Evening star., 1894-03-30

After giving careful consideration to the
bill IN which is the proposition to "coin a
vacuum" President Cleveland has very
properly returned to Congress without his
approval, the measure over which there has
been so much discussion. The message
conveying the veto IS rather remarkable
document; remarkable mainly because It is
perhaps the first Of President Cleveland's
contributions to national literature that
presents its author as two distinct charac-
ters-Grover Cleveland and President of the
United States-at one time. As Grover
Cleveland. he says: My strong desire to
avoid disagreement with those in both
Houses OF Congress who have supported
this bill, would lead me to approve it''-and
then the President appears-"if I could
believe that the public good would not be
thereby endangered and that such action on
my part would be a proper discharge of
Official duty" Personally Re would like to
sign the bill, but officially he disapproves
of It so strongly that he wlthholds his auto
graph Unable to satisfy the Presidential
self that "the proposed legislation is either
wise or opportune" he. with some show of
regret. announces that my conception of
the obligations and responsibilities attached
TO the great office 1 hold forbids the in
dulsence Of my personal desire and mex
orably confines me to that course which Is
dictated by my reason and judgment and
pointed out by a sincere purpose to protect
and promote the general interests Of
our people" 1t is well for the country
that the President is so controlled by
the Importance Of his Office and the mag
nitude Of his responsibility as to set aside
considerations Of the personal sort in order
that his public duty be not in any way
Eterfered with. The message is not the
product Of partisan feeling evidence to
that effect being scattered all through it,
No mere politician would admit that dur
ing the recent financial disturbance, which
was unparalleled in it's severity and
disastrous consequences" there seemed to
be almost an entire displacement of faith
in our financial ability and loss of conf
dence In our fiscal policy nor is there any
marked subserviency to petty political reg
ulations in the erninently proper comments
rron the construction Of the measure OF
bill that might reasonably be regarded as
perfect specimen of legislative drafting
debated and passed upon by some of the
brightest democratic minds, the President
says, nearly every sentence presents un-
certainty and invites controversy as to
Its meaning and intent" and in the analy-
sis-the pcst-morteTn examination, as 1t
were-the President shows quite conclusive
ly that had he permitted the bill to be-
come law it would practically be inopara-
tive. This conclusion will. OF course, be
disputed by the disciples of silver, and as
friendship for silver generally means op-
position to bond-issuing propositions of any
sort, the possibilities of heated controversy
are increased considerably by the Presi-
dents suggestion that Congress hasten to
grant to the Secretary of the Treasury a
better power than now exists to protect
our gold reserve when for any reason 1t
should be necessary" In his remarks as to
the ambiguous character Of the measure
the President insisted that the present
perplexitiss and embarrassments OF the
Secretary of the Treasury ought not to be
augmented by devolving upon him the
execution of law so uncertain and con-
fused" 1t is unfortunately not likely that
the legislators who were hit by that shot
will go out of their way to assist the Presi-
dent in bringing about the currency re-
form for which he pleads. But the Presi-
dent is. nevertheless, right.
There are very few men in the United
States. having sufficient of the politicians
characteristics to secure nomination and
election as President. who could withstand
the terrific pressure which has just been
applied TO Grover Cleveland. and who could
the pliability and complaisant and time
serving qualities of the mere politician
The pressure for a signature of the bill
has come from his own cabinet, from the
Senate and House. from the great majority
Of the democratic leaders everywhere and
threats of reputation by his party, of a
possible disruption Of his cabinet and of
certain dismemberment and defeat OF the |
democracy for which he would be held
personally responsible. have been dinned in !
his ears, with more or less of tact and dis !
cretion in the form of presentation, ever
since the bill has been before him. The |
pressure for veto. while very strong has |
been applied largely through the medium |
OF petitions by mail or telegraph from busi- !
ress bodies, and the effect OF such appeals |
IS rarely so powerful as the direct and per-
sonal petitions of party leaders, praying
for the party's life. Now that the bill has |
been vetoed it is possible that the demo- |
cracy will discover that the situation was |
not and is not SO bad as it has been /
painted; and that the chances of the party |
for success in the immediate future already |
conceded by it to be badly damaged by |
ether causes, will not be seriously lessened !
by the Presidents action on the seigniorage |
ball In any event, the President has not |
stultifed himself, and has not DESTROYED |
his financial record. which has been con-
sistently sound and statesmanlike by truck |
ling for partisan purposes to financial |
heresy. The question being whether he |
would serve country or party, he has |
chosen the former. When Grover Cleve- |
land gets started right on a public ques-
ton his firmness or obstinacy according
TO the view poinO is an attribute Of the |
greatest value to the public. The people |
or the United States are to be congratulated !
that in these critical times in the financial |
world they have at the head of the govern |
ment a man of sound ideas concerning |
honest money and the national credit, and |
a man with a stiff backbone.
Gen Coxey's army may do something in |
the interests Of reform by calling atten- |
tion to the inadequate provisions made bv |
most jails for the accommodation of large |
numbers Of people at once