The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-17
A SUGGESTIVE CONTRAST.

The action of the Democratic party IN
Congress in arraying itself solidly against
the Cuban reciprocity bill, simply to en-
barrass the administration, suggests con-
trast in the action of the Republicans in
1895, when Mr.. Cleveland called Congress
together to repeal the Sherman silver-pur
chase act 1t was a Republican measure
proposed by Senator John Sherman to pre-
vent the passage of a free-silver coinage
bill and to secure the enactment of the
Mckinley tariff bill President Cleveland
called Congress to repeal the Sherman
silver law. Expressions were used in his
message to Congress upon the subject to
which captious Republicans could have
taken exception and refused to vote. Both
branches of Congress were Democratic.
Therefore. If Congress had failed to repeal
the law, the Democrats would have been
held responsible in the judgment Of the So
called Independents, and the Republicans
could not have been censured. When the
Democratic Congress met it discovered
that Mr.. Cleveland's party was by no
means in accord with him about the repeal
of the Sherman act. Hungering for pat
ronage, nearly all of the Democrats in the
House voted for the repeal bill, as did all
the sound-money Republicans. In the Sen
ate it was different. A large number of the
Democratic senators refused to vote for
the repeal bill If all the Republicans had
voted with those Democrats the Sherman
law could not have been repealed. For
Mr.. Cleveland to have failed at that time
would have greatly embarrassed the ad-
ministration and divided the Democratic
party. The Republican senators. however
were not playing politics" Convinced that
repeal was the right thing they stood ready
to vote for the repeal bill as soon as the
anti-repeal Democrats and silverites had
wasted much time as they cared to in
debate
! Now for the contrast First and last
nearly every prominent Democratic paper
| in the country has expressed itself in favor
of reciprocity and particularly in favor of
reciprocity with Cuba. Democratic leaders
have expressed themselves in a similar
strain. Suddenly the Democratic members
became silent They discovered that a
| small fraction Of Republican senators and
/ representatives were opposed TO the views
| of the late President Mckinley and would
/ not support any measure giving Cuba any
! advantage in our markets. They counted
! noses and found that in the House their
vote. added to the Republican opposition,
! would defeat reciprocity. Thereupon they
| swallowed their previous declarations and
helped those who desired to retain 100 per
cent. ad valorem duties on Cuban sugar to
carry their point. And now in the Senate
! Mr.. Teller, who was a Republican until
silver separated him from his party, and
who is now a professed Democrat, declares
in advance that every Democratic senator
will vote against any proposition to reduce
the duties on Cuban sugar This resolu-
ton is taken simply. as one of them says,
Ito put the Republicans in hole" The
financial disaster which threatens Cuba is
a matter of the least Importance if they
can only temporarily embarrass the Re
publican majority.
Such is the contrast. 1t is not the first
time that Democrats have arrayed them
selves against a measure which has COM
mended itself to them simply 10 embarrass
! the Republicans. They have always failed,
| but they never learn.