Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-08-29
WEDNESDAY. AUGUST 90. 1894
The Presidents Letter.

Mr.. Cleveland is the head Of the Demo-
cratic party or II has no head. He would
not claim this position for himself. There
is no law. written or unwritten. which
In binding upon him ,or his party-we
mean as to where leadership resides.
Nevertheless. II seems TO us that under
such circumstances as the country has
Z for some time found itself In, there
ought to be some recognized head OF the
party. Not that we believe in the doc
trine-true as understood in England
that 'the King can do no wrong" but
from the necessity of the case. If the
Democratic party must have a head. the
President ought TO be recognized as such
head so long as he adheres to the teach
ings of that party. He will. of course,
be charged with bidding for another
ter. but this we think we may say he
will not get.
In his letter OF the 9th instant to Mr..
Catchings. the President shows some feel
ing on this subject. lie does not claim
that his opinions are any more worthy
OF being taken into consideration in these
''parlous times" than those Of any other
recognized leader Of the Democratic
party. but all the same he writes as #
ne regarded himself as in some sort, not
like the King. 1.-The fountain of honor"
but as the representative of the creed of
his party. If there is anything of this
kind In his letter. 1t is rather because as
such representative his wishes were not
more generally respected when the Demo-
Gratis in the two houses of Congress I'M
dertook 10 enact and did enact, new
tariff-law. Indeed. he says plainly that
II was with feeling of the utmost
Disappointment that he found himself
unable to sign that law. He had, he
argues, set his heart upon tariff re-
FORM" as he understood 1t, but he could
not recognize the Senate bill as coming
I'D TO the requirements Of the occasion.
We trust that the Presidents letter will
be received, not as one making COM
plants against his fellow-Democrats, but
as one indicating the great concessions he
made to his party-friends in refusing to
veto the Senate bill. We never expressed
a fear that he would veto that bill. but
maintained all tie whale that he was TOO
great man TO allow his conduct 10 be
controlled by any considerations personal
40 himself.
Nevertheless, because he has shown
himself 10 be a faithful public servant in
this matter, he will be shamefully mis-
treated by all the Mugwump papers and
politicians, and by all such pretended
Democratic journals and all such would
be Democratic leaders as those that nave
filled so many columns of tine New YORK
papers for the last ten days with articles
not fit for the President TO read.
The President says the new law pre-
fents a vast improvement upon existing
conditions. He says this of bill which
he refused to sign-another proof that he
did not allow his mind to be influenced
by unworthy considerations when he had
the bill in his hands.
The President tells his party what to
do II the question is forced upon them
whether the protectionists shall or shall
not dictate the laws which the people
must obey-namely, accept and settle that
issue as one involving the integrity and
safety Of American institutions. He does
not despair OF better tariff legislation
than any to be found in the new law; for
1t is now law.
We do not know that there was any
real occasion for Mr.. Cleveland TO write
she letter under consideration. His posi-
ton is not misunderstood by the people
at large, who have In him unbounded con-
Hdence. Nevertheless. 1t was natural for
him to define that position when he found
himself circumstance as he was. He says
nothing amiss in his letter. though, as we
have intimated. he will be charged with
gross inconsistency-a charge which can
not be sustained. The country VIII &C
cept the letter as containing as much as,
and no more than, the President ought TO
have said IL he desired TO say anything.