Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-02-21
ROCK OR WHIRLP POOL.
President CIeveIand's forts to Steer
Clear Of Them.
xhythe Political Ship Is Such Ward One for
Min TO Guide.

Every one IN and out OF congress adnfls
that the recent debate on BANDS latest sill
ysr bill was decidedly dull and uninterest-
ing. 1t simply dragged on from, day to day
because there was no good way to stop it.
Mr. Bland did not want to close debate till
he had quorum Of his supporters present,
and there were generally not less than a
hundred absentees. A western member
said it was something like the sermon OF
the tedious old preacher in the story. who
''set his mouth to going and went OIL and
left it running"
On two or three days there were at the
openiny Of the discussion hardly more than
enough members present to organize the
committee Of the whole and give the hall
any appearance of interest, and despite the
little spats Of the opposing members at
each other and the few real witticisms the
affair was insnfferably dull.
In fact, says a very weary Illinois mem
Der: Mr. Bland is hardly the man to lead
and control such discussion. Heis not so
firm tcmlwred even as he once was and
seems to have lost the capacity to think
rapidly while on his feet. Instead of X. r.
Bland his name should be J. Rascible, for
the enemy has succeeded in disturbing his
temper several times during this debate.
One thing, however, is demonstrated. This
house is certainly as strong for more silver
as it ever was, and probably stronger.
a Purely Personal Policy.
In the dead calm which followed the CON
cl,sion of debate on the tariff the members
had time to look after appointments, and
there is outspoEen complaint that Mr..
Cleveland is painfully slow and, as they al
e, In, IA ofb pd of f1ro
ceeding.
II don't know says Mr.. Robertson of
Louisiana, "whether to call it his policy, or
his impolicy, or teetotal lack of policy. In
fact, don't think he really has any policy.
His practice is too plain. For day or so
he wants to take high heroic plane of ex-
ira moral civil service reform. Then he
Yields to the solicitations of personal
friends, and next he gets vexed at some
congressman and goes back to the old sys-
tern.
'f 'sOf course he means to do the square
thing, but it is plain that he hasn't settled
down yet to any defined policy. Sometimes
he Just takes liking to the man who is en-
applicant and appoints him offhand, and
sometimes when he has exhausted all the
other policies he cousults a congressman.
Even after doing this and having the con-
gresham call at his own request, he often
goes directly contrary to the latter's wish
aud for various reasons Sometimes he see
Il man he likes better than the congress-
mans friend, and sometimes member or
- senator says or does something he does
not like. r-~
I'm short, while making desperate eff
fort to adopt the supposed new system, he
vet has the roots of the old system SO deep
iy fixed in him that it gives his whole course
u curiously erratic and inconsistent APP
pcarance. In fact, it makes it in the last
( analysis purely personal Cleveland pol
icy"
All or Nothing.
Another Mississippian confirms all this
and adds: ''In some of the larger states
one member can do more than all the 9th
ers and the two senators put together. In
our state it is Tom Catchings. One mem.
Der asked Mr.. Cleveland to appoint certain
man postmaster and said, Il can, il desired,
get the Endorsement Of the whole delega-
ton, including both senator's oh, no.
said Mr.. Cleveland. that isn't necessary.
The Endorsement OF Mr.. Catchings will do
The member was of course indignant that
his own man had to have the Endorsement
Of man from another district; but, just
) The same, it made the appointment 60
General Money laughingly says that he
is now free from all trouble on the subject.
He has no influence whatever and can't get
any appointments. and all his constituents
know it. Therefore they don't bother him.
And that's the way it ought to be" he
adds. Either the representative ought to
have all the postoffices in his district and
be held responsible for the character of the
appointces, or he ought to have no influence
whatever. and his constituents should be
made to know that fact thoroughly" The
story goes that John Allen of the Tupelo
: district. when told by the president that he
could secure an appointment by the in
dorsement of Mr.. Catchings, retired indig-
nantly, tore up the papers and informed his
constituents that, SO far as appointments
20, he is no longer in it.
Making Haste Slowly.
On the other hand. an Indiana member
vino has been rather fortunate, says: THE
president is peculiarly situated aud has to
take into consideration SO many things that
the impatient members do not think Of.
He is especially afraid of being considered
ungrateful. He knows very well-and in
deed who could be ignorant of its-that in
several of the states there IL IL faction that
has been working desperately to down him
and another faction that has stood by him
uniiinchingly; that the former faction has
control Of the local machine and is deter
miued to use patronage to crush the other.
Now what shall he dos Ii he allows the
regular Recommendations to control him,
he simply consents that his personal friends
and supporters in all these states shall be
crushed II is not in human nature to cx
pect him to do it. He is determined to go
slow until he sees that oil his friends are
not left in a position to be injured. and
for one do not blame him for 1t.
The correspondent could but notice that
this particular member was no longer trou-
b!ed by applicants for postoftices and WAS
not SURPRISED. to learn that all those thought
worth bo.hering about were already Sc
cured There is another curious feature OF
the situation There are now four or five
alleged Populists who are on the tariff
ronnted the best Kind of Democrats, and
according to this same Indiana congress-
maa the president is inclined to look favor
ably upon their claims.
Il is also known that the president Is
growing more and more stvageiy antisil-
yer and is losing all patience NTH the
members who persist in bringing up the