New-York tribune., 1902-06-23
THE CLEVELAND REVIVAL.
APPROVAL FROM RANK AND FILE OF
TILDEN CLUB SPEECH.
POLITICIANS CANNOT DROWN OUT THE
RESPONSE OF DEMOCRATS TO THE
EX-PRESIDENTS APPEAL.

for his speech at the Tilden Club in New-York
the other night, while many of them speak in
terms of high praise of Mr. Hills contribution
to the oratory of the occasion. Banishment and
rot retirement is what the Democrats in Wash
ington insist shall be considered Mr.. CIeveland's
position before the world And even though
they know that many voters are saying merely
that Mr. Cleveland. a citizen of the republic,
has the right of free speech guaranteed in the
constitution still they shudder at the possibility
of their view of his position being correct,
anG that he may have ped from Elba with
the deliberate purpose that inspired Napoleon
when he placed himself again at the head of his
victorious battalions. With rare exceptions they
are not willing to admit that Mr. Cleveland has
any right or title to appear in Democratic COM
pany. albeit they shver with fear lest his ap-
pearance again will rally to his standard the
elements Of the party which made his past tri-
umphs possible. and thereby relegate them to
their original obscurity.
In other words the dread that appalled, every
Democratic heart in Washington the morning
the newspapers printed Mr. Cleveland's Tilden
Club speech was caused more by the fear that
his oratory was evidence Of the recrudescence
of the old line Democracy than that he assumed
either to lead or advise the party. His words
have perceptibie influence here except to give
rise to much abuse and vilifcation of him. but
it is manifest that his irnplacable enemies in
official places in Washington are apprehensfve
that they will stir up the rank and file to fresh
enthusiasm for the men and issues that brought
victory to the party when Cleveland was its
acknowledged prophet. 1t goes without saying
that if his speech has effect of this kind on
the country many men now in the House and
some in the Senate will not get seats in the
next Congress. Hence. the general effort among
the Democrats in Congress first to deny Mr.
Cleveland's right 10 speak at a Democratic ban
quet, and second. to minimize the wisdom and
Importance of his utterances As they perceive
it to be easier to do this by magnfying the value
Of Mr.. Hiil's utterances and the beauty of his
rhetoric. they have elected to present 20 the
country his speech as the only bit Of eloquence
produced at the Tilden Club dinner worthy of
Democratic notice
APPROVAL FROM RANK AND FILE
1t is ndsputable, however. that this ostrich
like policy is not having the desired effect
Clearly audible from the vast sounding board
at the nations capital there comes chorus of
approval from the rank and file of the Democ-
raCy Of Mr.. C!ereland's speech and the Demo
cratic politicians here. the great mass of whom
We're hurled into place and over by the con-
vulsion OF Bryansm in 1896 unable TO make
noise enough to drown out the response Of the
country TO the ex-Prcsident's appeal IT is un-
HSfESSdiA 10 STATE Jndl as SOtIl as tNty learn
that they cannot make enough noise to distract
attention from the words of the man at Prince
ton most If them will cease trying to cry him
down, and many of them will begin again TO
sing his praises just as they did in the case of
Ben Butler when the latter elected Cover
OF Massachusetts. All of which shows that
your average Democrat. he he Bryanite or what
not is queer sort of bird that follows the sea
sons and adapts himself to the roost which he
believes be the safest
Many members Of both the Senate and House
received courteous invita- tious 10 attend the TIL
den Club dinner. Some of them sent regrets
couched in conventionally polite terms. some of
them did not have the politeness TO make any
kind Of response. while a few of them wrote
what N either circumstances. or perhaps other
company. would he considered insulting deClina-
tione II is interesting to note that none OF
those who wrote the latter character Of reply are
now willing to give II out for publication.
whereas a dav or two before the date of the
dinner several of them seemed anxious to give
publicity to their boorish responses TO a polite
and cordial invitation. This is another evidence
Of their dread that the tccsin sounded by Mr..
Cleveland IS having the effect designed by him
and the element of his party which is willing to
obey Colonel Henry Watterson's imperious COM
mand for Democrats to get together" How
issre his hebdomadal instructions 10 his dis
tressed and affrighted followers in Washington
it may be that they will keep comparatively
quiet until he does so.
THE PLAZA HOTEL CONFERENCE.
Aside from the furry caused in Democratic
circles by the Tilden Club gathering. decidedly
the most interesting Democratic occurrence
within the last fortnight was one about which
little has found its way into print. Reference
is had the recent meeting in New-Iork be-
tween Eastern representatives. of the Anti-ln-
psriaIistic League and Democratic members of
the Senate and House. When resquests were sen:
To Washington for Democratic members of the
two committees of Congress which deal with all
insuIar questions to meet Charles Francis Adams.
carl Schurz, Horace White and others. it was
quietly whispered around that something OF tre-
mendous import was bout TO happen. After the
Democrat brethren had discussed the impend-
ing event it decided to dispatch 10 the ap-
pointed place in New-York-the Plaza Hotel
Messrs. Culberson, of Texas; Dubois, of Idaho.
and Carmack. of Tennessee, to represent the
Senate. and John Sharp Williams, of Missis-
sippi. to represent the House. Then up bobbed
Judge Griggs, of Georgia, who since his cleo
ton as chairman OF the Democratic Congress
Committee does not propose to he left out of
any gathering of Democrats anywhere and de-
clared that he would go along or know the
reason why. He went Senator Culberson con-
cluded that the conference could get along with
out him, and he didn't go.
What happened TO the anti-imperialists at the
other end of the line is not known here even to
this day, though only two or three of them
appeared at the Plaza Hotel at the appointed
hour il is assumed that most of them changed
their minds after the invitation was sent out.
Any way. the Washington delegation showed
Up 1T the Plaza in fairly good form. and waited
ground that hotel incognito until they tired of
tAe vigil.
Then along came Edward II Shepard. whose
name had not figured in the invitation. and
seeing the plight of the anti-imperialiStS from
Washington, asked them to take luncheon with