Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-08-02
A WARM DEFENSE.
senator Germans Attack on Presi-
dent Cleveland Denounced.
senator Villas. of Wisconsin, Takes Up the
cudgei for the Executive and
Wieids 1t in a Masterfui and
Telling, Manner.


Tof the proceedings in the senate yester-
cay, and when the conference report
'on the tariff bill had been called up,
senator Villas. of Wisconsin, was recog-
nlzed and proceeded to reply to the at
tack on the president made by Senator
Gorman, of Maryland. on Monday last.
democratic senator. he said. saw fit to at
ttack the president, without precedent, he
Thought. if there was a precedent it was
: one that ought to be stunned instead of fol-
lowed 1t was personal assault upon the
president and his character. He had hoped.
he said. that the remarks of Mr.. German and
those who Joined him on that occasion would
have appeared in the Record before he (Hr.
Nilas) replied. But he went on sarcasticaIly,
he presumed the engagements of the Maryland
senator were so pressing that ne had no time
60 revise them.
Mr- Villas considered it his duty to reply to
that assault He would speak as the personal
as gell as the political friend OF the president.
He rcjoiced in the honor OF Mr. Clevelands
friendship It was pride 10 him. OF the
yards, few and stinted. that comes to
public men. one of the greatest that
had come to him was the inti-
mate association with that lofty and
distinguished man. 1t was his honest teSti-
nony to his character that never at any mo-
ncnt in any temptation. political or personal,
elad he failed to see in Mr.. Cleveland the pure.
white light of an upright purpose. For such
man he saw fit to say some wordS-not in de-
Tense Che needed none). but some correction of
Il diseoioration of facts b. which Mr.. Cleveland
had been placed in false light before the
country He would make this statement in be-
half of the truth of history.
THE POINTS OF ACCUSATIONS.
-'What were the points of accusation?'' in
quired Mr.. Villas, in the remarkable assault
TO which have alluded
He regretted. he said that Mr.. German was
absent from the senate chamber. The first
ciiSation. he proceeded. was that the president
was open to the charge Of dupiicity.
That was based upon letter in which
DIR Cleveland expressed the hope that iron
and coal should go the free list in the tariff
Dill. The second was that the executive had
Oy that cncroached on the prerogatives of con-
f,resS, and third that the president had
Iraduced the senate.
with regard to coal and iron ore. Let US ex-
anime the facts" said Mr.. Villas And 1 de-
sire to say here that 1 am under deep obliga-
Lion to the senator from New York. who never
IN his public career made such an able EXPOSE
zion OF any subject as he did on Tuesday last"
~. Villas then reviewed at length the presi-
(icUt'S position in favor of free raw material,
-lIis la5tcf Of 1887 and other public utterances
mp to his message to congress at the opening
Of the present session Constantly. Mr. Villas
declared Mr.. Cleveland had insisted upon this
principle 1t was everywhere proclaimed by
his supporters to be the first step in the
kranchiScment of labor from the thraldom of
unjust taxation. Could it be possible. he
asked. that anyone supposed he had abandoned
the principle that lay at the base of any
scheme OF tariff reform?
What was the proof adduced in support of
this alleged change of heart2 Mr.. German
himself had no personal testimony to offer.
He called on Mr. Vest who offered a CONVERSE
fson hearsay testimony that would have been
excluded in any court OF justice He had no
personal testimony. The distinguished sena-
tor from Arkansas whose labor in behalf of
III, rfsSr frny -
colleagues. testified that he had personally
talked with the president about the senate bill
Did Mr.. Jones claim that all The details of the
Dill had been laid before Mr.. Cleveland They
were not; only the general principles which
tEhe amendments were made.
CHARGES NOT SUSTAINED
With regard to those two amendments upon
which the specifications of Mr. Germans
charge had been founded the testimony of Mr..
Jones was clear that the president. whenever
coal and iron ore were mentioned expressed
the hope that they would go the free list.
Was there anyone DESTROYS of doing open and
cree Justice to the president. who after reading
Mr. Jones own statement. would not say that
Mr- Cleveland had never faltered in his urgent
demand for free coal and iron ore? The preSi-
dent knew. too, each house would have voice,
and therefore not with dUplicity. but with OPEN
and holiness that always characterizes
him, Mr.. Cleveland had expressed to the chair
sIsIn of the ways and means committee the hope
>bat the result he desired would be accom-
piiShed in conference.
He had a right to say it after the conyersa-
ton as detailed by Senator Jones: he had q
right to insist and urge it by any proper means.
but it was said that the presidents letter con-
stituted an encroachment upon the preroga-
lives of the senate. His right to send it was
denied Mr.. Villas quoted the text Of the letter.
Was that the language OF i man who sought to
= reach bevond his power he asked. Was it not
rather the honest outpouring of a genuine dem
ocrat addressing his feliow-democrats in sup
port of principles he had so nobly carried
Through two trying presidential contests:
Mr. Villas then quoted and ranged alongside
of bir. Cleveland's utterances the statement of
Mr. German that The senate bill could not pass
If it did not have the hearty support of Mr..
Cleveland. At the very time when the preSi-
stent writing his letter to Mr.. Wilson. Mr..
Villas went on dramatically. the senator from
Maryland and his coadjUtors were appealing to
SIR Cleveland to induce him to support them
IN an effort to qualify the enactment of demo-
cratic principles instead of crystallizing them
into law. How utterly wanton is this cry OF in
. reference now. because he has seen tit to
throw the weight OF his influence with the
mouse in favor OF democratic principles be-
8 cause he refused Ia stand with them they make
mis- action ground of complaint here. and in
horror cry out against executive interior
, cnce-".
NOTABLE PRECEDENTS
Dir. Villas referred to the fact that President
Washington came to the same chamber. ac-
companied by his secretary, to urge in person
isc ratification OF a treaty he had negotiated.
President JaclSon'S course in making his
ricwS felt by congress was also referred to.
ar. Villas said he was content to leave to fair
minded men whether the president had wan
sonly encroached upon the rights of congress.
The charge was made that the senate had been
tTaduced. Extracts from the letter to Mr.. Will
were read to show that the presidents
purpose was not to traduce the senate, but to
plainly state his aspirations toward reform.
Tho president had stated that the abandon
sneut of that great party principle would be
f,eriidy and diShonor-
NO one would question that such an aban-
doumcnt of principles would be dishonorable.
Tho shaft was not aimed at any senator. 1t
zSis not personal accusation. 1t was not an
accusation leveled at the senator from Mary
land (Mr. Germany the senator from Mis-
souri, (Mr VeSt) or the senator from Arkansas
<Mr. Jones) or against any other senator. The
president understood the situation in the
ate. He knew the Staunch adheraEce to tariff
srcfotm of the senator from Texas (Mr. MillS),
fxbc senator from Delaware (Mr- Cray. and
the TWO senators from Arkansas (Messrs. Jones
and Berry,. but there was no arrayal of these
views The presidents letter was wholly i'm
personal
Hr. Villas said the views of the senator from
Maryland (Mr. Germany could mean only one
thing. 1t was an effort 10 array democrats to-
gether in q Spi; il of resentment and thus carry
out the compromise OF tarin reform The Will
son bill had passed amid public reclamation.
of party and public pledge. But when this
,reyenue-reform measure reached the senate
iron and coal were placed on the dutiabie list.
wEARISOME DEBATE.
Moreover il WAS debated week in and veel.
out The public weared at that debate
and vet the senate could reach result.
IT was at this Juncture that the
~onafor from Arkansas {Mr. JOnesl had