New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-02
THE PRESIDENTS OPPORTUNITY

THE PRESIDENIS OFIOHICNIff
President Cleveland has power to render the
country an extraordinary service. 1t is but
Just to presume that he is anxious to benefit
the country if he can. The tremendous losses
which have been sustained by business men,
many of whom are his personal friends, must
have touched his sympathies. As no party can
hope to elect a President thild time, MIR.
Cleveland has no reason to care more Tor
partisan applause than for the deliberate iudg-
ment of history. which never fails to be ad-
verse to a President whose Administration Is
a period of disaster to business and want and
suffering to the labOring millions. II the
President can help his countrymen, many OF
the strongest and most honorable impulses
which govern human conduct impel him to do
so without delay.
When he was elected his party proposed
radical change in three particulars-as to sll-
YER. as to State bank issues and as to the tariff
The prospect Of all these changes has brought
serio1s disaster Mr. Cleveland is much too IN
tellipent a man to be deluded by the notion.
which some of his friends consider il smart to
reiterate every day, that all the trouble has
been due to uncertainty on one OF these ques-
tions. 1t would be an insult TO his lntelli-
gence to suppose him capable OF believing that
a radical change in duties affecting several
hundred industries and prices of many thou
sand products could be anticipated for months
without much disturbance of business and IN
dustry. Certain of his Jealous supporters make
it part of their religion TO ignore the closing
of many manufacturing works for the declared
reason that important changes of duty CATCH
ing them with full stocks of materials IN proc
ess of manufacture and taking from them their
market for products, would involve their run.
Whatever he may think it iudicious to say IN
public, the President in his private mind is
perfectly aware that this is most important
cause of business embarrassment.
President Cleveland no doubt honestly be-
lcyes that the silver question has greater in
Auence vet That does not matter he knows
that several causes have combined to produce
such a depression, and that the country is in
no condition to stand months of debate about
duties, ending in a general change OF tariff
UnquestiOnably he desires that general change
most ardently. But il he is wise, he does not
want it to be condemned in advance by the
disasters which would attend it. No matter
how anxious the surgeon may be to operate,
he refuses to use the knife if the condition Of
the patient is such as to forcshadOw fatal
result 1t would not help Mr.. Cleveland nor
the cause which he represents If changes OF
tariff, with business already embarrassed and
restricted should result in disaster. What he
knows of the situation certainly justliics him
in declaring to Congress that he cannot recon-
mend and will not approve revision of the
tariff while business is in its present depressed
condition.
Equally well the President knows that the
fear of State bank issues, varying in character
and unlimited in amount affects all business
interests unfavorably. 1t is true that one or
more members of the Presidents Cabinet by
arguing in favor of that measure, have pro-
duccd the impression that he would approve ii
as a compromise But the substantial business
men in all parts of the country, the President
well knows, are with few exceptions convinced
that this measure would do incalculablc harm
Many believe it would do more harm than free
coinage Of silver, and vastly more than con-
tinuance of silver purchases Because a host
of men SO believe, having money to risk or
use or under their control, they hesitate and
wait, and their hesitation is disaster 1t is
within the province of the President to declare
to Congress that, whether this measure at an
other time would be wise or not, it cannot now
be recommended, and will not be approved
with business already subjected to extraordi-
nary strain.
1t must be known to President Cleveland
that these two declarations at the opening of
the extra session of Congress would not only
insure safe action on the silver question, but
would restore confidence i'm a marvelIous do
gree, give life to business and put in motion
thousands of wheels and spindes, and restore
to profitable industry many men who now look
for employment in vain. If the President is
not willing to give the country this great re-
lief, why not?