New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-07-24
BRIDGES BLRNED.
come.

The situation in the Senate is dramatic III
tbc President burned all bridges behind nm by
his letter Senator German by his speech yes
ter,lny did the same for himself ma his asso-
! c,otes ard placed the President in IA most I'M
env,ab]e pos!tion II Mr.. Germans statements,
! and those OF other Senators who have unb'ni-
| ishcd reputation for fuihfulEess, are even III
| the main correct they convict the President OF
! had faith toward the chosen leaders Of his party
! I'm thc Spnatr Mr. Clcveland's letter 10 Chair
man Wilson accused Democratic Senators or
nertidv and dlshonor. and declared that their
| Hill WINS n corrupt abandonment OF Democratic
hedges and principles. Mr. German answers
! that The President WAS consulted about ii at
/ every stage that his Secretary of The Treasury
| knew and advised every step and publicly com
mcnlpl the compromise when Completed mat
| Mr. Carlislc's published interview OF April ~
| given out and accepted rs declaration OF the
Presidents views "softrnrd the hard places
and made il possible Ia unite votes enough for
the bill and that The President himself was
personally consulted after the details had been
arranged and even after the date Of his letter
70 Chairman Wilson, and fully approved what
had been done.
Senator (iorman'S statement was fully sus-
tanned particularly rs to Mr.. Carlisles constant
knowledge and the effect Of the Presidents final
approval by Senator Vest Then Senators
Jones and Harris stated their personal inter
views with the President, their discussion win
him Of the proposed coal and iron duties. ana
his positivc assent 10 these amendments ana
urgency for the passage OF the bill thus amend
ed With this evidence before the Senate. there
was clearly foundation for the bitter attack
upon the President which rendered Mr.. Cor
mans speech 81 the most exciting ever
heard in the Senate. He mcrclleSsly exposed the
strong interest Of close friends of the President
I'm The Nova Scotia coal syndicate. declaring
that for one he would fight against subJccting
th,. ucopl. 10 this foreign Trust aud asserting
that he owed the President nothing, but had
manfully aud faithfully fought 10 elect him
through all the slime and filth Of The contest
OF 1854
The President must perceive that The situation
demands from him difficult explanation. His
position before the country, and IN his party ~
we'll j. involved. II he deliberately enirapp,I
his party friends into position where h. could
brand them with 'pcr!dy and disbonOr." ana
with tn, passage Of Il corrupt measure, pretend
Ing 70 accept and approve II even after such II
depunclaiion Of it WAS written. lie will hardly
b.. able IN future 10 command The confidence he
has constantly claimed for cOnsccrated integrity
Of character and purity Of motives. On the
foce Of things II would be very Ike confession
Of ,Iupllcitv for him to claim that he allowed
himself 10 be misunderstood by The leading
Senator'S Of his party when they called for The
express purpose Of obtaining final aud positive
assurance that he would approve n compromise
to which they were reluctantly asserting. II Is
extremely difficult 10 see on what ground con
sisient with good faith and integrity. h. could
nj such II time have concealed from them the
nurpor, Of The letter 10 Chairman Wilson, which
now npD,.lrs 10 have been written at an earlier
dote tn. truth IL that the Presidents dis
avowal last April Of Secretary Carslcs state
m.pt about redemption Of Treasury notes IN
silver. and his rejection of the Senatorial com
promise on The silver question, which had been
arranged with the apparent approval Of Sccrc-
tary Carlisle and other close friends of the
President, have prepared people 10 expect some
thing sensational In his treatment Of political
associates
The fight between Democratic leaders seems
now 10 Dc for The purpose Of fastening upon
each other responsibility for the defeat or
Democratic tariff bill II H. hard to see bow
agreement can be any longer expected or de-
sired After being included among The "cowards
lin higher places who did not dare show their
"heads" when other men saved the liberties Of
the country. President Cleveland Is not common
" supposed 10 BE- the man 10 be driven by such
scathing words into signing bill branded by
him as corrupt and dshOnorable. Neither can
the Senators who have excused their cOmprO-
mise OH the ground that 1t was an absolute No
cessiy be expected now 10 confess party pcrfidy
and public corruption by altering II. After Sen
ator Germans powerful speech II Is reported.
the cry every where heard nj Washington was:
"'rhe Senate bin or nothing But the Prcsi-
dent and his friends ingcnously attack The bill
lust where his letter was weakest, by proposing
to cut off part Of the sugar duty, for which his
letter offered thinly disguised apology. Sen
ator German aud his associates act like men
who know that the passage OF The bill would
ruin the Democratic party in their States ana
that It's failure would help and crafty their
constituents more than anything else, ht who
intend that the responsibility for the fail
urr shall rest with the President SO long
Us he appears 10 have assen'ed TO the Senate
bill urging It's passage by that body as the only
thing Obtainablc. though at the same time
secretly preparing to brand It with corruption,
peridy and dishonor. his opponents seem to
have much the best OF the situation.