The Globe-republican., 1893-05-05
A CROSS-EYEO PART
The Democracy Can See Nothing hut 4
CSance for Plumber.

The Democracy Can See Nothing but
CNanee for Plumber.
Whenever the time shall come for
Mr.. Cleveland to look in the face the
congress that was elected with him and
upon the same platform. and shall con-
front the main question which the Chi
cago convention put forward in its
platform-the one to which in his own
avowed belief he owes his success both
in the convention and at the polls-we
apprehend that he will find a somewhat
perplexing situation. One of the most
interesting features of the Chicago con-
vention was the delightful frankneSs
with which its undercurrenc of mystery
and tangles of intrigues were brought
to the surface and freely exposed by
those most deeply engaged in them
during the progress of the game. 1t is
well known, of course. that Mr. Cleve-
lands nomination was effected by the
wing of the party which makes cardi-
nal doctrine of free trade. setting il above
and beyond every other political issue
1t Is also known equally well that the
gentlemen who did not desire Mr. Cleve-
lands nomination. SO soon as they
found it could not be prevented united
in an effort which proved successful to
give him. as they said. IA dose of his
own medicine" in the form of the radi-
cal free trade plank which went
through as an amendment To the report
of the platform committee amid tire
mendous cheering. the most vociferous
of which came from the Tammany
benches.
Elected Notwithstanding. and. - is
shrewdly suspected. somewhat 10 the
surprise of the men who made his plat
form for MIN. he finds some OF his
party insisting that he must carry out
the extreme promise of the platform.
and among these some of those mos.
active in opposing his nomination and.
failing in that in loading him down
with the free trade plank. Others are
for modification of the extreme free
trade view, and temporizing policy
with the system denounced a. fraud
and robbery" Still Others. and per.
haps the majority of the party are OF
the opinion that it is dangerous 10
undertake to do anything. and that the
cunning way is to talk about the tariff
great deal. ''putter" with it little
here and there. but go slow and take
no chances. At present he has business
OF vastly more Importance to the party
to attend To than the tariff But when
he gets through distributing the pat
ronage and hurls himself upon states
manship. as he is no doubt impatient 10
do, and takes no his favorite topic. the
tariff, as he naturally will. the condi
tions recounted are likely to confuse and
bewilder him. For he has to meet
congress elected as free traders. an in
significant minority of whom will favor
that dogma, with a strong suspicion
attaching to those who do that their
main purpose in doing it is to trip up
the president
The truth is that Mr.. Cleveland,
though he may have a clear vision and
see straight himself has taken office
and is the servant of cross-eyed party
"a party that has congenital strabis-
mus. No one can ever tell from its ap-
pearance in what direction il is actually
looking. The only thing certain about
ii Is that it always has its eyes on
whatever plumber is IN sight. When
Mr.. Cleveland gets ready to- talk tariff
TO his party he VIII be in the position
of the man who held the OK for the
cross-eyed butcher. Are You going tn
strike where you're looking?" asked the
man, with sudden anxiety. OF course
am" said the butcher Then" said
the other. letting 90 his hold. you'll
have to get somebody else to hold Your
OK" 1t is not probable that Mr.. Cleve-
land will carry it quite 50 far as To let
go. but when he begins TO hold up the
tariff for his party 10 knock it on the
head. ne rather fancy feeling of in
security will steal over him IL he gets a
notion that the party IS going To
strike where it is looking. N y.
Tribune.