The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1876-09-01
CONGRESS REVIEWED.
Great and Important
work Accomplished
During the SEES
sion.
How The Efforts Of the Democratic
Majority have Saved the
Peoples Millions.
Re>uii Attained in the PrOSecu-
lion of Various InvcSti-
cations.
Republican Extravaganza. Inofh'
clancy and Corruption Ably
Shown Up.


f.om the New \ ork World.l
Tn Forty-fourih Congress assembled DE.
rfntfrE 1915. The task before 10 was q
severe 1.c. and the obstacle, Ina the way ~
10. accomplishment were great. The Dem
ocrat~ had o strong majority in the House Of
Representative. and were determined upon
retreuchment and reform; but they had OPP
posed ot1em a weiitraiEed and compact ma
foritF infrrlrowu House "a hostile senate and
Txrcutf-c with an Administration grown
accustomed 10 the seat % power and resolved
upon tie defeat ~ an attempt 10 di-iodge u
from ii- place or lessen the spoil- ~ Office.
The policy %, the Democrats was 10 he az
gre,slye. that Of the Republicans defensive
and dilafDrY. The former were unused 20
the rcsrsE-ibilitie- ~ power, new, for the
most part. to legislative business, uuac-
quainind with each other, without an Ac-
kunwledget leader and trNer-ad 40 every
step b, tine departments O.. Government.
The later were adr0it and confident through
experience during a long lease OF pow er,
lrd Pcs . nan OF sudacity. el0qucncc. great
parliamentary skill and personal tact, and
hacked B the influence % he whole -Ad.
miuisir.H.on. Entering upon IL duties un-
der thee circumstances. tie Democratic
House t.- done work worthy - all praise.
On examining .A.t WORK 10 we'll 20 remem-
Der tl.t Soc House should receive praise or
Diam, Uuis with reference O. IT. own Efforts
d
lefcaf- have been brought about hy the SEN
ate or llr Administration they must'Asc the
~e~p0a. Its. Neither should we compare
the facility with which senate. House and
Prc.id ut of the came party work together
go forward tIcI others ends. % The uiin-
Culfie- ul struggle between conflicting
po.iei.. and rival maioritie.. Lei us pro-
coed to consider some ~ Che achievements
of t.s House.
v-,t. orc t,.rl.rtpN
Tho rr-t action taken bv the Democratic
maiouty. namely. the election 81 Michael e.
Kerr ie the ~peaker,hip Of the House, wa.
a. good U.nCg. Tie was aCknow lodged 20 be
the rcI re-ertafiEe 81 fhe sounue-t political
thought oi re day and the highest political
morality. Tie wa. chosen because he wac
pure in character. faithful 90 Democratic
doctrine on nance aud Constitutional con-
struct.0n. and the determiu a enemy ~
every scheme for extending Goy ,nmCu aid
Co private enterprises, through which prlc-
ticc 90 mucn public corruption has been en-
rendered. Although Mr.. Kerr was stricken
with sickness ard rendered incapable u
performing his duties. few will venture 10
say any thing in the way ~ criticism ON the
course ~ the House ia having chosen him
~ its presiding officer. No one could have
.orcsecn his physical prostration. and had
he been passed over on any account the act
would have been interpreted hv carpinZ
critic, N mean the element be represe nted.
In the chair he was dignihed, impartial and
impres I've. re won the respect Of All men
sud the confidence Of his political oIpo-
ncnts. In no case was the honesty 81 H.
intentions imp'Igned-in no case was a de-
cision seriously impeachcd. Ia his rules
Tor the government, ~ his wing 81 the Capt.
toll be ygas severe and firm. He risked The
eumiiy OF newspaper men by shutting them
Out % thc Hobbies. lie risked the iinputa-
Ton n iur'ianism by preventing the ~ale Of
liquors w the House restaurant. In the
appointment % his committees, II y now
generally conceded. a. was maintained by
the Won. from the beginning, that he
made The most ont ~ the material which he
nad ~ hand. The choice Of Mr.. Kerr H.
therefore conceded 20 have been crediiable
fn the foriy-fOuTth Congress. It, enemies.
however, passing over it, most important
offices. content themselves with attacking
one OF The Journal clerks. the clerk OF the
omm ttee on Ways and Means, and the
uoor-teePor. We believe these are the
only individuals among the employees the
present Congress accused Of any sort 81
ml'demeanor 10y the Republicans. In each
ta'e va person accused WAS promptly dis
misser' And m each case the fault alleged
va on' ~ bad taste and not an act 90 mall
le''n,' 20 Office.
HErRENCIWENT
90 ,ousidcring the work done by the For
iA-toNrtn Congress IL j. natural 10 examine
IN ID hrst place how It has performed the
most important task before it-that OF cut
ting down the expenses Of the Goyerumenf.
The Democrats went 10 work with the lin.
pie conviction that we could not AFFORD IA
live any longer at the rlinous rats an which
we have been living, and the simple deter.
mination TO cut down expenses al ali baz.
ards. They wished 10 economize yvhcrevc,
they found expenditure eXtrayagant. and h
nothing could be done In this way 10 redrc,
The national establishment. The uositior
assumed by the Republicans was that Inc,
were willing 20 retrench wherever retreprh.
ruent was possible, but that the Governmeu
expenditures had already been reduced a,
Tar a. ]; wa prudent 20 reduce them. IN
fact the Administration took the ground tina
economy hsd already gone too far, and IA,
dlercnt departments in their estimate
submitted az the beginning Of the year AXE,
Tor appropriations TO the amount Of sq09