The Portland daily press., 1895-12-21
"NoW Gentlemen Please Put 1t
Out"
THAT'S THE BURDEN OF THE
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Gov. Dingley Arraigns Cleveland-That
Snapper" on the End of the Venezuela
Message and Its Unpleasant Results
Democrats are Mad.-Republicans I'm
ged from the Party.
ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.1


Washington, December 30. The mes
sage which the President sent to the
Senate late this afternoon has undoubt-
edly caused great excitement here, and it
has brought into strong relief the un-
doubtedly great blunder which Mr..
Cleveland and his advisors have made.
Speaking of the last message, however,
Gov. Dingley said this evening: "The
President having set the grass on fire
and the blaze having got good headway,
he now turns to Congress and says, the
grass is afire, gentlemen, I leave it for
you to put out 1t is one of the coolest
performances on record. Mr.. Dingley
further says that just 5uoh a result might
have been expected from the snapper
with which the Venezuelan message end
ed. 1t was an needless threat of war. Had
the message given simple straightfor-
ward statement of the trouble without
indulging in suggestions of a threat, the
matter would have stood a much better
chance Of favorable settlement.
The feeling of the Republican leaders
in both House and Senate, has been that
the money should be voted for the com
mission. since that is merely giving aid
to enable the President to exercise one
Of his undoubted executive functions.
To refuse the appropriation would be to
seem to allow partisan jealousy to para
lyze the executive in q delicate negotia-
tion with a foreign power To accom-
pany the appropriationl with conditions,
as to the character and work of the COM
~s--s i IL
ityin Mr.. Cleyeland's policy, and that
the Republicans do not propose to do.
The appointment of the commission by
no means signifies war. and it would
probably not be SO considered, were it not
for the Snapper" which the President
put on to his message.
1t is impossible to say this evening
what Congress will do about the finan-
cial message. In the Senate there is
much bitterness against the President on
the part ofsthe Democrats, and some Of
these have been saying this evening that
the Senate would go home for the holi-
days without touching the message.
The House of Representative Republi-
can leaders will not say this evening.
what plan they shall follow, because they
consider the situation grave and do not
porpose to act hastily. Already many
members have gone away, and 1t may be
difficult to keep quorum for the next
week.
Many of the business mon of the coun-
try, undoubtedly feel that Cleyeland's s
course on the Venezuelan matter is a
blunder This is especially SO in New
England and the Middle States.
The sentiment among Republicans here
is general that Mr.. Cleveland will ap-
point his commission and that as that
body works along, the Venezuelan mat
ter will fzzle out. But the financial dis
turbance which accompanies it. is the re-
opening of On old sore, and one that is
very difficult of healing, because the doc
tors in the House, in the Senate and in
the White House are in state OF funda-
mental disagreement.
Of Mr.. Cleveland 1t may be said truth
fully, that he is an isolated man,
estranged from the prominent leaders of
his own party in Congress and not in
communication with the Republicans.
The consultations and interchanges of
opinion which should be had at such
times do not OCCUR The executive
thrashes about without regard to the rest
of the governmental machine.