The Delta independent., 1894-08-01
THE PRESIDENTS POSITION.
inside Facts Regarding tho Writing I"
tho Wilson Letter.

Inside rActs regarding tho "it"S -
tho Wilson Letter.
The Washington correspondent OF the
Chicago Record gives the following interest
Ing facts concerning President Clevelands
attitude toward the tariff bill.
The explanation of the President Of tn
charges Of duplicity made against him by
senator's as given to me by member OF E!S
cabinet, Ia that he consented to the compro-
mise amendments upon representations made
by Messrs. Jones, Harris and others that II
would be impossible to get forty-three vote
In the Senate otherwise. He had no Intention
Of giving his consent to the sugar schedu.e
or to the duty Oh Iron and coal or to several
Of the other schedules as permanent propoi-
tions, but he believed the easiest way to
secure the passage of the bill was to let NE
conservative men in the Senate have as much
rope as they demanded, and then make terms
with them after the bill reached the commit
tee of conference. Several times during the
consideration Of the bill in the Senate he re-
ceired remonstrances from tariff rcformerS.
both in and out Of Congress, who insis'e'
that ii WAS his duty to interfere and preyen;
the concessions that were being made In favor
of trusts and certain industrial interests. His
invariable reply was that it would save time
and trouble to let the bill 60 through the
Senate In any kind Of shape, because IT would
be fixed in conference. His idea was that the
conferrees Of the respective houses would
give and take and that the conservatives o:
the Senate were raising the duties higher
than they expected to see them In the bill n
finally passed in order to have something +"
surrender and trade upon.
Wilson, which has caused so much inlisaa-
ton, was written on the End Of July to II gcn,
teman In New York City, and submitted l."
The criticism OF Secretary Lamont and Sccrc-
tary Carlisle who begged the President no,
TO send It for fear that II might get into die
papers and create bad feeling. In compl!anc"
with this advice the President placed the let
ter in a plgeon-hole Of his desk at Woo1lcy,
his country house.
On Sunday, the 18th of July, Representa-
tives Wilson and Breckenridge, Senator Villas,
Don NJ. Dickinson and John f. Russell OF
Massachusetts, happened to be visiting th'
President at his country home and the wor"
of the conference committee then in session
was the chief subject OF conversation. 1n'
President took the suppressed letter from
pigeon hole In his desk and read It aloud It
these gentlemen. They all insisted that 1t,
suppression was mistake, AMI urged III,
President TO make II public, as they believed
It would be effective Ia stimulating publ,
opinion and bringing the Democrats IN Con.
grcss to their senses. Being convinced b.
the counsel Of these gentlemen the Presidcn
there and then altered the letter so that il
would iit Mr.. Wilson, aud without advising
either Secretary Lainon, or Secretary Car
Isle Of his Intention, had n typewriter copy
made on Monday and handed TO Mr.. Wilson
on Tuesday morning.
Tha, gentleman carried It in his pocket un
I'll Thursday. when he had II read III tht
House. He had an opportunity 10 submi
the document TO his colleagues Of the confer
ence committee at their meetings both OF
Tuesday and Wednesday, but refraincd from
doing so for fear that Information might leak
out and reach the public, and the dramatic
force OF the explosion in the House OF Repre-
sentatlvcs be impaired. Neither Secretary
Carlisle nor Secretary Lamont knew that the
letter had been handed to Mr.. Wilson until
they saw the announcement In the evening
papers, when both of them told the Preside nj
they thought he had made gricyous mistake