The Portland daily press., 1895-11-28
TO BE A SURPRISE.
Hints Thrown Out About the Presi-
dents Message.
His Generalship of 1SS7-The Condition.
Today Are Decidedly Differently
May be Disappointment.

AiB Oeueralsnlp Oh looI-lue ConultIonB
Today Are Decidedly Differently
May be a Disappointment.
Washington, November 27.-The hint
has here and there been thrown out that
she Presidents message will be surprise
of some kinda document presenting but
one topic, and treating that most vigor-
ously, or else an unexpectedly strong
summary of the whole situation and sug-
costing unexpected remedies. Reference
undoubtedly is to the tariff message of
1887, when Mr. Cleveland, then in his
first term, pitched the coming presidential
battle on the ground of tariff reform
With existing conditions, can Mr.. Cleve-
land repeat that generalship, and select
the issue now upon which his party must
go to the country next year2
1t is pointed out that existing CON-
ditions are very different from those he
had to deal with in 1887. Very differen t,
as affecting both him and the party.
In 1887, Mr.. Cleveland was acting both
for himself and the party. His renOmi-
nation was already assured To deny him
a chance for second term would be for
the party to confess failure under him
during the first. To put him up again
carried with it, of course much authority.
He should BIZ permitted first Of all to
sound the keynote for the second CAM
paign. This he did with his tariff mes
sage, and inasmuch as with that deliver
ance he touched a responsive chord in the
bosoms of nine-tenths OF the members Of
his party, the pl ay he made was, in a
party sense very happy one and insured
him loyal support. 1t is true that he
lost the election, but no tariff reformer
ever conceded that it was because OF that
message. Moreover, the democracy was
at that time in a majority in the House,
and the tariff bill-the Mills bill-passed
by that body the next spring was drafted
on the lines of the message; and SO the
party by that, as much as the President
by his message, was committed to a re-
vision of the principles of taxation.
Now, as is suggested, the horse is OF
another color. 1t is not conceded that
Mr.. Cleveland is to be put up again. A
large number of democrats hold, on the
contrary, that third term nomination
would be fatal to the party. In the
minds, therefore, of these men, Mr..
Cleveland's public life and his leadership
responsibilities are drawing to close.
His career is already practically finished.
AS they argue, there is no call whatever
for him to undertake to commit the party
for next year to anything He should
confine himself to recommendations
merely for meeting an emergency. The
treasury is empty, gold is again leaving
the country, and uneasiness prevails in
business centres. Let him address himself
to formulating suggestions for the
moment. and put out of his mind any
notions about surprises, keynotes and all
that sort of thing. So far as next year is
concerned, the party will CROSS bridges rs
it, comes to them, an inasmuch as he ID
not expected to be showing the way, then
any errors committed will be charged to
it and not to him.
Then Mr.. Cleveland, this time, will be
addressing Republican House, with q
presidential candidate in the chair, and
an overwhelming majority on the hoor
Would not mere surprise message be an
IDLE demonstration? The House and the
President, it is pointed out, will not be
so far apart on certain matters II each
will act more with regard to relieving a
bankrupt treasury than making party
capital for next year. And the Presi-
dents responsibility here is very great.
He goes first, and by judicious recon-
judicious response. On the other hand,
if he leads with politics, the other side
will follow with politics, on the principle
that trumps call for trumps, and the
country will have to stand by, watching
anxiously, Will. beads of perspiration
standing ut OF its bullying brow, until
the game is played out, sometime next
June or later.
A complete surprise would be very
difficult. Every topic has been so widely
Examined and discussed. The currency
question? Retirement of the greenbaoks !;
revival of state banks as banks of issue
increase of national bank circulation !;
bimetallism. with or without inter-
natioal agreement; all possible changes
would appear to have been rung on those
themes. The tariff. The only surprise
possible then would be for the President
to repeal his denunciat;on of the Senate's
work on the Wilson bill and demand of a
Republican Congress righting of that
wrong. Foreign affairs? Is the President
prepared to confess to a grave blunder,
and to ask permission to enroll himself
among those who have stood up fol
Hawaii and are now standing up fo
Cuba? This would be welcome by mer
of both parties.
All things considered, therefore, is no
the only real surprise possible no surpris'
at all, but a message on regulation lines
The President keeps track Of public ex
pectation, and generally disappoints it.