Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1893-11-02
C%LEVELAND'S PLUCK.
AN EXAMPLE OF THE PRESIDENTS
REMARKABLE INFLUENCE.

Present Day Average ABILITY.
The silver Hgnt IN The senate has given us
a remarkable example of the power which
the president N the United States Yields
over congress when he cares to exert him
self. 1t is a common saying here that Tor
several weeks all the pluck and combative-
ness shown in the fght for repeal was fur
nished by Mr.. Cleveland, and than this
there could be nothing more true. Nj.
Cleveland has shown that he is a fighter
from a fighting family. 1t was he who
| pushed the repeal bill through the house OF
representatives with unexampled rapidity.
In the senate he had a world of trouble, but
if it had not been for his influence the bill
would moi nave had a ghost of a chance in
that body.
1t is not generally known, but it is true,
| that when the senate met last August IT
was in favor of the free coinage OF silver. A
majority of the body would nave voted for
a free coinage measure had u a bill been
brought to a vote. 1t was nothing but the
influence uf the president which changed
this free coinage majority into a majority
for unconditional repeal. In changing over
Democratic votes the president came very
near ~exhausting his power. He could cause
/ SENATOR'S 10 De CldSSllcu " uuCOIulllouhl
repeal who at heart were not for it, but he
could not stop them talking compromise.
II he had been able to do this also, the re-
peal bill would have passed long ago.
After the failure of the physical test plan
almost every man in Washington said the
repeal bill was hopelessly beaten. Five Of
the eight members of the cabinet advised a
compromise. Mr.. Cleveland, almost alone,
\ halI ont ard nr1ara1 tho fuht m ha CARRIED
on with renewed vigor. He supplied courage
and persistency for the whole repeal force.
He did manage to stop the mouths of some
of his supporters who were talking COM
promise. He inundated others to give up
their efforts to bring forward a compromise
measure. For several days last week the
fight was carried on almost entirely on the
pluck furnished by Mr.. Cleveland person
ally. Though feeling themselves beaten, his
supporters did not dare disobey his orders.
What the President Did.
Every newspaper man who has watched
this situation knows how great has been
the power of the president. Senator after
senator who cursed Mr.. Cleveland in pri-
vate conversation, who declared his uncon~
ditional repeal programme was running the
party. who avowed they would not be used
W LttbHCE Whdb buCy SdiiCu II ulOlONO VI
Mr.. Cleveland to set himself up Gs an auto
crat in the Democratic empire, left the
cloakrooms and corridors where they felt
safe to indulge in this sort of criticism,
walked in on the floor and carried on Mr..
Cleveland's fight as if their very lives de-
pended upon it. For at least two weeks
the contest for unconditional repeal was
waged as if it were the policy of the Demo
cratic party, when the facts were that of 45
Democratic senators only 90 were ready to
vote for repeal, and of these %, 10 were hop
ing there would be some sort of compro-
mise. Could there be more striking testi.
mony to the leadership and power of Presi
dent Clevelandi
Mr.. Cleyeland's Holy War"
Your correspondent has the best of rea.
sons for saying that during this whole
struggle Mr.. Cleveland has regarded him.
self not only as the Democratic president,
but as the guardian of the best interests OF
the American people. Rightly or wrongly,
he has believed this the most important
question that has come up In this country
since the time of slavery. He has believed
he was carrying on a sort of holy war and
that right being on his side and the people
he could not lose. That Mr.. Cleveland has
a WoLlNSliul llObiub VI CVuIdlt anu OH
bativeness the facts show, if evidence were
needed on this score. His great weakness
has been lack of tact in dealing with mem.
bers of his party who were inclined to be
against him, but who might have been in.
duced to stand with him or at least not ia
give aid and comfort to the opposition.
Judged purely as a contest of forces-as a
struggle between the president on one side
and a nr.at saptipn IF hia porfy an tLn
other-the repeal fight has been intensely
interesting. 1t has again developed the
truth of the saying that a president rarely
has the sympathy and support Of a major.
ity of his party members of the uppe,
branch of congress. That Mr.. Cleveland
has been able to carry on his holy war
so long under the circumstances speaks
volumes for his force and for the power
which he has exerted as chief magistrate.
John sherman's Great Speech.
The greatest speech made during the sill
yer struggle was that of John Sherman.
Mr.. Sherman is the Nestor of public life ir
this country today. He enjoys the respect
and admiration of every man in the senate.
Though one of the leaders of the Republic.
an side, it is well known that so far as
finance goes Mr.. Sherman is more of a
oNoNSShitht hoa apOiitiSldu. ENtH IuG men
who do not agree with him believe he is al
ways actuated by strong convictions OF
public duty in his efforts to mold the inan,
cial system of the government. After re.
naming silent for many weeks, u mute
witness of the storm that was raging about
him, every eye was upon him, every ear at,
~tentive, when he finally rose to speak.
1t was a dramatic scene when he ar
raigned the Democratic party for its i'm.
potency, for its failure to act, for it's seem.
ingly hopeless divisions. When he warned
the Democrats that the American people
are essentially a people of action and that
they have no patience with delay; whep
he warned the Democracy that they were
responsible, and If they did not soon give a
good account of their stewardship the PEG.
pie would take them at their true worth
and drive them out Of power, every Dem.
ocrat in the senate chamber felt that be
was u~ttering words Of wisdom and truth,
1t was a great tribute to Mr.. Sherman's ut
%terances that no sooner had he spoken thar
leading Democratic senator's at once began
circulating a petition for a caucus to seek
a way out of the dilemma.
Where Are the Great Men?
us John Sherman the last of his race,
Ia nnr etruip of Urauf man rpnp;nx o.Aa