the compro-
mise of Saturday, then Mr.. GRAY, Mr.
Ransom and Mr.. White of Louisiana. the
6nree Admlnlstr alton Senators who as
members of the Steering Committees
signed the agreement and recommended
It's acceptance by their Administration
colleagues, had either been grossly misled
as to the purposes and wishes Of the
Administration, or had attempted a
bunco game" on their unfortunate
associates
According to these three Senators. all
ardent friends of the President and sup-
porters of his policy of unconditional re-
peal, Mr.. Carlisle and others who were
supposed to speak for the heAdiminstration
had plainly assented to the preparation
OF compromise, and even yielded in
terms to the proposed extension of the
LIE OF the Sherman act till October 1.
1894. The President, himself they main.
tanned, had assured the Steering Com.
mittee" on Friday that, though he could
not commit himself to the approval of
any particular form of compromise, he
would be glad to do all that he possibly
could to restore party harmony and end
the present contest without further party
friction. Acting on this general deliver
ance, and on the more circumstantial
suggestions of Secretary Carlisle and
other representatives of the Administers
tion, Messrs. Gray, White and Ransom put
their names to the compromise agreement
drawn up on Saturday, and by their as
surances, added to Mr.. Gorman's, sue
ceeded in securing the signatures of other
Administration Democrats, including
Messrs. Brice,. Ohio; Gibson, Maryland;
Faulkner and Camden, West Virginia;
Hunton. Virginia; Gordon, Georgia.;
Lindsay, Kentucky; Palmer, Illinois,
and Turpie, Indiana.
What was the disgust and indignation
of both the committeeman themselves and
their unlucky associates to find the sug-
gestions and intimations which had leo
to their signing the compromise con
veniently disowned by the Administra
tion, and tWo-thirds of the Administra.
tion following in the Senate held up to
the scorn of the country, either as wilful
deserters of the unconditional repeal
caucus or. as victims, one and all, of some
clever piece of political bunco-steering!
Who was the buneo-steerern who had
done the job? was the absor bing inquiry
OF the Senators who signed she Saturday
letter to Mr.. VOORHEES,, and who now dis
covered that they had done so under false
representations. Mr.. Palmer of Illinois,
was inclined to proclaim his deception
from the housetops, and his explanation
puts the blame on Senator Voorhees,, who
had said that everything was all right
and that he would make no opposition
to the compromise. One or two others
were disposed to hold Mr.. Gray response
Bile for the assurance that the Saturday
agreement would not be unacceptable to
the Administration.
But it must be admitted that the
almost universal opinion of the Demo-
cratic side properly absolved Mr.. Gray
and his two Administration colleagues
of the Steering Committee from all
suspicion of misrepresenting the opinions
of the President and the Secretary, and
agreed that if there had been any
(" buncoing";it had been done by some one
outside the Senate, and at the expense
of the Delaware Senator and his fellows.