The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-08-04
A WARM DEFENSE.
Senator Germans Attack on Presi-
dent Cleveland Denounced.
Senator Villas, of Wisconsin. Takes Up the
Cudsel for the Executive and
Wields 1t in IA MastPrful and
Telling Manner.

'ht proceedings III the ~eldIt htSltI-
day, and when the conference report
o. the tariff bill had been called up.
Senator Villas. of Wisconsin. was rccog-
nized and proceeded to reply to the at
tack on the president made by Senator
German. of Maryland. on Monday last.
\ democratic senator, he said. saw lit to at
sack the president. without precedent. he
thought, or if There was a precedent it was
ore That ought to he stunned instead of fol-
Lowed 1t was a personal assault upon the
president and his character. He had hoped.
he said. that the remarks Of Mr.. German and
those who Joined him on that occasion would
nave appeared in the Record before he tMr.
NilaSt replied. But, he went on SarcaSticaliy.
ne presumed the engagements Of the Maryland
senator were so pressing that he had no time
Ia revise them.
Mr.. Villas considered it his duty to reply TO
that assault. He would speak a. the personal
"a" we'll as the political friend of the president.
II" rejoiCcd in the honor of Mr.. Clevcland'>
friendship. II was i pride to him. OF the re-
wards, few and Stintcd. that comes to
public men. one of the greatest that
had cOElc to him was the init
mate association with that lofty and
distinguished man. 1t was his honest tc>ti-
snony TO his character that never at any mo-
ncnt in any temptation. political or personal.
had nc failed to see in Mr.. Cleveland the pure.
white light OF an upright purpose. For such a
man he saw fit to say some wori~-not ia de-
Tense Che needed none). but some correction of
a discoloratiOn of facts by which Mr.. ClcvcIhnd
had been placed in a false light before lii"
country, He would make this statement in be
half Of the truth of history.
THE POINTS OF ACCUSATION.
"What were the points Of accusation in
quired Nj. Villas. lin the remarkable assault
20 which | have alluded"
lie regretted. he said. that Mr.. ,iOrrrau was
absent from the senate chamber. Tn" first ar-
cusatlon. he proceeded, was that the president
was open to the charge of dupliCity.
That was based upon a letter in which
Ar. Cleveland expressed the hope that iron
and coal should 20 on the free list IL the tar,1
o.iI. The second was that the executive haa
bJ that encroached on the prerocatiy"> Of con-
sress, and third. that the p~re>iden; had
traduced the senate.
With regard to coal and iron ore. let us cx-
a. re the facts" said Mr.. Villas. And ] do
size TO say here that | am under deep uulig5-
ton TO the senator from \cW York q" IA Hcgt" !
IN his public career made such an able cEpu~i-
tion OF any subject as he dit on Tuesday last.
Mr.. Villas then reviewed at lcn-ih The prr~i-
dents position in favor Of free raw material.
his letter of 1887 and other public uttc:anceN
;p 10 his message to congress at the opening
OF the present session. Constantly. Mr.. Villas
declared. Mr.. Cleveland had insisted upon this
principle. IL was cverywhcr" proclaimed by
his supporters to he the first stop in the en-
franchiScmeEt Of labor from the thraldOm of
unjust taxation. Could it be possible. he
asked. that anyone supposed he had abandoned
the principle that lay at the base of any
scheme of tariff reform:
What was the proof aiduced in support of
This alleged change Of heart: Mr.. German
himself had no personal testimony TO offer.
He called on Mr.. Vest, who offered Il cOnVerSa-
zion hearsay testimony that woJld have been
excluded in any court of Justice. He had no
PERSONAL testimony. The distinguished Sena-
FAr FatG n1 rNhAS lalnr ~, L,l,1r AF l
this bill had earned so much respect from his
colleagues. testified that he had personally
talked with the president about the senate bill
Did Mr.. Jones claim that all the details of the
bill had been laid before Mr.. Cleveland: They
Were not; only the general principles on which
the amendments were made.
CHARGES NOT SUSTAINED.
With regard to those two amendments upon
which the specifications of Mr.. Germans
charge had been founded the testimony of Mr..
Jones was clear that the president. whenever
coal and iron ore were mentioned. expressed
the hope that they would 20 On the free list.
Was there anyone DESTROYS of doing open and
free justice to the president who. after reading
Nr. Jones own statement. would not say that
Mr.. Cleveland had never faltered in his urgent
>cIeEDs, III for free coal and iron ore: The pre>i-
r1ent knew. too. each house would have Il voice.
and therefore not with duplicity. but with open
ness and boldneSS that always charactcrizcS
hin, Mr.. Cleveland had expressed to the chair
man of the ways and means committee the hope
th;G the result he desired would be accom-
J pliShesi in conference.
He had a right to say it after the convcr>a-
= lion as detailed by Senator Jones: he had a
right to insist and urge ii by any proper means.
But it was said that the presidents letter con-
= Stituted an encrOachment upon the preroga-
SiyeS of tine senate. His right to send it was
denied. Mr.. Villas quoted the text of the letter.
Was that the language of Il man who sought to
reach bevOld his power he asked. Was il not
rather the honest OutpouriEg Of a genuine dem
ocrat addressing his acknowledgements la sup
port Of principles he had so nobly carried
Through two trying presidential contests?
Mr.. Villas then quoted and ranged alongside
of Mr.. CleVciand'S utterauccS the Statcment of
AIR. German that the Seuat" bill could not pass
+ it did not have the hearty support Of Mr..
cleveland. At the very time when the prC>i-
dent was writing his letter 10 Mr.. Wilson. Mr..
Villas went or dramatically. the senator from
Maryland and his coadjuior> were appealing to
Mr.. Cleveland to induce him to support them
IN an effort to qualify the enactment of demo-
cratic principles instead of cry>tallizing them
into law. How utterly wantou i this crr Of ia
reference now. because he has seen fit TO
throw the weight of his influence with the
house in favor of democratic principles: be-
cause he refused tn stand with them they make
his action a ground OF complaint here. and in
horcor cry out against executive i~nteTfer-
cnce."
NOTABLE PRECEDENTS.
Mr.. Villas referred to the fact that President
Washington came to the same chamber, ac-
by his secretary. to urge in person
the ratification of 4 treaty he had negotiated.
President JacksOn'S course in making his
'riewS felt by congress was also referred to.
Mr.. Vil2S said he was content to leave To fair
4 minded men whether the president had war-
usuly encrOached upon the rights of congress.
9ne charge was made that the senate had been
iEaduced. Extracts from the letter to Mr.. Will
son were read to show that the presidents
purpose was not to traduce the senate. but to
plainly state his aspirations toward reform.
The president had stated that the abandon
ue1t of that great party principle would he
perfdy and dishonor.
No one would question that such an aban- I
.lUuTpent of principles would he dishOnOrable. ;
The shaft was not aimed at any senator. II
was not = personal accusation. 1t was not an
accusation leveled at the senator from Mary
land (Mr. GOrranS or the senator from Mis-
scuri (Mr. VeSt) or the senator from Arkansas :
(Mr. Jones) or against any other senator The
president understood the situation in the sen I
ate. He knew the staunch aGhcrance 10 tariff
reform of the senator from Texas Mr. illS), I