Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1893-07-10
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, July 3, 1893.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF THE MONITOR

Washington, July 3, 1893.
1t will be long time before those
familiar with the circumstances that
led to the calling of the extra session
of Congress for August z, instead of a
month or more later, as had for months
been intended, get through talking
about how Mr.. Cleveland's nerve went
to pieces and he got thoroughly ''rat-
tled.n some of his admirers say for the
first time in his life.
What ratified him? Why, the ava
lanche of petitions from all classes OF
citizens, asking that Congress be call
ed together at once, many of them
telling him in polite but plain Ian
guage that if he failed to do SO he
would by that failure assume personal
responsibility for any further damage
that might be done through the con-
tinued stringency. A majority of
these petitions, which were as a rule
forwarded by telegraph, mentioned
the repeal of the Sherman Silver law
as the end sought, but many merely
asked that Congress be called together
and given an opportunity to do some
thing to restore public confidence.
Added to these petitions were the
opinions of the members of his cabi-
net, who had themselves been under
the same sort of pressure, that August
must be substituted for September,
and in the language of one of them,
"the old man got ratified and threw
up the sponge, issued the proclama-
ton and left for Buzzard's Bay before
it was made public.''
Republicans are as rule glad that
the extra session has at last been
called. They have from the first been
of the opinion that the sooner the
democratic Congress got together the
better it would be for the country. as
the worst possible legislation would
not be any more disastrous than the
dread and uncertainty of coming leg
islation which has pervaded business
circles from the first day of the pres
ent administration, and with Congress
in session public opinion will have an
opportunity to at least try to influence
legislation.
There is a leaven of common sense
at work among the democratic Con-
gressmen on the tariff question that
later on may produce good results.
One of them, who because he is not
ready at this time to openly oppose
the eaders of his party forbids the
use of his name, said to me: ''I shall
gladly vote for the repeal of the Sher
man Silver law, because have always
been opposed to it, but do not con-
slider it the principal cause Of our
financial troubles. The fear of dis
turbances in the tariff has had much
more to do with it, and I believe that
if Mr.. Cleveland would publicly state
his intention to veto any tariff bill
which cuts the present rates sufficient
ly to injure any American industry
that within sixty days confidence
would be completely restored and the |
country again prosperous" While it
isn't certain that he will do so, there is
a contingency in which this Congress
Ahe1h VIII PoOAiSlJ ooc1OO uiAOoO views Oli !
the floor of the House.
Another political debt incurred dur
ing the campaign was settled by the |
of J. E. Tillman of Tenn,
TO be Register of the Treasury. Mr.. !
Tiliman was promised a good place if !
he would use his influence as secre-
tary of the Tennessee Farmers Ali
ance to head off the populists in that
state and prevent their absorbing the
alliance. The promise was made by
Senator German, but the ''good place.
was not forthcoming until almost a
row was kicked up by Tillman and his
friends. This is the position which
Gen. Rosecrans was allowed to keep
during the entire Harrison admins
tration. His health compelled him to
resign it a few weeks ago. Mr.. Cleve-
land was either misrepresented or he
broke his word in connection with this
office, as he was reported to have said
weeks ago that no one but an old SOL
1ier should have it. Mr.. Tillman is
not an old soldier.
WHY GOLD GOES ABROAD.