Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-07-28
ENvEL0PED IN DOUBT.


CIcveIand's Letter to wilson, It's Ell
feet Upon Congress-.
From our regular correspondent
WASHINGTON, July %. Gro
ver's Epistle to the Free Ira
ders still holds its own as
the most absorbing subject of
conversation now before the
Washington public. Itwas bad
taste and an outrageous assump-
ton of authority for Mr.. Cleve-
land to have written that letter
and it only aggravated the case
when he compelled Mr.. Wilson
to read it as part of his speech
on the floor Of the House; but
there is no denying that the let
ter has had, at least partially,
the effect it was intended to
have. 1t has made it certain
that the House will never agree
to the Senate amendments to
the tariff bill, because, as Sena-
tor Hill significantly remark
ed, such agreement would mere
ly result in getting the bill We
toed. 1t has had another effect
however, which tits certain was
neither expected nor intended
by it's writer. It has wrought
a sufficient number of Demo
cratic Senators to control the
Senate, with the help of the
solid Republican vote, up to pub
licly declaring that they would
refuse to vote to accept any
conference report that puts upon
the free list any article upon
which the Senate amendments
placed a duty.
That is just the way the thing
stands at this writing. The
House will not accept the Sen
ate bill, and the Senate will not
accept the House bill. Now
the only change that can take
place must involve the surren
der of either the House or the
Senate. 1t can be surmised,
without any great risk of max
ing a mistake, that Mr.. Cleveland
will be able to prevent any sur
render on the part of the House
and as the Democratic Senators
who added the Protection
amendments to the bill did Sc
because of pressure from the
States they represent, it would
seem that they might be count
ed upon to stand firm even if
they were not strengthened by
their hatred of Mr.. Cleveland not
only because of the insulting
manner in which he refers to
them in his letter, but also be-
cause of the manner in which
he has tried to boss his party in
Congress-aye and succeeded,
too-from the day ON which he
became President. Still, if there
is a break in the lines of either
side it will be ON the part OF
the Senate. The Republicans
are playing the part of onlook-
ers at the contest, but they are
by no means disinterested. On
the contrary they are so much
interested that Senator Aldrich
has asked all impaired Republi-
can Senators to be on hand and
to remain within call until the
tariff is in some way disposed
of. The Republicans wish to
accomplish one of two things
prevent any tariff legislation, il
that can be done; otherwise tt
aid in getting as many Sen
ate amendments as possible il
the bill that finally gets through
Mr.. Cleveland's alleged argu
ments in favor of the Sugar
Trust and of the Whitney Nova
Scotia coal syndicate, in which
all the world knows the money
of his closest personal and polit
ical friends is heavily invested
have greatly weakened his posi-
ton and added to the chance.
for non-action on the tariff bill
Everybody knows that Mr.
Cleveland's friends put theil
money into that coal syndicate
solely because he assured then
that free coal was a certainty
and, although it is not absolute
ly known, there are excellent
reasons for the belief that Other
friends of his have obtained op.
lions on certain Cuban iron
mines upon assurances that iron
ore was also to be free.
Did some Democratic Sena.
tors commit perjury when they
swore that they had never pur.
chased stock in the Sugar Trust
The direct charge has been
made that they did, and the
Senate committee has reopened
the investigation and is again
taking testimony. 1t is keep
ing the testimony very dark too,
members of the committee
claiming to be afraid that its
publication might result in pre-
venting the committee obtaining
important evidence. 1t is ru.
mored that at least one witness
has sworn to having seen writ
ten order for the purchase of
sugar stock, which was given
by a Democratic Senator and is
now in existence, and to have
told the committee in whose
possession tits. The gossip con
corning this matter has been
very much enlivened by the
statement that certain parties
who had been snubbed by GER
tain Senators proposed to "get
EVENLY furnishing the evidence
to make a case of perjury against
one Senator, in order that the
whole businessmight be brought
out in court. There is little
doubt in Washington that per-
jury has been committed, but
there is very much as to wheth-
er it will be proved. 1t written
orders for the purchase of sugar