The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-06-03
" hat Congress has Done and What il
has Failed To do.

Tho experience OF this long session proves
that when there is no limit fixed 10y law,
Congress will not work with the spirit which
is necessary to expedite the public business.
Since the extra session was called on the
18th Of October nearly eight months have
passed away, one Of which was voted for n
vacation. large part of that time was
consumed In Improbable discussion. and
the results, when summed up. present beg
carly contrast to the promises that were so
literally made. Compared with the pract-
cal reforms carried through at the first sos
sion Of the last Congress, the showing Of
rctrcnchmcnt is both mcagrc and dscrcdit-
able.
The most important legislation may easily
he singled out from the mass which cncum-
bers the Congressional Record OF the many
hundreds Of bills intended to revolutlonize
the finances and to make cheap money"
only two have passed, and neither has full
filled, nor is likely to redeem, the profusc
pledges of Mr.. EwINa and his followers.
Silver has been rcnonctizcd, but the opera
tiOns OF the Treasury show that it comes
back nearly ms fast as IL goes out. The act
TO prevent the contraction Of grecnbacks
will have no such effect as is anticipated by
the theorists who urged its adoption. In
the way of relief to the prevailing distress,
both these measures are failures.
Tho Resumption act, which Will take effect
on the first of January ncXN will not be re-
pcaled, for the simple reason that II both
Houses should agree II would bc vetoed
and majority Of two-thirds cannot be com
mandcd to override the veto. What Is
rs l1aI pop.fal o L..
confined to the demonstration and Anti
Contraction acts, which together will not
put dime in poor mans pocket, or give
laborer days work. II half the zeal be-
slowed on these two measures had been de-
voted to a radical reduction Of the public
burdens, the benefit would soon have been
felt everywhere.
The Sinking Fund act for the Pacific rail-
roads marks new departure in Congress,
so far as the great corporations are con-
cerned, and cripples their influence on future
legislation. Bills are pending which will
still further bring them under the super
vision of Congress, and compel complete
exhibit Of all their operations such a. never
has heretofore been made The repeal of
tho Bankrupt law. to take effect on the lst
OF September is an important change from
the past policy. and it was vigorously re-
sisted by the registrars and other bene-
ficiaries.
But by far the most eventful act Of this
sossion was the ordering Of the invcstiga-
ton into the frauds by which Mr.. HAYES
reached the White House. The anomaly Is
presented, for the first time in our his
tory, Of an Executive signing and vetoing
measure. who was not elected to the Office
h. occupies, and who is destitute Of consti-
tutional authority TO give any act Of Con-
gress validity. The people who were de-
fraudcd Of their choice for President have
patiently borne this great wrong for iiftoen
months; and now, when they demand Of
their representatives that the whole truth
shall be exposed and that the history of
these times shall not be falsined the usurp-
FRS and their confcdoratcs, who dread the
coming judgment and the loss Of their stolen
offices cry Revolution, and threaten resist
ancc to the peaceful march OF law as they
threatened force to inauguratc the Fraud.
The revised tarin. the Texas Pacific Job,
and a whole catalogue of special schemes
from all sections of the country are destined
to go toy the board at this session. and with
them Mr.. EDMUNps's bill providing n mode
for regulating the counting Of the votes for
Presidcntaud Nice-Prcsidcnt. II there was
the dispositions there is not time enough TO
consider these subjects fully during the re-
mainder of the session. They will all fail
now, and some of them will not improve by
age. Altogether, there is cause for graft
tude that Congress has not done worse, and
for graduation that it has done at least one
good thing.