The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-11-27
The Approaching Session Of Congress.


Public opinion has already attached more
than usual Importance to the session of Con-
gress to assemble at the Federal Capitol next
month. Politicians themselves, early in the
year, directed public attention to this session
as foreshadowing the men of the future and
the lines of succession in the ranks OF the
dominant party. But more recent events have
fixed that attention and invoked scrutiny,
earnest and penetrating, as to men and meas.
ures such as we have not witnessed for many
years past. The sensational question undoubt-
edly will be the annexation of Cuba. The
time is opportune Spain rent by faction, over
whelmed by debt, and the theatre of interneclne
strife, is unequal to her own home government,
much less the subsection of foreign colonial
possessions. The Government of the United
Stetes has long desired and essayed the peace
able acquisition of the "Key of the Gulf" and
on more than one occasion asserted, diplomati-
cally, that it would not permit the "Queen of
the Antilles" to pass from the possession of
Spain TO any other European power. just
now "little brush" with Spain would not be
at all unpopular with the tens of thousands
who have been trained in the art and practices
of war, and are yet without distinction or
without employment.
To divert public attention from evils at home
to glory and spoils abroad might be CEod-send.
To sound the trumpet of liberty in aid of the
Cuban patriots vino have so long and persist
emily and so courageously sustained their de-
mand for independence, in the face of the inexo-
rable and bloody DEGREES of Spanish misrule, is
lust that ud capiandum argument which politi-
clans lust now stand so much in need. Beside
the din of its blast would shut out from the
public ear the clamors of those whom, without
some such overpowering excitement, it would
be dangerous to pass unheeded, and afford
ample leisure for unobserved and unquestioned
action for retrieving lost ground in the settle
ment or postponement of some knotty questions
which ipconveniently thrust themselves for
ward imperatively for decision. There is the
labor question, and the bank question, and
the expansion question, and the wards of
the nation, and the tariff and transporta-
ton questions, and loyal Southern govern
ments, republican in form-all these and
many others, such as. appertain to the dis
bursements Of public moneys and the manage
ment of the public. debt and the state of ac-
counts of certain Executive officials and favor
ties, would be lost for time, and perhaps for
eternity amid the excitement of war. We
shall not be surprised, therefore, to hear that
the halls of Congress, at the opening resound
day by day with fervent eloquence in behalf of
Cuba and her patriots.
The real question which must be met, but in
which ehere is neither gain nor glory, is the
financial one, and, if not oyershadowed, will
dig the political grave for many who now long
to serve their country in places of high distinc-
ton, ouly at their country's call. There is no
escape from the responsibilities of the situa-
ton. There can be no plea in bar for the evils
that oppress. There is no apology that will be
received in mitigation of defects in policy, de-
fects in legislation and defects in executive
application. The masses demand relief in
prompt and effective remedies-renedies which
will restore work to the laboring man, conf
dence to the moneyed man, and security to the
conservative man. The debtor sees nothing
but the ruin that stares him in the face; the
laborer, starvation in idieness the conserva-
tive man, chronic confusion and uncertainty,
and doubt and distrust. We have had month
of preliminary discussion in the public journals
and by leading public men. The chiefs have
spoken. Mr.. Sherman says, specie payments,
not sudden, but gradually by the Government
and the banks Mr.. Wells says, let us have an
expansion in convertible bonds; Gen. Grant
saws pay out silver in driblets and establish
postal savings banks Mr.. Low says, let Gov
ernment redeem its notes in gold, but with n
right to reissue them.
But it would be impossible to enumerate the
doctors or to catalogue the remedial agents.
There are advocates of expansion, and advo-
Gates of contraction, advocates of free banking,
and advocates of government banking, those
who say there is no hope save in specie pay
ments, and those who laud the greeDback cur
rency s!s the best this our American world, not
vet century old, has produced in the best
government the world ever saw. Take it all
in all, we think that the next Congress, with
no ights to guide, will be forced to delay ac-
ton and appoint Peripatetic Investigating
Committee to find out what is best to be done,
and what they ought to do, for the good of the
country and to save themselves, unless they
exploit the Cuba question.-Augusta C0nstitu-
tionalist.