Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-12-04
CONGRESS-.

The closing session OF the r orty -tnifd
Congress commences next Monday. The
most notable circumstance attending it is
that it will end the control of the republi-
cans over the House. With the exception
of that change. to take place next March,
the situation is vastly improved over that
of year ago. Then Congress met under
the dark shadow of the financial panic,
which brought bankruptcy and general
depression of business with it, and threat
ened an increase of taxation in order to
meet the demands upon the public treas
ury, Although this condition of things
was the result of undue expansion of bus
mess and over-straining of credit, with
which Congress had nothing more to do
than with the last typhoon, that body was
held responsible for the evils of the panic
and expected to apply an immediate rem
edy. All that Congress could do was to
reduce expenditures where it could and
economic generally in order to carry the
treasury over the crisis without the impo
sition of new taxes, and that it did faith
fully and successfully. Without loans
and without farther taxation the treasury
continued to pay all demands against it,
and resumed the payment of the principal
of the public debt which was for short
time suspended. The state of the curren-
cy was unavoidably brought into discus
sion, and occupied large part of the SEES
sion, fortunately terminating with the dis
comfiture of the infatioaists. The repeal
of the salary grab and the Sanborn con.
tracts. also the abolition of the moiety sys-
tenn were exciting topics, all ended, how
ever, satisfactorily to the public. None
of those questions will necessarily arise at
this session. unless it may be that relatng
to the currency, which, however, had bet
ter remain as it is rather than to be meddled
with and no positive step taken towards
specie payment. Where there is no pros
pect of improving the currency the agita
ton of the matter is pernicious, tending to
unsettle and disarrange business and
check enterprise by the uncertainty
created. The present Congress defined
its position upon the currency at the last
session; there is no reason to suppose
the members have changed their views.
and therefore no other result can be ex-
pected from them than the one we have
The republicans of the House will of
course understand that they meet, as a
body, under an implied expression through
the late elections of "want OF confidence
They have a majority of members in the
House as heretofore, but not majority
constituency TO support them. Their con
troll of the House ends with this session
their action therefore will be modified by
that fact, and by the adverse expression
oil the popular vote in the late elections.
Their policy will be necessarily passive
rather than active. If they show by their
acts that they regard the national honor
and interest as their chief care, their ex-
clusion from Office will be brief, Econo-
my, honesty, justice. should be their
watchwords. Let them avoid The faint of
corruption. What the people complain of
more than anything else, with or without
reason. is unfaithfulness to the public in
tercst and too much attention to individual
and selfish ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
On the democratic side of the House
we shall expect to see the development OF
the policy which that party will pursue.
Though in the minority at present, they
will have sweeping majority in the next
House. And it is presumed they will not
be backward in occupying the advanced
position to which they have been called
They may indicate what ground they will
occupy on the currency, the tariff and all
the leading questions in issue between po-
litical parties. They must drop the role
of fault-fiDders and assume that TO which
they have been invited-leaders in public
affairs. If they undertake to evade re-
it will be confession Of
weakness. They have been intrusted