The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-05


democracy of forty years ago, one of whose
favorite notices was, ''The world is governed
too much" and another, 'That is the best
government which governs the least" We
are not disciples of that democratic school
Within the scope Of its functions it is the duty
of a government not to be passive and idle,
but energetic and forecasing. To do nothing
and let things drift is not craftsmanship. II
mere inaction be the highest wisdom why
does the constitution require Congress to meet
every year2 Still, it is better to do nothing
than to pass bad laws, and 'au the tears lie
! in an onion which will be shed over the de-
feat of some of the most prominent bills OF
this session. The country is to be congratu-
lated that tho odious Force bill, which passed
the House, was not acted upon by tho Senate.
1t is also gratifying that none of the subsidy
is another fortunate failure The fact that
Pinchback was not admitted to seat in the
Senate is another mercy which calls for thank
fuluess. Congress did comparatively little
mischief during the late session; for although
it passed the Civil Rights bill with its worst
| feature, the school clause, stricken out), that
act is so exposed to constitutional objections
that the federal courts will probably set it
aside. Such, ct least, is the opinion of Senator
Carpenter, q very able lawyer, whose speech
on the subject was ON admirable specimen of
juridical logic fortified with citations of Su-
preme Court decisions which seem fatal to the
principle of the bill.
The defunct Congress Is to DO arraigned
chiefly for the things it failed to do The
depressed and stagnant condition of bust
ness required legislative remedies, but no
measures of relief were passed by the Forty
third Congress either at its first or its second
session. Its first session began within two
months of the great panic of 1873, and all eyes
were turned to it in hope and expectation 1t
remained in session from the beginning of
December until the middle Of June and did
nothing to lift the country from its prostra-
ton. The republican party paid a heavy
penalty in the elections of last year, which
swept it out of power in most of the State gov
ernments, gave its opponents control of the
next House of Representatives, weakened it to
a small majority in the Senate, and would
have subverted its ascendancy in both houses
had it not been for the long terms of two
thirds of the Senators. This staggering blow
should have served as a warning When Con-
gress reassembled its republican majority
should have recognized the necessity of doing
something to resuscitate the business of the
and strengthened itself immensely by wise
measures of relief. But the session has ended
without the passage Of any law calculated to
set the wheels of business again in motion
This is the most deplorable of its fail
ures, and the republican party will
go into the elections of the pres
ent year with gloomier prospects and
more disastrous results than in 1874 When
the people are prosperous they are disposed
to think favorably of the government But
when, after propItious seasons and excellent
crops, they find themselves the victims of
hard times. they are certain to vent their dis
content against the party in power which has
done nothing for their relief.
The republican majority seemed to have .
gGmmering Of what was required of them
when the session opened They addressed
themselves with commendable promptitude to
the financial questionable great question of
all in the present condition of the country.
But the bill they passed is not worth the
white paper on which it was printed All
bankers, all business men, all financial
writers, unanimously agree that it practically
amounts to nothing, and that it leaves the
currency and leaves business prospects in pre-
cisely the same condition in which it found
them. 1t enacts that specie payment shall be
resumed IN 1879, but as 1t prescribes no
measures for facilitating that result it Is as
idle and futile as ga bull against the
comet" This worthless bill was passed by
both houses and signed by the President at
an early period of the session. The only
other measure touching business interests is
the Tariff and Tax bill, which became law a
few days ago. This last bill, instead of re-
lieving business, Expresses it with new bur-
dens. Increased taxes on whiskey and tobacco
and ten per cent increase of the tariff, ex-
tending through the whole range of duties,
not only deranges and unsettles business cal
culations, but obstructs trade by necessary
increase of prices and a consequent narrowing
of the market But this is not the worst con-
sequence of the Tariff and Tax DILL. Its most
Objectionable tendency lies in its discouraging
effect as prediction. Such bill is prophecy
and an ill-boding prophecy, of continued and
indefinite depression of business. The pre-
vious rates of duties and taxes were amply
sufficient to meet all the wants of the Treasury
if business should revive between now
and the meeting of the next Con-
gress. The passage of such bill is,
therefore, formal expression of the
opinion Of Congress that there is no prospect
of revival of business during the coming
season. BY the passage Of this bill Congress
has spread wet blanket over the hopes of