New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-15
TIL PRESIDENT on TRIAL.


his signature TO his own humiliation ana dis.
crooo Some mon who think him 4 marvel or
arpness believe that 10 will not Others are NJ
work kncading him into the proper consistency
for their purpose by the same old plea, that 10
reduction Of duties Is now possible unless 'he
Rnl Of sale and Surrender IS signed. But most
ohsorvors fclt n month ago that the President
had himself surrendered to the Sugar trust
II,s wrath N ,he Senate bill. they noticed. was
not because it enriched n greedy monopoly Tor
Gifts 10 ,he marty treasury since he even offered
an excuse for the duty which carried ont the
corrnnt bargain Of the Presidential campaign.
but because 1t did not favor as much as lie
r.,sho1 otber mon0polIes which held his graft
tude or sympathy. One plain sentence IN inc
,o,tor 70 Mr. Wilson would have been more
notcnt than all its passionate phrases. II the
President had simply said. II VII! not sig"
bin so bad"-bnt he did not say IT,
The one possibility Is that the president nia!
vet care something for public opinion, and see
Two chat now in the words Of The NewYork
Herald" the administration Is put In the Pill
,orv IL universal contempt may care more for
his place In history than for the outcrles OF
selfish md frantic partisans II he thinks sober
w. he will see that only by his personal sig
Herald" pronounccs che darkest and fo''iest
conspiracy In tie Annals Of any nation attain
snccess The shameless buying Of gigantic
f,vors by monopolies must come to naught. I'M
less he assents and makes the sale his own
Tho "nertidy and dshonor'' Of the BIZ OF Sale
and Surrender cling beyond hope Of effacemcnt
70 his own name. if by his act they prevail.
Last year when Een who care for honest monr!
had nearly lost all hope Of defeating the Senate
comnromise President Cleveland earned the re-
snect Of all parties by his refusal. and but Tor
the partisan influence which he then spurn~i. II
,s likely that he would today seize the oppor-
+un,,v 10 Mace himself far above the tricksers,
tho stockholders and the bribe-takers OF Con-
greSs.
Tho President should have the breadth or
craftsmanship and the practical experience 10
realize that the tainted and offensive measure
from which frenZied Congressman hope Tor par
tIsan advantage can only yield crushing party
defeat In some Southern districts. where the
Dnnocrots have entire control Of the polls ana
,he returns. thousn the Popu]lsts have been
greatly dreaded. this bill might give Democratic
candidates a help which they do not require
Through the West where the lawlessness or
Populsm IS turning all conservative men
against II. the bill Of shame can only make II
| ,mmeasurably harder for decent Democrats 10
| sustoin themselves The income tax anron's
| huslness men and all who have savings the
| sugar tax. made tenfold more bitter by The scan
dial and the insult 10 Democratic voters, must
anger workingmen and farmers In great num-
| her. and the indecent favors secured by pet
monopoes in manufacture, and particularly oy
,he Trusts against which Western feeling ~
intense. will cost the Democratic party oil Inc
more because Of Its broken pledges. What VIII
| hapDen In Eastern manufacturing States MT.
| Cleveland can judge from recent elections
TO get some substantial measure OF 'rclief
| by reduction Of taxes IL, no doubt, To the fresi'
| dents way Of thinking. an object OF Importance
Is II worth the dishonor which he must fastch
upon the country, his party and himself! lie
will probably agree that the unspeakaDle shame
| Of such corrupt legislation as has been VIII
messed will do much 10 set back and defeat
every effort for tart" reform in the future.
Even British Journals admit that Democratic
| infamies have been making the cause or lower
duties almost hopeless In a higher sense, Is
auy conceivable gain to the pocket worth the
disgrace 70 free institutions which the signature
| OF the President would now make completes
| Nor can any man OF sense be deludcd by the
notion that such bill. so corrnptly passed. Will
| settle anything even for time. III the rr'si'
dent signs it, this Congress Will die with hall
n dozen bills pending 10 repeal parts OF the BIZ
Of Sale. and the struggle will be renewed MS
soon as Congress meets again, and renewed with
| Free Traders every where dsheartened by de-
| feat
While the reasons for a veto OF this bill oi
"perfidy and dshonor' are exceedingly strong
and such rs must appeal with peculiar force to
impulses which are among the strongest with
the President, there are few who think that his
courage will rise 10 the height OF killing the
BILL He Is just weak enough men believe, te
be afraid OF the idea that the present tari0
would then be prolonged until an honest change
could be effected 1t would be better for hin
and for his party TO demand an honest change
or none; but that genius for laundering which
80 rarely fails tho Democratic party Is likely IN
this emergency to WELD the pen OF the Presi
dent.