The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-08-28

THE ATTITUD DE OF THE PRESIDENT.
President Cleveland has suffered the
tariff bill TO become Law without his
signature. II must be confessed that,
viewed from the standpoint Of political
partisan, be stood between the devil and
the deep sea. Had he signed the bill he
would have been stigmstized as q yolun-
tary participants in the per6dy and dis
honor which be denounced so bitterly in
his famous Wilson letter. Had be vetoed
the bill he would have put himself squareiy
in opposition 70 the party which elected
him. He finds himself today in most
contemplate position simply because he
had not moral courage enough 10 hold
fast 70 the Chicago platform and insist
upon a tariff for revenue only. which IL the
only logical alternate to the Mckinley
protective tariff. lie has chosen to suffer
a sectional tariff bill TO become Law.
bill that 10 = protectionist measure, but
with protection unfairly applied to the
manufacturer and taken away from the
Northern producer. Southern rice and
sugar is protected while Northern wool
and lumber are on the free list, aud North
srn soft coal and iron ore is robbed OF one
half of its former protection
President Cleveland during the last year
has proved himself to be most arrant
humbug. HIS stupidity and obstinacy.
added TO the financial ignorance of Mr..
Carlisle, precipitated the financial panic;
his dupliciiy aud obstinacY disgraced the
American name in the fasco of his Ha-
waiian policy; his duplicity and folly in
the matter Of the tariff controversy be-
tween the two houses have utterly eI-
tinguished all his reputation for states
manship.
1t is not g pleasant thing to say. but ii
seems TO be true that Mr.. Cleveland treats
the presidency OF this great nation as
mere pocket-piece; to him IL Is a personal
possession like his watch; his purse; his
yacht. or his home at Gray Gables. From
no other point of view can We explain Mr..
Clevelsnd's extraordinary duplicity with
his political peers in his party. and his
obstinacy and inconsistency of action.
lie insisted upon the confirmation of Van
Alien. because IL was o personal nomina-
ton of an utterly unfit man who was never
heard Of until he contributed so, 600 10 the
Cleveland sack for 1892; he vetoed the
seigniorage bill and yet permits Secretary
Carlisle to coin the seigniorags; he called
for free iron and free coal, but swallowed
taxed sugar with its sugar trust steal, be-
cause his friends in the sugar trust had
contributed a great sum to the Cleveland
sack for 1897; and he demanded free coal
because his friends had organized a syn
dictate TO mine coal in Nova Scotia and
another syndicate TO mine coal IN Cuba.
Mr.. Cleveland has succeeded in earning
the contempt of every man of brains who
has followed his course and judged him
without fear or favor. The excoriation he
received at the hands Of German and Vest
was awful. Why was It asfui7 Not be.
cause their assault was able. but because
their charge Of double dealing on the part
Of the president was true. The president
challenged German and the senate 10 bat
tie on the senate bill, and he was beaten
horse, foot and dragons. Whyf Because
his letter carried with IL no moral weight.
When German & Co. offered Wilson aud
the president free sugar they refused the
offer. and from that moment the battle
was lost The people and the house were
hot against the sugar trust steal; they
we're not wrought up over free coal and
| free iron ore, and the moment lt became
evident that the president had really sold
| out 10 the sugar trust: that he was
simply making personal fight for his
| friends over free coal and free iron ore. the
| people ceased 10 take any interest in the
| presidents fight
IL was clear that German and company
had told thu truth about him. Under the
| circumstances the president or Wilson
bad TO choose between surrender and no
tariff bill. and accepted surrender. The
ability and courage displayed by German
| In bis fight with the president has been
| grossly over rated; il does not take very
able card player 10 beat an opponent
when you can see his whole hand, and
know that Il does not contain q single
I winning card. German knew Just what
the president hai been doing from the
hrsti he knew his purpose when he az
tempted 20 double on has tracks; he knew
that he had only 10 stand fast: 30 threaten
/ 30 further turn on the caloiam light 10
fierce Cleveland 10 disgraseial surrender.
/ From this time forward any attempt "a
/ glorify President Cleveland as = statesman
/ will be about as hopeless IS d would Ia n