The Meeker herald., 1894-08-04
The PRESIDENTS POSITION.
inside Facts Regarding the Writing Of
the Wilson Letter.


The Washington correspondent of tie
Chicago Aeeord gives the following interest
Ing facts concerning President Cleveland's
altitude toward the tarlg bill.
The explanation OF the President of the
charges OF duplicity made against him by
senators as given TO me by member OF his
cabinet, Is that he consented to the compro-
Mise amendments upon representations made
by Mos>r.. Jones, Harris and others that it
would be impossible TO get iorty-threc vote
in the Senate otherwise. He had no intention
of giving his consent to the sugar schedule
or to the duty on iron aud coal or TO several
Of the other schedules as permanent PROPOSE
tons, bat lie believed the easiest way To
secure the passage OF the bill was to let the
conservative men Ia the Senate have As much
rope as they demanded, and then make terms
with them after the bill reached the commit
tee o: conference. Several times during he
consideration of the bill 10 the Senate he re
ceIyed circumstances from tariff reformeFs,
both In and out OF Congress, who insisted
that II Wa, his duty TO interfere and prevent
the concessions that we're being made In favor
OF trusts and certain industrial Interests. His
lqy;arIa.33iaeY Feeplg was that It would save time
Senate In any kind OF shape, because II would
be fixed In conference. HE Idea was that tie
conierrces OF the respective houses would
give aud take and that the conservatives o:
the Senate were raising the duties higher
than they expected to see them in the bin No
finally passed in order to have something to
surrender and trade upon.
am informed too, that the letter 10 Mr.
Wilson, which has caused so much indisua
tlon, was written on the End Of July to gcG
ilcman in New York City, and submitel "a
she criticism Of Secretary Lamont and Sccre-
tary Carlisle, who begged the President mo-
to send It for fear that II might get into Jhy
papers aud create bad feeling, In compliance
with this advice the President placed the let
ter 10 a plgeon-hole Of his desk at Woodlcy.
his country house.
On sunday, the 10Th of July, Reprcsonta-
tiyes Wilson and Breckenridge, senator Nua=.
Don ". Dickinson and John +. Russell Oh
Massachusetts,, happened to be v!-It!ng the
President at his county home and the wor,
Of the conference committee then in session
was tile chief subject Of conversation. TIL,
President took the suppressed letter from
pigeon hole in his desk and read It aloul %
these gentlemen. They all insisted thai De
suppression was a mistake, snl urged h
President to make It public, AS they believe
Il would be effective in stimulating publ.
opinion and bringing tue Democrats In CON.
crcss To their senses. Being convinced D.
the counsel OF these gentlemen the PreslI-l
there aud then altered the letter 90 that
would fit Mr.. Wilson, and without ndyi-In
either Secretary Lamont or Secretary Car
Isle OF his intention, had typewriter copy
made on Monday aud handed to Mr.. Wilsot
on Tuesday morniug.
That gentleman carried It In his pocket uu
III Thursday, when he liai 1t read In ii,
House. He had an opportunity TO submit
the document TO his colleagues Of the confer
cncc committee at their meetings both OF
Tuesday and Wednesday. but RETAINED frou
doing so for fear that informal on might l,ak
out aud reach the public, aud the dramatic
:orec Of the explosion in the House OF Repre-
scutatlycs be impaired Neither Secretary
Carlisle nor Secretary Lamont knew that III
letter had been handed to Mr.. Wilson unit
they saw the announcement In the evening
papers vhcn both Of them told the Preside ut
they thought he had made grleyous mistake