Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-03-08
WEDNESDAY. MARCH 8. 1893.
Tho Nnur Administration.

Mr. CLEVELAND has resumed the Office OF
President of the United States under cir
cunstances widely different from those
under which he took that Office in 1885
He aud his acts will undergo scrutiny
which he and they did not encounter when
he was President before. Then the Senate
was 80 decidedly Republican that his
hands were tied. and the people made all
due allowance for that fact. Now. his
party are In the majority in both houses OF
Congress. The Democratic House OF Re-
representatives. Will not have to cut their
cloth 10 suit Republican Senate; for
there Is no longer Republican Senate in
existence.
But on the other hand. the facts which
we have Just mentioned must be taken in
connection with condition OF things
which is new 30 MIR. CLEVELAND. when IL
is assumed that lie and his party Will Tor
four years have the control OF the admin
istratiou Of the government 1t is also as
sumed that the Democratic party has
fixed policy IN regard to the projected
measures that will claim the attention OF
Congress. Great are Mr.. CLEvELAND's op-
portunities. great his responsibility, we
say once more. But ore the Democrats IN
Congress united upon any policy which
they can demand their President to pur-
sue? II they could take the generelities
of the inaugural address "a their plat
form of principles the Democrats might
stand together like stone wall"
But when it comes to legislation differ
ences of opinion cannot but arise. The
Democrats are not of one mind as TO the
policy of civil-service reform; nor on the
proposition TO provide for the free coinage
OF silver; nor. indeed. on any silver ques-
ton; nor on the proposition to annex
Hawaii. They are not even united in favor
of any particular tariff bill. and may find
great difficulty in agreeiugupon schedule
of duties 10 supersede those provided for
in the MeKISLEY tariff. Senator DANIEL
made a remark IN his recent interview with
n New York World reporter which deserves
TO be wondered by the unthinklng clamor-
ers for the repeal of the MCKINLEY duties.
"Of course" said he, 1.-THE MCKINLEY act
must be repealed. but by an act that pro-
yides Tor a Democratic tarif. To repeal
TINT act aud do no more would be to leave
no tariff"
On tho silver question neither the Re-
publicans nor the Democrats in Congress
agree or can hope 10 agree. Persons living
In the cities are not in touch with the
country people and cannot understand
why the members of that body are so
strenuous and uncompromising in their
advocacy of bmetallism. Mr.. DANIEL is
In favor Of carrying ont the Chicago plat
form and making the coinage of silver
free. 81 am a silver man." says General
HuNToN. the other Virginia senator. ~
said Senator VANCE. of North Carolina.
IAN opposed TO the repeal of the SHER-
MAN silver law unless to make way for the
free coinage Of silver" These few utter
auces show tina. the Democratic party has
no silver policy which will command the
support of the executive as we'll as the
legislative departments of the govern.
ment.
So as to the projected annexation of
Hawaii. The Democrats IN Congress are
divided upon that question. Therefore,
even il they were a unit in favor of an
nexation, they could not ratify the pro-
posed treaty. seeing that it would require
two-thirds vote in the affirmative to
ratifyit. Hence. it Is not important to
know how Mr.. CLEVELAND stands upon
this subject. though, in inforring that his
silence gives consent, we set him down as
rather inclined TO favor the new treaty Of
annexation. This, however, is only
guess, for Mr.. CLEVELAND has become more
-,
friends than he used to be. 1t was posi-
bly, owing 10 the fact that the Democrats
have majority in each house of Congress
that he refrained from saying In his in
uugural anything on the HAWAII question.
We repeat the statement in our issue OF
yesterday that twenty-elght senators OPP
pose and thirty-nine favor the repeal of
the SHERMAN silver law; thirty.three OPP
pose and forty-one favor the repeal of the
Mckinney act, and twenty oppose and
forty favor Gust two thirds) the annexa-
ton Of HAWAII. On these three measures
the majority seems to us TO be in the right.
But which Of them is o Democratic mea-
sure?
II is gratifying to feel that the govern
ment is in safe hands; and this is just the
feeling which is now uppermost IN mems
minds when we como to consider the wild
banking-schemes which threaten to vex
the people; and the rantine of the green
back lunatics: and the demands of the
Populists and the vagaries and the anti
quated notions OF some of the monometal-
lists; and tho proposition to put tariff
upon sugar, &c. &C., DC. A strong hand
10 upon the helm. Let us rest in peace for
while.