Rocky Ford enterprise., 1894-08-02
THE PRESIDENTS POSITION.
Inside Faots Regarding the Writing ii
tho wilson Letter.

Tho Washington correspondent OF the
Ch;eago Eecord gives the following interest,"
Ing facts concerning President CleVeland's
attitude toward tho tariff bill.
The explanation OF the President Of the
charges of dupllcity made against him by
senators - given 10 mo by member OF his
cabinet, is that he consented to the compro-
misc amendments upon representations made
by Mcssrs Jones, Harris and others that II
would be impossible to get forty-three votes
in the Senate otherwise. He had no intention
OF giving his consent to the sugar schedule
or to the duty on iron and coal or TO several
Of the other schedules permanent proposi
tons, but he believed the easiest way to
secure the passage Of the bill was 10 let the
conservative men In the Senate have as much
rope as they demanded, and then make terms
with them after tho bill reached the commit
tee OF conference. Several times during the
consideration OF the bill In the Senate he re-
ceived remonstranccs from tariff reformcrs,
both In and out OF Congress, who inslste'
that 1t was his duty to interfere and prevent
the concessions that were being made In favor
of trusts and certain industrial interests. His
invarIable reply was that 1t would save time
md trouble to let the bill go through the
Senate In any kind OF shape, because II woui'!
be fixed In conference. His idea was that the
confcrrecs OF the respective houses would
give and take and that the conservatives
the Senate were raising the duties higher
than they expected to sec them In the bill TT
finally passed In order to have something lo
surrender and trade upon.
am informed, too, that the letter to Mr.
Wilson, which has caused SO much indlsna
tion, was written on the End of July to gen
tlcman In New York City, and submitted 1t
the criticism OF Secretary Lamont and Secrc
tary Carlisle, who begged the President no
to send 1t for fear that 1t might get into tit
papers and create bad feeling. In compliance
with this advice the President placed the let
ter In pigeon hole OF his desk at Woodey
his country house.
On Sunday, the 18th Of July, Represents
tives Wilson and Breckenridge, Senator villas
Don NJ. Dickinson and JOHN f. Russell o
Massachusetts, happened to be visiting thu
President at his country home and the worA
of the conference committee then In sess!o
was the chief subject OF conversation. tn.
President took the suppressed letter from ,
pigeon hole in his desk and read 1t aloul /
these gentlemen. They all insisted that III
suppression was y Hllstnke, IN uieEu III
President to make 1t public, as they believe
1t would be effective in stimulating puh!l'
opinion and bringing the Democrats in Con
grcss to their senses. Being convinced b.,
the counsel of these gentlemen the Presidcn
there and then altered the letter SO that Il
would fit Mr.. Wilson, and without advisin:
either Secretary Lamont or Secretary Car
Isle OF his intention, had typewriter copy
made on Monday and handed to Mr.. Wilson
on Tuesday morning.
That gentleman carried 1t In his pocket un
til Thursday, when he had 1t reasl in th'
House. He had an opportunity TO submi
the document to his colleagues Of the confer
ence committee at their meetings both OF
Tuesday and Wednesday, but refrained fron
doing so for fear that Information might leal
out and reach the public, and the dramati,
force of the explosion in the House OF Repre-
sentativcs be impaired. Neither Secretar,
Carlisle nor Secretary Lamont knew that tn,
letter had been handed to Mr.. Wilson unit
they saw the announcement In the evening
papers, when both Of them told the Preside n
they thought he had made gricvous mistake