The record-union., 1894-07-27
A SCATHING REBUKB TO THE MARY
LAND SENATOR
The Personal Character and Integrity
of Mr.. Cleveland Eulogized IN the
Most Glowing Terms-The Senate
Recedes From Its Amendment Put
ting the Duty on Coal at Forty
Cents Per Ton.
Special to the REconD-UN1oN.


Cleveland's first administration, replied
to-day to Senator Gorman's attack upon
the President. For two hours he held
the floor, amid the wrapt attention OF the
Senate and galleries, delivering his scath-
ing rebuke to the Maryland Senator. He
denounced Germans assault as wanton,
reckless and unjustifiable, and though he
declared Mr.. Cleveland needed no defense
at his hands, he took up, selidtiD. the
charges made by German, and met them
with mastery skill and logic. He made
his statement, he said, in the interest OF
the truth of history.
Mr.. German was not in the Senate at
the time, and this fact the Wisconsin
Senator called attention to with regret.
In conclusion he eulogized the personal
character and public integrity of Mr..
Cleveland in the most glowing terms, de-
claring, with dramatic fervor. that the
President of the United States, who had
received SO many evidences of the honor
and respect of the people. could not suf-
fer from this attack of the Maryland SEN
ator. At the conclusion OF his speech Mr..
Villas explained that in view OF the fact
that MeSsrs. German and Smith had as
sured him that his motion to recede from
the one-eighth ditferential in favor of the
retners OF sugar must fail, aud the fur
ther fact that Democratic caucus had
| decided to agree to further conference
without Instructions, he would withdraw
| the motion.
After some general remarks by Mr..
| Stewart against the interference of the
Executive with the legislative branch OF
the Government. Hills motion that the
Senate recede from it's amendment plac-
| ing a duty OF forty cents a ton on coal and
! iron was voted on and defeated, the Re-
publicans, except Hansbrough of North
Dakota, Joining with the Democrats
| bound by the caucus agreement against
! it. The vote stood to 10 and to 64. Mr..
Irby of South Carolina was the only other
Democrat except Hill who voted for free
coal and iron. The Populists-Allen,
| Kyle and Petfer-also voted in the affirm
ative. -
Washburn (Rep.) of Minnesota re-
newed Vilas's motion to instruct the con-
| ferrees to recede from the one-eighth diff
ferential on refined sugars. but Mr.. Gray
! Immediately made the point OF order
against it that it was not competent for
the Senate to instruct in a full and free
conference.
The point of order was discussed for
some time. but had not been decided
There was no doubt, however, that it
will be sustained and this motion ruled
out. The general impression is that the
bill will go back to the conference to-
morrow.
BY agreement the conference report on
the tariff bill was deferred when the
Senate met to-day until 2 P. NJ, for the
purpose of giving the Republicans timo
to consider.
On motion of Huntoon, the resolution
directing the Secretary of the Treasury
to transmit list of the claims in the
hands of accounting officers of the Gov
ernment; also, all claims passed upon by
the Court of Claims, requiring appropria-
tions at this session, was adopted; also,
Aliens resolutions, calling on the Attor-
y-General for copies OF all correspond
with the recent strike.
AT o'clock Jones called up the confer
ence report on the tariff bill.
Quay withdrew the sugar amendment
he offered yesterday.
Villas said on Monday a Democratic
Senator saw fit to attack the President.
This was without precedent, he thought,
or if there was precedent for it it ought
to be Stunned instead OF followed 1t
was personal assault upon the Presi-
dent and his character. He had hoped,
he said, the remarks of German and
those who had Joined him on that occa-
sion would have appeared in the Record
before he Villas replied, but he pre-
sumed the engagements of the Maryland
Senator were so pressing that he had no
time to revise them. Villas considered it
his duty to reply to that assault.
Villas said Cleveland needed no defense
but he would correct the discoloration of
facts by which the President ad been
placed in false light Villas then pro-
ceeded TO answer the charge that Cleve-
land had been guilty of duplicity, had
encroached upon the prerogatives of
Congress, or traduced the Senate.
He would speak as the personal, as we'll
as the political, friend of the President
He rejoiced in the honor of Mr.. Cleve-
lands friendship. 1t was pride to him.
OF the rewards, few and Stinted that come
to public men, one of the greatest to come
TO him was the intimate association with
that lofty and distinguished man. 1t was
his honest testimony to his character that
never at any moment, in any temptation,
political or personal, had he failed to see
in Mr.. Cleveland the pure white light of
an upright purpose. For such man he
saw tit to say some wordS-not in defense
| The needed none) but some correction of a
discoloration of facts by which Mr.
Cleveland had been placed in false light
| before the country. He would make this
statement in behalf of truth of history.
"What were the points of accusation?"
| inquired Villas, ''in the remarkable as
sault to which I have alludsd?" He re-
gretted. he said, that German was absent
! from the Senate Chamber. The first, ac-
] cusation, he proceeded, was that the
President was open to the charge of du-
| plicity. That was based upon a letter in
which Mr.. Cleveland expressed the hope
that iron and coal would 60 on the free
list in the tariff bill. The second was
tnat the Executive had encroached on
| the prerogativeS OF Congress, and third,
| that the President had traduced the Sem
ate. Those charges were true or false,
not as a matter OF argument, but as a
matter of fact.
with regard to coal and iron,'' said
| Villas, "let us examine the facts. And /
desire TO say here that l am under deep
| obligation to the Senator from New
York, who never in his public career
made such an able exposition of any SUBJ
| ject as he did on Tuesday last"
Villas then reviewed at length the
Presidents position in favor of tree raw
materials, his letter of 1887, and other
| public utterances up to his message to
Congress at the opening of the present
session. Constantly, Villas declared, MIR.
Cleveland had insisted upon This prin-
ciple. 1t was everywhere proclaimed by
| his supporters to be the first step In the
enfranchisement of labor from the
thraldom of unjust taxation. Could
it be possible, he asked, that anyone sup
posed he had abandoned the principle
that lay at the base of any scheme OF
| tariff reform? What was the principle
adduced in support of this allegation and