The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1893-02-22


Mr.. Harrison may have had the best of mo
tiges for the m amer in which he acted about
the annexauon of Hawaii. but there is some
thing about it which in another man would
have been called sharp practice, The impress
sion was allowed to go out that if annexation
was recommended 1t would be by act of Con
gress, which ould give the House as much to
say about it as the Senate But this week he
sent treaty which the Secretary of State had
ne gotiated with the Hawaiian Commissioners
providing for immediate annexation and leav-
ing the legislative details to be arranged by the
next Congress to the Senate. urging in the
special message which went with Ii that the
treaty be promptly ratified 1t is argued in ia
vor of this railroading business that it was too
late it the session to get legislation on the SUBJ
ject. and that it was necessary to take such
action. Democrats in the House fail to the
point in such an argument. Many of them are
strongly in favor of annexation, but they can
see no good reason. SO long as the matter will
have to be be completed under President Cleve
Ian DIS administration, why it was not left for
his adm inistration to begin it.
Granting that to do it by treaty and not by an
act of Congress was the best way. there is no
getting around the fact that within two weeks
the Senate of the Fifty. third Congress will te
Mr.. Cleveland's nominations for the cabinet
and other important positions, and that there
would have been Rext to no delay in allowin g
this treaty to go over and be sent to the Senate
by Mr.. Cleveland, if it met with his approval
That would have been just and proper; the
present arrangement is neither. 1t is stated
that Mr.. Harrison received positive assurances
before the treaty was sent to the Senate that it
would be ratified, and he feels SO easy about it
that he has gone duck shooting. to remain until
next week. 1t is, of course, possible for the
democratic Senators to prevent action on the
treaty at this session. but there are so many OF
them who have committed themselves in its
favor that it is not very probable.
The official announcement of the selection of
four members of Mr.. Cleveland's cabinet has
been much talB ed about since it was received.
MIR. Carlisle's selection was known before and
had been enthusiastically received by demo
Gratis in Congress. Judge Gresham's ability is
admitted by all. but his democracy isn't, and
for that reason his selection, as Secretary of
State was not received with as much favor as
was that of Carlisle. Dan Lamont needed no
introduction to the democrats in Congress. all
of whom expect him to prove model Secretary
of W ar. and are glad that he is to go up higher
Mr., Bissell is not widely known among public
men, but those who do know him speak in such
high terms of both his ability and his democrs-
cy that his selection to be Postmaster General
meets with much favor. The republicans have
been and still are trying to use Judge Gresham
as lever to create dissent in the ranks of the
democratic party. but they are meeting with
poor success No good democrat is foolish
enough to expect that every man selected as a
member of the cabinet will be his personal
choice for the place. Every student of history
knows that circumstances have quite as much.
and often more to do with the choice of mem
bers OF the cabinet than the personal inclina-
tions OF the President. to say nothing OF the
other members of the party.
The advantage OF having clear headed busi
ness men in Congress was never more conspic-
uausly brought out than when Senator Brice in
FIVE e-minute talk explained what would be the
status of the stock issued by the Nicaraguan
canal company, in case the bill now pending
guaranteeing the interest on 0OO0O,O0O OF
bonds to be issued, becomes law. Before Mr..
Brice made his statement Senators Sherm an
and Teller had got into dispute in which both
used words which meant you are liar" but
| the statement was SO clearly made that further
misunderstanding was impossible. 1t was MIR
Brice's first speech in the Senate. Although
this bill now has the right of way in the Senate
as the unfinished busin sss' no one seems to
expect that it will be voted upon at this session
| and it is certain tnat it will not be voted upon
in the House,even if passed by the Senate.
Congress particularly the House. has made
rapid headway with the appropriation bills
this week. and unless something now unex-
pected snail transpire to prevent they will all
be disposed of well in advance of the day oi
adjournment
There was some talk early this week of an
other attempt to bring about compromise silver
legislation. but the suspicion that New York
bankers trying to bring about a financial
scare for that purpose makes it almost certain
that nothing will come OF it.