The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1894-07-27
A Red HOT TIME
Letter from Cleveland TO Congressman
Wilson Endorsing the House
Tariff Bill.
MAKES SEVERAL SENATORS MAD
And They Go for His Excellency With
out Gloves or Time-keeper on
a Hot Day.

WASHINGTON, July 3-The battle
over the conference report on the tariff
bill was resumed in the senate today.
The attendance was even larger than on
Friday. Harris, president pro TEN, was
in the chair. After the expiration of the
preliminary routine business at II
o'clock, Voorhees, called up the confer
once report and then the storm broke.
German addressed the senate speaking
from carefully prepared notes. After re-
viewing the condition Of the senate,
which made q compromise necessary. he
delivered hiss defiance in dramatic tones.
The infamous calumnies heaped on the
heads Of the senators forced from his
lips, he said, a plain, unvarnished state
ment and he would make 1t with malice
toward none, but he would look his col
Leagues and the American people in the
| eve and tell the truth. In patriotism
| the democratic senate had gone to work
to save the country and continue the
party power, when suddenly in the
midst Of the struggle came the presi-
| dents letter. ut was the most uncalled
for, most extraordinary, most unwise
| communication said German in bitter
tones, "that ever came from a president
Of the United States. 1t places THE body
in a position where it's members must
see to it that the dignity and honor Of
this chamber must be preserved. 1t
places me in a position when l must tell
the story as it occurred" German then
proceeded to detail the manner In which,
to meet the objections and secure the
support of certain disaffected democrats,
the change was agreed upon. He stated
emphatically that during the work Vest
and Jones had frequent conferences with
Secretary Carlisle, and often with Cleve.
land himself. No material principle OF
sacrifice Of principle were made. The
result was as he had declared on q pre-.
vious occasion, a democratic measure.
in his opinion, leaned toward the radical
tariff reform sentiment, and which he
thought would receive the support oil
the democratic house, the senate and the
president. He charged directly thai
Il every one of the senate amendments hao
been seen by Secretary Carlisle before
they we're agreed upon. He took from
his desk and had read an interview with
Secretary Carliale on April 30, in which
the secretary gave the same bill hi
~sWeepipg endorsement. "That inter
view" SAID German, 'softened the hare
places for those trying to harmonic
differences and did much to aid the dem
ocrats of the senate 10 getting together.
He did not believe the democrats eve
would have gotten together had it no
been for that interview and the secretar.
of the treasury necessarily spoke in
great measure for the president on mat
ters relating to his department. On tn
!, morning following the publication o
that interview the papers announced
that the president was in entire accor,
with the secretary Of the treasury.
that was not true, then forty-tw
democratic senators had been misled as I
the compromise. German asserted tina
the bill as completed was satisfactory I
} not a single solitary human being in a.
it's details, but as a whole it was accept
i. able as the best bill that could b
, passed. In respsase to an appeal G
. German, Jones Of Arkansas related tn
, conversation he had with Presiden
Cleveland before he proposed the Jone
amendment to the tariff bill. He sal
4 he told the president that he would nc
90 one step further with the comprt
mise measure until he was assured ths
t Il would have the presidents supper
D The president told him that he woul
favor almost any compromise to secuI
: the passage Of the bill. Villas aske
whether President Cleveland had not g.
pressed a desire for free coal and iror
Jones replied that he had not urged II
senate to get the compromise bi
through. Harris corroborated the stat
ment Of Jones as to the assertions mac
. by the president in the interview {
which he was present. German n
sumed with one Of the most sensation
' references OF the day. He spoke OF tt
0 deep regret he felt at being compelled
ask the public testimony Of these sen
tors, but the limit Of endurance hs
Q been reached. At 3:15 D. m. the eena
!. went into executive session.