The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-02-01
THE ROBERTSON RESOLUTIONS.


unanimous vote adopted the resolutions, pre-
scented by Senator Robertson, favoring th
passage by Congress OF the Bland bill for til
| Representation Of silver, and the bill for th
| repeal Of the resumption act Of 1876. Sine
then the United States Senate by a vote Of 4
10 "a, and the House OF Representatives, by
vote Of 1877 to 10, have passed the so-ealle,
Matthews resolutions asserting the right Q
the government TO pay It's bonds as well witt
silver as with gold. The resolutions Of Sena
| tor Robertson have been referred to SOM
committee Of the House. Day after day vi
have looked for report from the committee
but none has appeared.
What ,neans this delay2 SO far as th
people Of Louisiana have had an opportunit,
| Of expressing their will In respect to thii
matter they have, without distinction Of party
| arrayed themselves on the side Of the adyo
Gates Of the Bland bill, and there il no doubt
that vast majority Of the members OF the
| House will take the same position when the
| Robertson resolutions come before them fol
| action. Why are they not permitted TO acl
| upon them7 We do not remember and we dc
| not care to inquire TO what particular com
mittee OF the House this matter has
been referred. In what we have TO say
we wish to remain entirely free from any
motive to criticise the action Of individuals
We would prefer also to believe that NO per-
sonal motive prompts The delay which has
occurred In the reporting Of these resolutions,
but ample time has elapsed since their pre-
ssntation In the House for full discussion OF
their merits, and we have right 10 ask that
the House be given an opportunity TO act
upon them. We therefore call upon the friends
OF the resolutions to demand that they be re-
ported without delay.
II is absurd to pretend that further time Is
required for thorough Investigation Of the
character, import and bearings Of the pfopo-
sitiuna embraced Ill the Rober .son resolutions.
They have been discussed In every newspaper
Of the country for months, and every man
who IL capable Of forming an opinion ON meas
ures Of public policy, and liz Invested with a,l-
thority to give Legislative effect to them. has
had sufficient opportunity to reach some con-
cltision in regard to them We have NO doubt
that every member Of the House has already
determined how he will vote upon them, and
there cannot be any pure and honest reason
FOR further delay in their presentation.
The position Of the DEMOCRAT II, relation to
the Bland bill and the demonstration Of sill
yer Ia well known TO it's readers We are
heartily In sympathy with both measures,
because ii Is impossible for us, in contest
between the people ON the one hand and
or rings on the other TO take any
position but one which involves support Of
the people, advocacy Of their interests and
resolate defense OF their cause. We believe III
d government Of the people, by the people and
for the people. we believe that the American
people, rs q whole are honest and law-abid-
Ing citizens, and are much more apt to be de-
luded and wronged and cheated out Of their
tights than to seek 10 evade their just respon-
sibilities. In d contest between them and any
Dlass Of nnonopolists, the presumption Of
honesty Of intention and dealing is almost al |
ways on their side. No stronger proof !
,ould be found or desired than the |
act. that, with absolute power TO wipe |
nut, az with a sponge, the gigantic burden |
If public Indebtedness which weighs 80 heav-
ly upon them. they have scrupulously dis
charged their every obligation toward their
,reditors, have yielded every doubtful point,
md only now demand little relief when their
'feditors, grown fat from tho profits Of their
lard bargains and their ravenous n,aws gorged
With the rich juices of lucky speculation,
re attempting TO exact not only the pound OF
lesh but the very blood Of their victims.
The Picuu,tne appears at last to have
Weakened to the fact that this move
nent Of the people against the single gold
tandard has very deep significance.
t realizes that Senator Voorhees,, In his
ecent great speech. gave true expression
. the profound and passionate feelings
Thich are swaying large masses Of the Amer
,an people az they have never before been
waved since the fierce conflicts Of
phion which preceded the war
mong the States" There does exist
eep feeling on this subject among the
eople-~a feeling which sways the masses to
,se sight of every other political measure in
heir all-absorbing desire and resolve to free
themselves from the shaclSles Of bondage to
lerciless oppressors-an no one is surprised
D find that the Picdpune. true to its past
ecord and to its instinct Of subserviency
, capital, follows in the wake Of the
,astern organs of the money power and
eeks, by ridicule and specious arguments, to
efeat measures which present to the people
ne only means fescape from almost universal
ankruptcy. It would be an easy task to re-
lite the errors of fact and theory into which
blunders when 1t abandons the more con-
email field of vituperation and mode
ltes its howls about national faith
nd the exclusively sacred rights of tho bond
olders, but we reserve that task for another
ecason. What concerns us now is to obtain |
fompt action by the House upon the Robert
IN resolutions SO that they may be for
arded to our Representatives in Congress as
the views and wishes Of the people
this State, and have their proper weight in
he deliberations of that body upon the finan-
al measures now pending In 1t.
Excessive delay in the passage of the bills
II the demonstration of silver and the repeal !
the resumption act may prove disastrous