The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-07-27
1HE TRUE CAsE.

: THE TRUE CASE.
The Times differs with Mr. Clevland in
his ideas that "all raw materials" should
be admitted TO this country free of duty
: but The Times never for one moment
questioned Mr.. Clevelands integrity and
good faith in the course he has pursued
concerning the tariff bill. Germans ar
raignment of him never affected our con-
| fdence In the mans honesty and good
intentions for one moment. However we
may have viewed the case at first II IS
| now perfectly plain to us that when
Messrs. Jones and Harris represented to
the President that the bill, as finally
! agreed on by the Senate. was all that IT
! was possible to get through that body the
| President acquiesced and told them that
| If that was all that II was possible TO do
| he and they would have 10 content them
| selves with that. Now these senators, and
| those to whom they communicated what
| the President said might very naturally
| have thought that If they acted on the
| notion that he was thereby committed TO
| that particular bill. he was bound to
stand by II through thick and thin. They
might very naturally have thought that
he thereby became bound in good faith
to them and adhere to It. But I'm taking
this view they took a very one-sided and
partial view of the case The President
had rights TO be respected and duties 10
be performed as well as themselves, and
he took a very different view Of the case.
He had II in mind that he had been !
elected by the people TO get them the best |
tariff reform bill that II was possible TO |
obtain When he was talking with Jones |
and Harris he yielded 10 their views, and |
agreed that if that was the best that |
could be done they would all have to &C
cept II. But when Wilson came back and |
represented to him that he believed if
the House conferees had the Presidents
backing they could drive the Senate from
its Republican doctrines OF protection. the
President saw no reason why. in executing
the trust that the people had committed
to him, to get the best bill possible he
could not join with Wilson in endeavoring
to get that better bill. lie could see
nothing in his agreeing with Jones and
Harris that If they could get no better
bill than the Senate bill they would have
to content themselves with that which
precluded him from executing his trust
TO the people and endeavoring to get them
a better bill when a chance to get such
an one arose, and we certainly agree with
the President in the view he took Of the
case. We cannot cOncede that his talks
with Jones and Harris estopped him to
work for a better bill if 81 chance to get
a better bill arose He assented to that
bill as Jones and Harris and all the others
know. under compulslon, and not because
II represented his views He assented TO
1t because nothing better was then OBJ
tainable. but asserting TO 1T under such
circumstances could. by no possibility, be
held a contract that he would not try TO
improve il. He would have been false 10
his oath and 10 the duties he had as
Suned to those who elected him if he had !
made such contract, and no such con-
ract could possibly be inferred from the
.acts that occurred. If the sena-
ors who voted for the bill did
70 under the belief that Mr.. Cleve-
and was committed to 1t as 1t stood IT
vas because they put an unreasonable
upon what he had said. and
hey, not he, must be responsible for that.
We fully admit that we have not, before
o-day, taken so advanced a view Of the
residents course and duty in the case.
yer in all its aspects. and We are now
erfecty clear that the equities and rights
f the whole affair are as we state them
ere.
Upon the whole, then. in looking over ;
he case, we have but one word of censure 9
or Mr. Cleveland in the whole transac- :
ion, and that is for attempting to inter d
ere with the entire freedom Of Congress !
o do as it pleased. 1t is for Congress. TO q
rame bills and for the Executive TO an d
rove of or reject them as ne may SCI II
t. But the Executive should keen en- "
rely away from Congress whilst II is | G
ngaged in the work of framing leeisla- Il
on. -
Mr. Cleveland's good faith has not been
'uched, and we predict that he Will
'me out Of this affair even nearer to the
carts of the people than he was before
nd that it will bring nothing but con- 4
lsion and disgrace TO his assailants ana a
Dellers <,