The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1893-07-29
MIR. CLEVELAND WORRIED,

MIR. CLEVELAND WORRIED.
Our esteemed contemporary the Bal,
timore Morning Herald reports that
Mr.. Cleveland is "worried over the
situation"
Judged by his past mastery inactivity
we may very pertinently ask what is
worrying the obese President.
Is it his too rapid accumulation of
fat, the alarming growth of his adipose
tissue, the stubborn rheumatic govt in
his great right toe, or the poor fishing
at Buzzards BayP
Certainly nothing that the country
has been able to see, indicates that the
sublime self complacency, or the mag
nihcent self consciousness of Mr..
Cleveland bias been at all disturbed by
the financial crisis that for weeks past
has been threatening the country.
1t is the confirmed judgment of
many of the ablest business men of
this country, that Mr.. Cleveland had 1t
IN his power months ago, to avert in a
large measure at least, the present fin
ancial troubles. In their opinion Mr..
Cleveland had two courses open to
him. The issuance of new govern
ment loan approximating 5000, 900, 900
and the immediate assembling of Con-
gress in the special session now set for
August 7 With that doggedness
which has become synonymous with
his name he refused to issue the loan,
solely because he did not want to 60
into history as having increased the
national debt. In the judgment Of
more reasonable men it would have
been better to have accepted that re-
sponsibilltv and freed his administration
from the odium which attaches to
having been partly responsible for a
panic but it was not in his nature to
see wisdom in the opinions of other
men. With equal obstinacy he would
not call Congress into special session
until he had given the people Gan
object lesson" An object lesson in
WHAT We already knew the folly OF
exchanging gold notes for silver at an
almost criminal advance over the
value of silver but we got the object
lesson nevertheless. The depositors
who have lost their all, the business
men who rave been refused working
loans by prudent banks, the holders
of shrunken millions of formerly good
securities, the manufacturers who are
working on short time or have shut
down altogether know what that object
lesson was and at what terrible and
wholly needless cost it was obtained.
The country is now passing through
trouble which only fools and fanatics
underestimate, but from which it will
soon emerge as strong as before. Its
boundless resources and patriotism
place 1t above even the crime of such
legislation as the silver men forced
upon !. 81 the stupendous blunders Of
lis slowly moving chief executive.
But in the interval, the wrecks of
banks, organized under the provisions
of sound and well. proved law, and
the ruins of private fortunes contingent
thereupoD, are all tributes TO the twin
evils-Congressional folly and execu.
tive failure to act. The first was
inevitable, because of the character Of
the law m king forces at the time the
Sherman bill was extended as CON-
promise between fairly sound legisla-
ton and fanaticism gone mad, and it
had no light by which its unfortunate
effects could be foreseen. But no such
plea is to be urged for the Presidential
delay. When that was committed the
facts were known, the future could be
forseen with almost uneIrlDg accuracy !;
the motive to act was present and con-
vincing. A wise executive would have
delayed his fishing trips In ordinary
regard for the country and summoned
Congress to repair Immediately the
grievous wrong done to the people but
the present occupant of the White
House chose to parallel in civil hte the
mastery inactivity of the Peninsular
campaign and to arrogate the name OF
craftsmanship to delay Be the prim.
airy cause what it may, the promoting
responsibility lies there.