The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-07-27
THE POETICAL Villas
Comes to the Defense of His Per-
sOnal Friend, the President.
Tears Open the Political Wounds of Cor
man, Jones and Vest and Rubs
Them Full of Salt.
NO BLAME FOR HIS CHIEF
Simply Wanted to Set Grover
Cleveland Right in History.
Senate Defeats Hills Amendments and
Sends the Tariff Bill to Confer
eHce Without Instructions.

WASHINGTON, July Ex-senator Villas
of Wisconsin, who was Secretary of the
Interior and later Postmaster-general dur
ing Cleveland's first administration, replied
at great length to-day TO Senator Gorman's
attack the President. For two hours
he held the floor, amid the wrapt atten-
tion of the Senate and galleries, delivering
his scathing rebuke of the Maryland SEN
ator. He denounced Mr.. Germans assault
as wanton, reckless and unjustifable, and
although he declared that Mr. Cleveland
needed no defense at his hands, he took up
seriatim the charges made by Mr.. Cor
man and met them with mastery skill
and logic He made his statement, he said
in the interest of the truth of history. Mr..
German was not in the Senate at the time
and to this fact the Wisconsin Senator
called attention with regret. In conclusion,
he eulogized the personal character and
public integrity Of Mr. Cleveland in the
most glowing terms, declaring, with dra-
matte fervor. that the President of the
United States, who had received so many
evidences of the honor and respect of the
American people, could not suffer from
this unjustifable attack of the Maryland
Senator.
At the conclusion of his speech Mr. Villas
explained that. in view of the fact that
Messrs. Gorman Brice and Smith had as
sured him that his motion TO recede from
the one-eighth differential in favor of the
refiners of sugar must fail, and the fur
ther fact tLat a Democratic caucus had
decided to agree to further conference
without instructions, he would withdraw
the motion. After some general remarks
by Mr.. Stewart against the Interference of
the executive with the legislative branch
government HilIS rnOti0n
the Senate recede from its amendments
placing a duty of 40 cents a ton on coal
and iron were voted on and defeated,
the Republicans, except Mr.. Hansbrough,
of North Dakota, joining with the Demo-
Gratis bound by the caucus agreement
against it. The vote stood to 65 and TO
Ga. Mr.. Irby Of South Carolina was the
only other Democrat, except Mr.. Hill, who
voted for free coal and iron. The Populists
Allen, Kyle and Fefter, also voted Ia the
affirmative Mr. Washburn Republican,
of Maine, renewed Mr.. Vilass motion TO
instruct the conference to recede from the
one-eighth .differential on refined sugars,
but Mr.. Gray Immediately made the point
of order against it that it was not COM
petent for the Senate to instruct in full
and free conference. The point of order
was debated for some time but had not
been decided when the Senate adjourned
There is no doubt, however that 1t will
be sustained and this motion ruled out
The general impression is that the bill
will go back to the conference Tomorrow
AS CLEVELAND'S FRIEND.
AT o'clock Mr.. Jones called up the con-
ference report on the tariff bill Mr.. Villas
was Immediately recognized, but yielded TO
Mr.. Quay, who withdrew the sugar amend
ments he offered just before adjournment
last night. The Wisconsin Senator then be-
gan his speech by saying that an extraor-
binary scene occurred on Monday last in the
Senate. A Democratic Senator, said he, saw
fit to attack the President, without prec-
edent he thought, Or, if there was prec-
edent, 1t was one that ought to be summed
instead of followed. 1t was a personal as
sault on the President and his character.
He had hoped, he said, that the remarks of
Mr. German and those who Joined with
him that occasion would have appeared
in the Record before he (Alr. Vnas) re-
Piled But, he went on Sarcastically, he
presumed the engagements of the Maryland
Senator We're so pressing that he had no
time to revise them. Mr.. Villas considered
1t his duty to reply to that assault. lie
would speak as the personal well as the
political friend of the President. He re-
joiced in the honor of Mr.. CleVeland'S
friendship 1t his pride. OF the re-
wards, few and Stinted. that come to public
men, one of the greatest that had come to
him was the intimate association with the
lofty and distinguished man. Ii was his
honest testimony TO his character that new
er at any moment in any temptation, pO-
litical or personal, had he failed TO see In
Mr.. Cleveland the pure, white light of an
upright purpose. For such a man he saw
fit to say some words, not in defense (he
needed ncRe), but some correction of a
dscoloratioh of facts by which Mr. Cleve-
land had been placed in false light be
fore the country. He would make this
statement in behalf of the truth of history.
What were the points of accusation
fV,r,r sin hn artrfn i. 10.
sault to- which / have alluded"' The first
accusation, he proceeded, was that the
President open TO the charge of du-
plicity. That was based on a letter il
which Mr.. Cleveland expressed the hope
that iron ana coal should go on the free
list on the tariff bill. The second was that
the executive had by that encrOached on
the prerOgativeS of Congress, and third,
that the President had traduced the Sen
ate. Those charges were true or false, not
Of fact; :.
us examine the facts" said Mr.. Villas. And
1 desire TO say here that am under deep
obligation TO the Senator from New York,
who never in his public career made such
an able exposition of any subject as he
did on Tuesday last
FOR FREE RAW MATERIALS.
Mr.. Villas then reviewed at length the
Presidents position in favor of free raw
materials. his letter of 1857, and other pub
lie uttarances Up to his message to Con-
gress ct the opening of the present ses-
sion, constantly, Mr.. Villas declared. Mr..
Cleveland had insisted this principle. 1t
was everywhere proclaimed by his sup
porters to be the first step in the enfran-
chisement of labor from the thraldom of
unjust taxation. Could il be possible, he
asked, that any one supposed he had
abandoned the principle that lay at the
base of any scheme Of tariff REFORM
What was the proof adduced in support OF
this alleged change of heart? Mr.. Cor
man himself had no personal testimony 10
offer. He called on MIR. Vest, who offered
conversation, hear-say testimony. that
would have been excluded in any court of
Justice. He had personal test mony.
The distinguished Senator from Arkansas,
whose labOrs in behalf OF this Dll had
earned SO much respect from his colleagues.
ties titled that he had personally talked with
the President about the Senate bill. Did
Mr.. Jones claim that all details of the bill
had been laid before Mr. Cleveland? Nee
essariiy not. only the general principles
on which the amendments were made With
regard TO those two amendments on which
the specifications of MIR. Germans charge
had been founded the testimony OF Mr..
Jones clear that the President when
ever coal and iron ore We're mentioned,
expressed the hope that they would go on
the free list Was there any one desirOus
of doing open and free justice 10 the Pres
ident who after reading Mr.. Jones's state