Huntsville gazette., 1894-07-28

|
a year has the senate chamber nor has
it in historic "reminiscences presented
more stirring spectacle than that
which took place there to-day. The
knowledge that Senator German was
to take up the gauntlet thrown down
| by President Cleveland at the feet of
| democratic senator's attracted to the
capitol large part of the visitors and
people of leisure who take delight in
the comments of political gladiators.
Mr.. German was in his best fighting
trim. Never did he acquit himself OF
a task in connection with his sena-
| torial duties in manner. 1t an i'm
! pressive manner the Maryland senator
told of closed factories and suffering
mechanics and said further suspense
| would be destructive. 1t would
be destructive to the democra-
tic party, which now controlled
every branch of the government, and
he hoped the situation would be met as
became American senators and as be-
came patriotic citizens. Mr.. German
said the democrats had only forty-four
votes for the bill, and, excepting the
distinguished senator from New York
(Mr. HID, who had openly and man
fully opposed the measure, there was
only forty-three democratic votes to be
depended on. Senators had voted for
the bill at sacrifice of state interests
almost of principle. Never before had
there been such condition of sac
riice. When the radical destructive
bill came from the house it had
been asserted that it could not be
passed by the senate with the odious
income tax attached. When the bill
went into conference, although a ma
jority of the democratic conferees had
been southern men, justice had been
done by them to every section. To re-
sent the caluminies that had been
heaped on the conferees, he would give
"a plain, unvarnished statement putting
the responsibility whereveri it belonged.
He would say now, as he would tell
every democratic senator privately,
that no matter at what sacrifice to
state interests, the paramount duty of
every democrat was to keep the party
in power.
MR. German made reference to Presi-
dent Cleveland's letter to Chairman
Wilson as the most unusual, the most
unwise letter ever penned by presi-
dent of the United States. On account
of this letter he was forced to talk of
private party matters in public. The
honor of his fellow senators also made
him make the statement he would
make.
Mr.. German said every democratic SEN
ator had been consulted with view to
reconciling their views. Two of the
democratic leaders had conferred
with the president, knowing that
the bill would not pass without
the hearty cooperation of the execu-
the president had said gave him the
right to make the statement, as he did
at the time, that the senate bill would
receive the Endorsement of a demo-
cratic house and a democratic presi-
dent. The secretary of the treasury,
himself a tariff reformer, who had seen
every statement that was proposed, or
was to be proposed, knowing the condi-
tion that confronted his party and
wanting to let the country know
how matters stood, published a
prepared statement on April 30,
1894. This statement was an
interview with Mr.. Carlisle about the
tariff bill, in which he said that the
bill would be passed without difficulty.
That statement, siad Mr.. German, had
probably a wonderful effect. But it
did not stop there. The president was
not ignorant of what the senate pro-
posed to do Forty-three democratic
senator's understood and believed this.
The daily papers stated that the
president concurred with his secretary
of the treasury. 1t was known
that he was not satisfied with the
measure. The same could be said of
every democratic senator, for a COM
promise measure would not be satis-
factory in every particular to every
body 1t was believed that every cab
met officer, every democratic senator
and the president himself were salts
fed with the compromise bill as the
best that could be presented.
Senator German threw down the
gauntlet President Cleveland and in
sinuated that the latter was seeking TO
blacken the character of senators.
Men in high place, said Mr.. German.
had sought to blacken the character of
senators. These men were guilty of
dishonor. ''The limit of endurance has
been reached, said he. ''There
is no power however great
the president, with all his
patronage-that would keep me silent
longer. He hurled this at the presi-
dent, he said, and at those who chirped
as he talked, that their insinuations
were infamous. 1t was destructive to
the country that men of high position
should seek to blacken those who bat
tied for their rights were towards in
high places dared not show their heads.
Mr.. German had read (by Mr.. Cock
rell) statement by Secretary Carlisle,
furnished to the United Press and pub
lished in the Washington Post of April
80, favoring the passage Of a com
promise measure.