Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-24
TUESDAY. JULY "a, 1884,
A Distressing Situation.

From the debate In the Senate yester-
day IL appears that Mr.. German expli-
city charges that the President and Mr..
Carlisle both assented to the compromise
tariff bill before II was passed by the
Senate in proof OF this assertion, made
upon the information Of others. Mr.. Cor
man had not only the newspaper statement
of Mr.. Harris. but statements made on
the floor Of the Senate yesterday by Mr..
Vest and Mr.. Jones.
Mr.. German criticised the Presidents
letter 10 Mr.. Wilson with but little re-
serve, and his speech was all the more
significant because but an hour OF two
before he made it he had called upon the
President at the White House and had
had an interview with him. This inter-
view must have been wholly unsatisfac-
tory. not TO say unpleasant. or Mr.. Cor
an would not have turned upon" the
president as soon as lie reached the Sen
ate Chamber.
There must he a misunderstanding as
to what Mr.. Cleveland said about the
Senate bill. Let us hope that when the
Presidents and Mr.. Carlisle's explana-
lions are given to the public-as we feel
sure they will be--all will be made plain.
At this moment. however, the middle is
bad. very bad. and unless it Is promptly
dissfpated the relations between Mr..
Cleveland and the Senate will be strained
almost to the swapping point.
Indeed. the speeches IN the Senate yes
to-day. wherein Mr. Cleveland Is made
to appear as consenting 10 the very bill
which he denounced in his letter to Mr.
Wilson. have made the situation there
more distressing than ever. and have no
doubt steeled some senator's against any
compromise requiring concessions Oh their
part
The substance Of the charges yesterday
made against Mr. Cleveland appears in
the following interview, sent on Satuy-
day to the Memphis Appeal:
I'VE. the Democratic members of the
committee set about to ascertain the ulti-
matum of the four or FIVE Democratic
senators who refused To take the bill as
IL came from the Senate committee, ana
having learned from those senators the
smallest concession which would secure
their support Of the bill, and also having
ascertained that when the concessions
were made the bill in that form would
be a vast Improvement upon the McKin-
ley law. we decided that. as Objectionable
as were those concessions, even with
them the pending bill greatly reduced
tariff taxation and that we had rather
accept the bill with all its Objectionable
features than to perpctuate the Mckinney
law with its much higher rates and multi
form obnoxious features.
THE Democrats of the Finance Com
mttee reported these concessions 10 the
Democratic senator's in caucus and the
reasons why they had been made. all the
Democrats being present except Mills and
Irby, and with the exception of Mr.. Hill
the Democratic senators unanimously
agreed To make the concessions and pass
the bill. The concessions mus agreed upon
were incorporated into the bill, and in
that form il passed the Senate.
Il had two interviews with the Presi-
dent since these concessions were agreed
TO and before the passage of the bill and
one interview after the bill had passed
and gone TO the conference committee OF
both houses; and my most distinct under
standing was that, while the President re-
GREETED, even as l regret, the necessity
of making such concessions, he thought
II wise TO pass the bill. and so advised,
inasmuch as ii materially reduced the
rates of tariff taxation imposed by the
existing law"
Mr., Harris Is of all the senators the
best parliamentaran, as he could not
be II he Were not in the habit Of talking
carefully and weighing well his words.