Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-05-11
A RRIEF RETROSPECT.

A BRIEF RETROSPECT.
TT is lust about thirteen months ago since
Grover Cleveland was inaugurated for The
second time. The Democratic people OF
the country were jubilant. Strange to say
their congressional leaders were not. There
was distrust and sullen lack OF rejoicing
among large body of them. But the peo-
were still lightsome and enthusiastic, for
they thought the congressman who had
fought the denomination of Grover Cleve-
land on the ground of expediency had been
sincere.
It was not long before the same congress
siopal opponents of his denomination began
TO loom up as opponents OF his admlnlstra-
lion, The Democratic platform had
pledged the party to repeal the Sherman
bill. Cleveland soon called congress to-
gether to carry out that pledge. The re-
peal was gotten through the House but was
delayed for weeks in the Senate by the anti
administration Democrats voting with the
Western silver Republicans. But at last,
after the patience of the country with them
was well nigh worn out the bill was passed.
During the early days of this session the
Treasury Department had been preparing
Tariff statistics so as to forward the 1or-
nation of Tariff bill. The bill was pre-
pared, and was reported by Mr.. Wilson. The
opponents Of the administration seemed TO
become possessed with the idea that Clev,-
land was the father OF the bill, and that
here was another chance to get at HIM. Ihe
country had voted 10y an unprecedented
majority the year before that there should
he decided tariff reform, and put the
Democratic party in power to execute its
will: but Democrats in the House joined
with the Republicans in altering the blll
for the worse. 1t was trne that they had
to ally themselves with the Republicans to
d. it: but what of that, was it not meas
ure of Cleveland S administration and was
it not their first duty to embarrass its pro-
gress? Mutilated. it got through the
House.
Then it fell into the hands Of nest OF
anti-administration Democrats III the Sen
ate. conservative" they called them
selves, s'Stumhling blocks" the people
called them, and ''Conspirators" they were
branded by Democratic conference In
the Northwest. These Democratic
Senators, called by any Of the three names
YOU choose, were some ten in number. and
were banded together to guarantee prOtec-
ton to various articles. The chief leader
around whom the rest rallied, announces
his intention not to support tariff reform
bill if the income tax is included IN 1t.
He seems to have been the leader in many
things besides the tariff-the defeat OF
Presidential nominations for one thing
and several Of the Southern Senator's are
alluded to as his followers. A leader OF
such sublime cheek that members OF the
Virginia legislature. when in session. got
kilograms from New York with his sigma
ture, requesting them to have that legisla-
tnre instruct Virginia Senator to vote
against nomination which he was oppos-
ing.
These Followers" have, it is said, agreed
on Tariff bill which falls far short Of the
Wilson bill, and which in many instances,
gives as much protection as the Mckinley
bill. That is the end of their work. There
is no excuse for this. When Republican
Senators voted the Mckinley bill on the
country, they did it OF necessity; the very
life of their party depended on carrying out
the contract it had made with the manu-
facturers of the land. But the ''conserva-
tive7' Democrats Of the Senate in 1894 have
no such excuse. Their party was pledged
to make decided reform in the tariff laws
pledge in it's platform and on every hust-
ings in the land. Their situation was pre-
cisely the opposite OF the Republican Sen
ators in 1880. And yet they ale to-day in
many respects on virtually the same plat
form with them as regards many of the
most important features of tariff reform.
In the mean time what has Cleveland
been doing? You hear some CT the ICON
sentative" opponents of his administra-
tion, who also opposed his denomination,
saying that "as they expected Cleveland
has caused divisions in the Democratic
party. It is not las they expected, y for if
they were truthful in 1892, they expected
him to be defeated. Cleveland has gone
straight along in the path of a Democrat
ic President, turning neither to the left
nor to the right. It is his Democratic OPP
ponents who have turned out las we ex-
pected." They are the same old set ami
mated by hatred Of Cleveland left over
from his first term. Oh are the new set ami
mated by frantic desire to cultivate pop
ularity among the Populists by advocating
free silver, OF trying to make friends of
mammon by crying for protection for their