The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-07-28
ELKTON. JULY %. 1894
GORMAN VS., CLEVELAND.

tacle of the President OF the United
States charging perfdy and dis
honesty upen the Senatorial leader OF
his administration, and the latter
hurting back the epithets OF passion
and denunciation is neither dlgnifed
nor pleasing.
The dramatic display of Monday,
when Senator German laying aside
the calm and inperturbable manner
he is accustomed to wear, allowed
his passionate utterances to advertise
the fact that he had lost his temper,
was without question the result Of
some sudden and unwelcome dis
covery made by him.
What was the discovery SO uneX-
pected and unwelcome to the Sena-
tor, that caused him to lay aside the.
carefully prepared speech hss-had in
type writing, and s16mit for 1t an
extemporized S1e?
No man>of ordinary intelligence
easily understand, if he can
understand it all, how through all
these long weeks of tedious and
monotonous discussion OF the Cor
man Tariff Bill, the feeling of the
President towards it could possibly
have been misunderstood. This
period of discussion, marks a series
of almost continual conferences upon
the part of the conservative Senators
led by Mr.. German, and the imme-
diate not to say personal representa-
tives OF the President.
The country at large knew, that
Mr.. German was arranging a COM
promise tariff bill, and the free trade
element of the Democratic party was
abusing Senator German roundIy as
a traitor to tree trade, and a con.
spirator in his party, and yet
through all this, while every Demo-
cratic newspaper was teeming with
the news, the first public indication
OF Mr.. Cleveland's opposition to the
German bill, was disclosed as late as
July and, the date of his imprudent
letter to Mr.. Wilson.
Now while we know that Mr..
German is an adroit and skillful
manipulation of men as well as OF
political measures, yet we cannot
credit him either with the boldness
or the moral courage TO raise SO Bit
ter an issue with the President, un.
less he felt the ground safe under
him,
We cannot believe that Mr.. Cor
man had misunderstood the temper
of Mr.. Cleveland simply because We
have the concurrent testimony of
Senators Harris, Jones, Vest and even
Senator Gray the veriest cuckoo Of
the administration. that they all
understood Mr.. Cleveland attitude
toward the German bill as Senator
German himself understood it.
We can only conclude therefore,
that Mr.. Cleveland had suddenly
changed front on the Compromise
Bill, and believing that he had the
Lower House, and behind it the
mass OF the Democratic party sup
porting him, he could safely repudiate
it, and throw the responsibility OF il
upon others as he has done in other
recent crises of his administration.
1t is not probable, that Mr.. Cor.
man and his supporting conferees
n the Senate could have misunder-
stood Mr.. Cleveland.
They were formulating tariff bill
which everybody from the President
down knew, was not a redemption
of the pledges of the Democratic
platform of 1892 on which Mr.. CIeve.
land was elected.
That platform was an open and
absolute declaration in favor of tree
trade.
But Mr.. Cleveland himself, hadn't
hesitated TO repudiate that platform
and with his accustomed self COM
placency and superb self conceit as d
man OF destiny and above his party
had turned that platform down,
and made one for himself, in which
he assured the country, that the
Democratic party did not contem-
plate a war Of determination upon
the industries of the country.
Now as Mr.. Cleveland letter O.
acceptance was intended as an adroi'
piece of ''partY saving framed tc
allay the apprehensions OF the manu-,
featuring interests of the country
excited by the immediate prospect
offree trade under his administration,
was Mr.. Germans tariff bill any less
the same thing?
Mr.. Cleveland didn't want tc
alarm the industrial elements OF the
North, because the free trade South
in the person OF Mr. Larry O'Neil
had beaten Mr.. Cleveland's friends
two to one at Chicago, and had
made the Democratic platform on
which Mr.. Cleveland had been
elected,
Wasn't Mr.. German doing the
same "rarty saving" act in the
Senate?
Notice these two significant
phrases in Mr.. Gorman's speech on
Monday.
= q b.