St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-07-20
OPINIONS FROM SENATORS
UP0N cLEvELAND'S LETTER TO
CHAIRMAN WILSON,
HILL. BRICE AND MURPHY

Crfticfse the Document With Ill
Concealed Restivcness - Hill
Hopes for More Votes for Free
Raw Observation-Disclosures and
Cuffs" Feels Ugly Hawley
Says 1t Should Be Resented.
WASHINGTON. July 10.--The pres
dents letter to Chairman Wilson caused
intense interest among the senators,
although generally they were very much
averse to saying anything about 1t. The
Associated Press furnished the senate RS
a copy of the letter. and 1t was eagerl y
perused: Some of the opinions of those
who would say anything were as fol-
lows:
Senator Hill prefer to say nothing
ut this time as to the proprIety or wisdom
OF the letter. 1t comes rather late, and
may cOmplicate the whole situation and
defeat all tariff legislation whatever.
1t the president. instead Of writing
letter, had exercised his influence 10
assist me- in getting votes for free raw
materials when l was making the fight
therefor in the senate, the present I'M
fortunate complication might have been
avoided. trust that there will be more
votes now for free raw materials when
l bring forward the proposition again in
the senate, which l expect to do. The
skies are Frightening.
Senator Brice-I think iu remarkable
that the chairman of the house COM
mlttee on ways and means should have
had such letter read. 1t is, of course,
unparliamentary here for us to discuss
proceeding in the other house. but
some wicked Republican may bring it
up in way to force us 10 do so. So Iar
as the sugar schedule is concerned, it is
the administration schedule. ana If the
administration does not want it we may
take the house bill on the sugar Ques-
ton. 1t is the fabric Of the bill as a
whole that we are concerned with.
Senator Murphy-I do not care to
criticise the president. We will answer
the president with our votes.
Republicans were far more willing
than Democratic senators to express
opinions on the subject. Their estimate
of the letter, with exceptions, was fairly
summarized in the words of Senator
Hawley (Rep., Comm, who said: at
Is the greatest mistake ever made by a
president Of the United States, and
ought to be resented"
The news of the reading of President
Cleveland's letter was not long in trav-
cling from the house to the senate. Mr..
Wilson had kept his secret of the poses
sion of the letter we'll guarded, and it
proved great sensation. Information
as to the contents of the document was
eagerly sought alike on both sides of
the chamber. A copy was fur
nished by the Associated Press,
and was in great demand. 1t was
ia Ken to the Democratic cloak room
and read in turn by groups of senator's
of four or five, one of them generally
reading 1t aloud to the others, and in
other instances two of them looking
over the shoulders and reading with the
senator holding the copy. After sen.
ators became familiar with its contents
they again gathered in groups to dis
cuSS the document, both with reference
to points made 10y the president and the
policy of the president in writing it. So
intense and general was the interest
; that for two or three hours very little
attention was paid to routine proceed
ings on the floor of the senate.
While no senator hesitated to express
his views privately. the Democratic
senators were 10th TO submit to inter-
views for publication. They said that
the circumstances were unusual, and
that their action as body being in op-
position to the position taken by the
president. they could not give publicity
to their opinions, whatever they
might be.
Republican senators were at first in
clined to express themselves very freely
OH the policy of the letter, but when
they discovered, as they soon did, that
their Democratic colleagues were gen.
orally inclined to remain silent, they
changed their policy as if by common
consent and announced. when spoken
to on the subject, that they preferred
that the Democrats should do the talk
ing. declaring that it was time for Re-
publicans to be silent.
The most common expression of
opinion among senators was that the
writing of such lotter was ..yery ex-
traordinary," and in many instances
where the speaker was sure of not be-
ing quoted, stronger words were used.
These expressions were heard with
slight variations on both the Democratic
and Republican sides Of the chamber.
The proceedings in the senate tomor-
terest. 1t is hardly possible that many
OF the senators will express any per.
sonal resentment, but there are eX-
pected to be some very EN- phatic dec
jarations against a change of
front by the senate, especially
from the conservative senators
who are regarded as responsible
for the most pronounced increases
made In the bill. 1t was understood
before the latter made its appearance
that several Of these sen ators, Including
Messrs. German. Smith and Brice. had
announced q purpose to state to the
senate that only the senate bill could
pass, and to say, in giving their reasons
for this view, that the bill had been the
result of the most careful deliberatior
on the part OF the members of the SEN
ate; that 1t had been found to be the
only bill that could pass when the Jones
amendments had been arranged in the
Democratic caucus. and that an attempt
to change it materially at this late day
would prove that there had been nc
modification of sentiment since that
time. Senator Hill has announced an
intention to take advantage of the presi-
dents position and influence to make