New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-23
POLITICAL GREEN GOODS"

Persons who have converscd with Demo
cratic statesmen at Washington lately on cur
rent potica topics aS, for instance, the CaD-
met amendments, distribution OF patronage
under the new Administration, silver and taril
legislation. etc, have found them unusually
rcticent and guarded in the expression OF opln-
ions about Mr. Cleveland or his policy. 1t is
perfectly well known at Washington that, pri-
vatclv and among themselves, Democratic Sen
ators and members of Congress express their
discomfort and disgust at the general Sltua-
ton with great freedom and proiane gar
rtllity. Most Of them, however, are shy OF
committing themselves in interviews for pub
lication, and when approached on the subject
only smio sickly smile, or in the desperation
of their distress turn some melancholy joke on
themselves. They are not exactly kicking. bnt
they are by no means cheerful. They seem
disappointed rather than victorious party.
They arc in the condition Of bcwlldrrment III
which Judge Cobb Of Alabama. during the last
session having as the Hon. "Tom' Watson
alleged more com on than usual, made him
self immortal by the inquiry, "Whcro was
nj =" They do not seem to know where they
were at before the election, nor what they got
DN carry lnI III. y CERTAIN ~idIIi'- W
manner gives thcm the appearance Of having
been mp 10 something q which they are moi
particularly proud and having got caught at II.
Caught at it, not aS successful adventures with
full pockctS-ihcIe would have been some Slti,
faction in that-but aS dupos who hal tried 10
fool other people, had got fooled themselves
and were coming ont empty handed.
These gentlemen. the Democratic leaders.
have been engaged in political " green goods
game. This game is always played by one SGT
Of swinders upon another Men who want e.
get money dishonesty, but don't know how.
are lurcd by men who also want = get money
dishonesty, but do know how, into 4 trap
where they put mp good money for the purchase
Of worthless countcrfcitS, which they are cheat
cd out OF. Being themselves engaged III 4
dishonest transaction, they have no remedy
against the cunningcr rascals who have cheated
them. They consequently. aS a rule, make ~
complaint, but pocket their losses and swallow
their discontinue with what grace they may.
The green goods sNindcr offers for Ger
tain amount of the Governments genuine prom
iscs 10 pay n much larger amount Of counter
felt promises to pay 50 well executed rs Ia
rass without detection. The victim. equally
dishonest but less cunnng-though ho thinks
himself uncommonly smart-advanccs his hon
est money and with great mystery and secrecy
is furnished a package supposed TO contain the
green goods or counterfeit stuff. At Il safe
distance he opens his package and tinds-noth
ing but brown paper II, i'll his Indignation
at being swindlcd he looks for a remedy he
suddenly finds that there is none; that the
law affords him no satisfaction, and that if he
makes public his misfortune he will only be
laughed at for having been himself duped in
an enterprise in which he undertook to dupc
other people. II is a case OF tho bitter bitten,
and all he can do is &, keep still and conceal
both his modification and his loss.
The Chicago Convention was in spirit and
purpose green goods enterprise. Its lures.
in tho form Of counterfeit promises, advertised
TO be so like the genuine In appearance AZ t.
pass anywhere undctcctcd, were put out in
every direction. Democratic politicians know
ing them to be bogus invested in them ad-
yanccd large sums of money to take them up
and put them in circllation-nOt to be re-
deemed, but to victmze a coniding public.
They elected Mr. Cleveland Since that
transaction was cOnsumma;c1 they have been
gradually opening their carpet bags and by
degrees examining the "grccn goods' upon
which they were expecting TO do a profitable
business for four years at the public expense
They don't find even the green goods. It's
mostly brown paper. So far nothing that has the
somblancc even of "grecn goods except Car
lislc--a manfcstly genuine onc-dollar bill. And
they are cstoppcd from kicking. They knew
the game or thought they did, and instead of
fooing other people have themselves been
fooled. That's why they arc not talking much
in public. And that's why among themselves
they call it Hoax Smith Cabinet, and the
whole business "hocus pocus' performance