St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-07-27
SENATOR Villas IN REPLY.
RRELEYANcY or G0RMAR'S cELE-
DRAFTED SPEECH SNOWY.
POSITION OF THE PRESIDENT.

He
Abandonment of Tariff Reform
Would BE Perf1dy and Dis.
honor-Mr. Stewart Puts in
Word = Senate Votes Down
Free Iron and Free Coal-Oniy
Votes Against Ga.
WASHINGTON, July 26. = Senator
Villas, of Wisconsin, who was secretary
OF the interior and later postmaster
general during Mr.. Cleveland's first ad-
miuistration, replied at great length to-
day to Senator CORN ans attack upon
the president. For two hours he held
the floor amid the rapt attention of
the senate and galleries. delivering his
scathing rebuke of the Maryland SEN
ator. He denounced Mr.. Gorman's as
sault as wantOn, reckless and unjusti-
fable, and. though he declared that
Mr. Cleveland needed no defense at his
hands, he took up the charges made by
AIR. German and met them with mas
teriy skill and logic. He made his
the truth of history. Mr.. German was
not in the senate at the time, and to
this fact the Wisconsin senator called
attention. In conclusion he eulogiZed
the personal character and public integ-
rity of Mr.. Cleveland in the most glow
ing terms; that the president of the
United States, who had received SO
many evidences of the honor and re.
spect of the American people. could
not suffer from this unjustifiabie at
tack of the MARYLAND senator.
it was said that the presidents letter
constituted an encrOachment upon the
prerogatives of the senate. His right
to send it was denied. Mr.. Villas
quoted the text Of the letter. Was that
the language of a man who sought to
reach beyond his power? he asked. Was
1t not rather the honest out pouring of
genuine Democrat addressing his fell
low Democrats in support of principles
he had so nobly carried through two
trying presidential contests?
MIR. Villas then quoted and ranged
alongside of Mr.. Cleveland's utterance
the statement of Mr.. German that the
senate bill could not pass if 1t did not
have the hearty support of Mr.. Cleve-
| land. At the very time when the preSi-
| dent was writing this letter to MIR.
| Wilson, Mr. Villas went on, dramatical-
ly, "the senator from Maryland aud his
eoadjutors were appealing to Mr..
Cleveland to induce him to support
| them in an effort to qualify
| the enactment of Democratic prin-
/ cipies instead of @crystallizing
them into law,e How sutterlFlwanton
| is this cry of interference now; because
he has seen fit to throw the weight of
his influence with the house in favor of
Democratic principles. because he re-
fused to stand with, them, they make
his action, ground of complaint here,
and In horror cry out against executive
interference"
Mr.. Villas said he was content to leave
| to fair-mInded men whether the presi-
| dent had wantonly encroached upon
| the rights of congress-.
THE CHA RGE WAS MADE
| that the senate had been traduced
| Extracts from the letter were read to
show that the presidents purpose was
not to traduce the senate, but to plainly
state ,his aspirations toward tariff re-
| form. The president had stated that
the abandonment of that great party
| principle would be per6dy and dis
honor.
/ "Ne one would question that such an
abandonment of principle would be
dishonorable. The shaft was not aim ed
| at any senator. 1t was not personal
accusation. 1t was not an accusation
/ leveled at the senator from Maryland
or the senator from Missouri, or the
senator from Arkansas or against any
other senator. The president under
stood the situation in the senate. He
| knew the. staunch adherence to tariff
reform of the senator from Texas
Mills; the senator from Delaware
Gray, and the two senators from Ar
kansas, Jones and Berry; but there wa:
no arrayal of these views. The presi-
dents letter was wholly impersonal
Mr.. Villas said the views of the senator
from Mary land, GOrman, could meal
only one thing. 1t was an effort {,
array Democrats together in spirit OF
resentment and thus carry out tho com
| promise of tariff reform. The Wilson
bill had passed amid public acclama
ton. The people accepted it as tn,
honest execution of party and publ,
pledge.
But when this revenue reform meas
3 ufe reached the senate, iron and Goa
were placed on the dutiable list.
Moreover. it was debated week in ant
| week out, The public was wearied a
that debate, and yet the senate coult
reach no result. 1t was at this junctur
that the senator from Arkansas Zones
4 had brought forward over 400 amend
ments. These were to be the solution
of the problem and were to bring TIL,
debate to close. Still the discussion
proceeded fifty-seven days. Mr.. Villa
said he had recognized the necessity o
yielding to these amendments. 1t wa
essential to have revision of til,
8 existing tariff law quickly. 1t wa
essential, too, to reinforce depleted
| treasury. At the conclusion of hi
4 speech, Mr. Villas explained that il
! view of the fact that Messrs. German
4 Brice and Smith had assured him tina
4 his motion to recede from the one
eighth cent differ entail in favor of th
retiners of sugar must fail. and th
further fact that Democratic caucu
: had decided to agree to further con
: ference without instructions, he woul,
II withdraw the motion.
- GoRMAN's MISTAKE.
Continuing. Villas said:
Theapresident could not know all tn
details of the bill. He could only dea
with 1t in general respects as to it
principles. and, therefore, he wrote no
to disparags the senate, not to traduce
senator. He was not only excused, bu
testified. and his countrymen vii
Justify him.and applaud as they hav
already done his untiinchlng fidelity t
his views. 1t is not resentment that
feel for fhe distinguished senator fror
Maryland. The consequence to him o