The Portland daily press., 1894-07-26
WHAT WILL THE PRESIDENT DO :


1t seems to be pretty well settled that
the Senate will not recede from Its tariff
bill. The conservatives and the radi-
calls appear to be of one mind on that
point. Mr.. Cleveland succeeded in badly
affronting the dignity of all of them.
and consolidated the whole of them
against surrender. If any tariff bill is
to be passed at all it must be the Senate
bill. Suppose the House decides to
accept it, and it finally goes to the Presi-
dent for his approval, what will he do
with it? Cleveland has good record for
consistency. In the past he has been
accustomed to act as he talked. Of
none of his public acts can it be said
that they have been inconsistent with
his sentiments. He resisted an immense
pressure put on him to sign the bill for
the coinage of the seignorage. He stead
lastly maintained his position on the re-
peal of the Sherman law, when some Of
| the most distinguished and powerful
leaders of his party, many of whom
practically agreed with his
views, urged him to con-
sent to a compromise He risked at
that time the disruption of his party to
stand by what he believed to be the
right thing. He owes nearly all his
popularity and strength with the people
| to his loyalty to his convictions and
his courage in maintaining them He
| 10 not magnetic man, we have the au-
thority of his admirers for saying that his
| manners are not winning. He repels men
| rather than attracts them. But in spite
of his infrmity of temper and his cold
ness and brusq ueness of manner. he has
| succeeded in retaining his hold upon the
people, so that today the masses as a
| rule side with him in his controversy
| with the Senate, Notwithstanding the
| fact that up to the present time the
evidence of bad faith which the Senators
presented has not been retuted or ex-
planned away. AS we have already indi-
Gated, his hold upon the people is largely
due to his steadfastness in maintaining
his opinions in his off cial acts. Whoever
else among the Democrats may wobble it
has. been felt that the President would
stand firm.
Now supposing the Senate tariff bill
| reaches him, what will he do with it?
There is no question what he thinks
| of it, He has told us over his own sig.
nature within week. Here is his Ian
guage:
| Every true Democrat and every sincere
tariff reformer knows that this bill in
| its present form and as it will be sub
mltted to the conference, falls far short
OF the consummation for which we have
long laboled, for which we have suffered
defeat without encouragement; which,
In It's anticipation, gave us rallying cry
in our day of triumph, and which, in its
promise OF accomplishment is so inter
woven with Democratic pledges and
Democratic success that our abandon
ment OF the cause or the principles upon
which it rests means party perfdy and
party dishonor.
And again:
1t is quite apparent that this question
of raw materials does not admit of adj
| justment on any middle ground since
their subsection to any rate or tariff tax
alton, great or small, is alike vioIative
of Democratic principle and Democratic
good faith.
sCan the President sign a bill which
| within q week he has declared to mean
party perfidy and dishonor?" Can he
sign a bill which within week he has
declared to be "alike violative of Demo-
cratic principle and Democratic good
faith?' Certainly he cannot without be-