The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-07-24
"FALSE and CoWARDLY"
Savage Denounsiatien Of Cleveland
By Senator German.
NO SUCH SPEECH HAS BEEN HEARD
IN THE SENATE FOR YEARS.

Spoke with Telling Force. Witnesses
Give Evidence Against the President
The Latter had Agreed to the Senate
Bill But at the Same Time was Plan.
ming to Kill it, There were Exciting
Scenes in the Senate Yesterday.
Washington, July 23.-Silence came over
the gossipplng crowds in the Senate galleries
and the more noisy Senators and Represen-
tatIves on the floor when Senator Voorhees,
at 1922 called up the conference report on
the tariff bill and Senator German, Demo-
crat of Maryland, began speaking on the
subject.
In an impressive manner, the Maryland
Senator told of closed factories and suffer-
ing mechanics, and said further suspense
would be destructive. 1t would be destruc-
tive to the Democratic party, which now
controlled every branch of the government,
and he hoped the situation would be met as
became American Senators and as became
patriotic citizens.
Mr.. German said the Democrats had only
"A votes for the bill, and, excepting the
distinguished Senator from New York.
(tAlr. HID who had openly and manfully
opposed the measure. there were only 4S
Democratic votes to be depended on. Sena-
tors and voted for the bill at sacrifice of
state interests-almost of principle. Never
before had there been such a condition of
sacrifice. When the radical destructive bill
came from tie House it had been asserted
that it could not be passed by the Senate
with the odious income tax attached. When
the bill went into conference, although a
majority of the Democratic conferrees had
been Southern men, Justice had been done
by them to every section To resent the
calumnies that had been heaped on the
confereesss he..sswould give plain, unyar-
nIshed statement, putting the Responsibility
Where it belonged. He would say now. as
he would tell every Democratic Senator
privately that no matter at what sacrifice to
state interests. the paramount duty of every
Democrat was to keep the party in power.
Mr.. German made reference to President
Cleyelandas letter to Chairman Wilson as
the most unusual, the most unwise letter
ever penned by President of the United
States On account of this letter he was
forced to, talk of private party matters in
public. The honor of his fellows also made
him make the statement he would make.
Telling of the tariff conference, Mr.. Cor
man said every Democratic Senator had
been consulted with view TO reconciling
their views Two of the Democratic leaders
had conferred with the President, knowing
that the bill would not pass without the
hearty cooperation of the executive branch
of the government. What the President had
said gave him the right to make the state
ment as he did at the time, that the Senate
bill would receive the Endorsement of
Democratic House and Democratic Presi-
dent.
The great Secretary of the Treasury,
himself tariff reformer, who had seen
every amendments that was proposed or was
to be proposed, knowingi the condition that
confronted his paftYand wanting to let the
country know howsmtahters stood, published
a.prepared statemefltoon April 80, 1894. This
statement was am Interview with Mr..
Carlisle about the tariff bill, in which he
said that the bill would be passed without
difficulty. That statement said Mr. German,
had probably wonderful effect But it
did not stop there. The President was not
ignorant of what the Senate proposed to do
Forty-three Democratic Senators under
stood and believed this.
The daily papers stated that the Presi-
dent concurred with his Secretary of the
Treasury. 1t was known that he was not
satisfied with the measure The same could
be said of every Democratic Senator, for a
compI omise measure would not be satis-
factory IN every particular to everybody.
1t was believed that every Cabinet officer,
every Democratic Senator and the President
himself were satisfied with the compromise
bill was the best. that could bo had Mr..
German called on Mr.. Vest, Democrat of
Missouri, to verify this broad statement.
Amid an intense silence, Mr. Vest, some
what hesitatingly, arose and told what he
knew of the matter.
Mr.. Vest said Secretary Carlisle had told
him that the greatest calamity that could
happen to the Democratic party and of the
country would be the failure to pass tariff
bill. Senator Jones had seen the President
and Secretary Carlisle, and both had told
him the addition of the. fourEhundred
Jones amendments, would be perfectly
satisfactory to them, the President con-
Guiding with these words: II am wiling to
do anything to pass this bill through Con
gress."
II told Senator JONES'" said Mr.. Vest,
THAT if we go into this fight we must have
the President behind u.s. Mr.. Jones assured
him OF that this was the fact, and he (Afr.
Vest gave us his personal opinions; and for
the first time, when he heard OF the Presi-
deat's letter to Chairman Wilson, he learned
that the President was against him.
daughter and applause, which the Presi-
dent protein, Mr.. Harris, checked)
Mr.. Jones, Democrat of Arkasas, ex-
planned that he understood that the Presi-
dent and Secretary Carlisle were satisfied
with the amended bill, until he heard the
Wilson letter read. He understood the
President to express himself positively in
this connection, and Secretary Carlisle also.
Villas ASKS A QUESTION.
Mr.. Villas, Democrat, of Wisconsin,
asked if in every conversation that the
Senator from Arkansas had with the
President the latter had approved of a
duty on coal and iron ore. Goal and
iron ore were mentioned in every single |
one,n said Mr.. Jones, amid great laugh
ter and applause.
In answer to another question from
Mr.. Villas, Mr.. Jones said the President |
showed himself in favor of the free coal |
and free IRON. but he was willing to ac-
cent the coal and iron schedules as |