, 1876-01-14

One Of tho flint papurs rea.l at tho recent
session of tho American Social Science AS
sociation wns by Mr.. uAMAL1Et bnADronp,
aud WAS devoted to the advocacy Of that
gcntlcman'B favorito scheno, giving tho
Secretary Of tho Treasury soat on ths floor
OF Congress, with the privilege OF participant
ing III debates, but without tho power of
voting. MIR. BRADFORD TRACES tho financial
doiugs Of the Forty-fourth Congress no fur
md llnls TINT they hnyo been singilarly con-
fused and contradictory. In the Senate.
there has been tloba:u which has Illustrated
the mechanical principle TINT eQuai forces
applied in diiiereut directions result in no
progress nt all. 1u tho House, tho
Commistco OIL Banking and Currency
has secured QUO slice Of tho subject
Of resumption and tho COMMITTEES On Ways
mud Means another. This, says tho writer,
"is very much Nh If, in case Of dangerous
Illness, tho control Of ono~half Of tho patients
body should be given to ono physician and
Tint of tic otisur lalf to another 70 get
bnck TO specic-paynents VIC must have ain-
glc. comprehensive, sensible plan, not coin-
promise cooked up III cauc,.s, not q conglom-
cration Of so,ueboly'a confused notions OF
what somebody else says it, solue book. As
matters are ut present, every "statcslnnn !"
considers himself bound to introduee two or
three bi!Is for specie-payments at eaoh
session OF Congress. On this point Con-
gresa is composed Of CAu1f1ELDs. The
bills are legion. Tho mass Of scribblel
pages il dump.d on the tAbles Of ono or two
fs{}1u of - Ia t1,o trl,t@r
works. vigorously; the authors boro the CONF
1nittee-men-eacl one Of whom has n series
| Of plans OF his own, and therefore considers
all others Us sheer dgival-to the vorgo Of
| distraction. Finally, towards the end Of tho
session, there arc majority md minority re-
ports, eacA Of which is u compromise, and
therefore imperfect When these are fair-
" submitted, everybody who can get tho floor
moves to strike out everything after tie en-
acting clauso in ench and insert lis pet bill.
| Tie majority report is amended, emasou-
lated, reversed, beheadcd, has It's tail cut of
Gnd its middle rem owed, and is generally H.
treated TO an alarming extent. When, il
ever, it is passed, engrossea, and signed, Ii
resembles lis origiual self about ns much NJ
EAU did JAcon. If tito changes wcro tllt
result Of argumentatiyo debate they might b<
for tho better, but they arc really brought
about with scarcely any debate that anybody
listens to, and by means of bargains, trades.
caucuscs, combinations, an.1 compromises
without ensl.
Tho idea OF Mr. BnApPonD is that the
presence Of the Secretary Of tho Treasury o.
the floor OF the HOUSE would bring order OIL
Of this confusion. le would prcson
to Congress, at tho beginning Of til
session, bill emoodyiug Tho anancia
measurca which he deemed necessary Il
restore prosperity to the country. Tho fac
that he proposed it would iasuro 1t respoctfu
treatment by creating n presumption In 1t
fayor. Those who dissented from 1t wouls
10 called upon 10 show Just why and where
fore. It would DO dobntsl grayely, II !
w;sro rsjactad, those who voted against
would DO called upon BY public opinion t.
propose something better.
1t may bo TINT this would all come to pas
but why would bill proposed and a speec
mado by the Secretary Of the Trausury in th
} House DO moro eiIicacious than q bill propose
and an argument mado In lis annual messing
} to tho House?