The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-11-22
VIEWS OF THE ADMINISTRATION.
A Telling Rcbukc to the Opponents of Presi
dent Cleveland.

| A Washington correspondent, while not
protesting to speak "cXcathc'lla," gives
what he gathers floating il the air arort the
White House of opinions of the president
and cabinet on the late defeat of the demo-
cratic party. The correspondent says:
| Neither Mr.. Cleveland nor any of his as
sistants after consultation over the re-
turns, have been able to persuade TEN
selves that the action OF the people is a
rebuke to the president, or to the head of
lany of the administrative departments,
| for anything they have done or said since
they were in power. They are equally
| certain that the ropIN ar Vh.i,.'irs are
not an expression of popular Ill will
| against the democratic party as Il party,
| nor as an indication of Il change { srnti.
ment regarding tariff reform. They do
| the contest, except that the people
were Disguised with the democratic ma
| jority in congress for not carrying out the
program for which it was elected in 1892.
| The people wanted tariff REFORM but did
not get it.
These conclusions were arrived at by
| the cabinet after the receipt of a num-
! Der of kilograms from successful demo-
cratic congressman, in whose districts
the conduct of the administration was
made an issue, or the tariff formed an
important subject of discussion during
| the canvass. A message from Representa-
| tive Cobb of st. Louis is a very good exam
pie of the dispatches on which the concu-
siOnS of the president and his cabinet are
| based. Mr.. Cobb wired that he had made
his fight purely on the presidents record and
| had won.
The cabinet officials declare that the
| democratic leaders in the house and senate,
| by their refusal to follow the president, be-
trayed their party and brought about the
| disastrous defeat. They fought Mr.. Cleve-
| land not only at Chicago, but in Washing
! ton, after the Inauguration, and the people
| leaders and to condemn men who had been
| false to their trust. The defeat was not Il
triumph over the democracy, but a punish
mGnt of traitors; The passage of the tariff
I bill in August instead of in April, helped
very much to do it. The full revival of
trade this fall was then an impOssibility.
| When the senate met in extra session it
| should have adopted rules to do business
and should have done business. Its failure
| in Il great measure brought about the late
| result. Instead of carrying out the Chicago
platform and following the president, the
democratic majority in congress repudiated
| the party policy, refused to perform duties
which they We're elected to do and seemed to
! care more about the appointment of scrub
women than they did about unfolding the
! presidents hands and the cause of Il
mighty reform. to accomplish which they
were chosen by the people They were
| charged with patriotic mission and proved
| to be towards. These in the view of the
| cabinet, are the reasons for the democratic
J overthrow in New York and in other states
| that were wrested from the republicans on
| the issue Of tariff reform and on the decla-
| ration that a public Office Is public trust
| Having made up their minds as to why
| the democracy was defeated and who is re-
sponsible, the president and his advisors
| have considered the future of the party.
| They reason that, as an ISSUE tariff reform
! will not in the immediate future occupy an
/ important place. The republicans would
hardly dare attempt to pass. another Nc
| kinley act, but would practically let the
| tariff alone ppODlp have had nnOugh nf
tariff agitation and neither party could hope
for party success in the immediate advance
ment Of protectionst or low tariff ideas. The
republicans would probably pass separate
bills in the interest of favored industries,
but no general tariff legislation would be
attempted. 1t Is necessary to have an issue
and the most available one unquestiOnably is
| that of free silver versus sound money.
| 1t became very evident to the cabinet
after looking over the returns that the east
ern and middle states, including New York,
had probably gone into the republican col
umn for many years to come. Several of the
secretaries saw great danger in this to the
party, in the natural effort which would
follow to build up strength enough in the
south and west to elect a president. The
chances of making these sections solid and
independent of the east might be regarded
as the only hope Il was argued that strong
effort would be made to turn the party in the
south and west into Il free silver party
and fears of the outcome were expressed
| There was one encouraging feature
CLEANED from the returns by three of the
secretaries, who discussed the danger of an
attempt by free silver men to capture the
democracy. They found, in several instances
in the south, that democrats who ran on the
free silver issue have been beaten and sound
money democrats elected. This was true OF
Watson and Turner in Georgia and Patter
son In Tennessee. 1t was also discovered
that greater proportion of democrats who
are elected to the next house are opposed
to the free silver policy. 1t was also re
membered that only five populists in the
less than are now in the house. These were
cheering signs to the democratic leader,
IN the cabinet, but hey still think that there
Is danger of certain leaders attempting tC
enlist the party under the free silver banner