Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1894-08-10
GROVER A DICTATOR.
ATTEMPTS TO ovERAwE AND
sRoweEAT CONGRESS.
Tho PRESENT Executive Prssumes the
Right to Dictate to tho Legislative
Branch OF the Government What Sort
Of . Tariff Bin II Shall Pass.
Tho Tariff Crisis.

The incompetency Of the Democratic
party to deal with the tariff, or with
any great pra-tical: exigency, has
reached q crisis. The crisis was mark
ed by the reading of President Cleve-
lands extraordinary letter by Chair
man Wilson, of the Ways and Means
Committee, in the House, on Thursday,
in closing the debate on the confer
ence. The Presidents letter is the
most extraordinary de%liverance, both
in contents and the plan of which it
constitutes q part, ever sent by q chief
executive to Congress; for, as is per-
fectly evident, it is not and never was,
q p,ivate communication to Mr.. Will
son, but q deliberate illumination of
a public character foist ted in the guise
of q private statement. 1t was un-
doubtedly prepared, probably in con-
cert with Mr.. Wilson, with a view to
precisely the use he made of it. Con-
corning this arrogant letter, the Sioux
City Journal says:
This pronunciamento from the
White House, so unprecedented in par.
liamentary history, Is therefore full of
significance. 1t a be interpreted on
no other theory than that it is an &C.
acknowledgement of irrecoscilable con-
fict within the Democratic party as
the case now stands at Washington; q
public confession of impotency to deal
with the tariff; q definite consciousness
that the party, although in full pos
session OF the government, cannot act
on the tariff. 1t Is a declaration-for
We must assume that it is made in CON
cert with the leaders who stand with
President Cleveland-on the part of
one of the factions that it will not
yield to the other.
ANY other explanation presupposes
that the protestant Democratic Sena-
tors have not been sincere in their
stand on the tariff; that they will
knuckle to executive dictation in tho
grossest form ever exhibited; that
they will recede from tho line they
have drawn and submits sively toe the
mark indicated by President Cieve-
land at the crack of the whip, and
that they have been me ely playing
o part and not representing the in
terests of their constituencies in
demanding SO strenuously modification
of the Wilson bill as it passed the
House. The Presidents letter is a
challenge, and Senators Hill, German,
Brice, and those who in fact share their
VIEWS, nave oluuor W roUroaU VI uSuL,
there is no other alternative. 1t is in
conceivable that they will retreat. II
they take up the gage of battle SO ar.
rogantly thrown before them, then
there . be no tariff Legislation now,
for on the part of the other side the
President virtually announces, No
compromised
"such is tho singular point to which
the second year OF complete Demo-
cratic control of the Government, fol-
lowing years of tariff agitation,
pledges and pleadings, have brought
the country. The Wilson bill itself,
as the President confesses, is a viola
ton in many fundamental points of the
Democratic party, and yet it is a grave
question to-day whether the party will
break in twain or can put this mongrel
measure on the statute book.
The situation OF the Democratic
party is critical. The question, how
ever, must be met at once, and cannot
be long postponed. We shall see what
we shall see-and the country will be
looking with keenest interest"