New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-05-07
AcHIArLuEATS or 4 DEMOCRATIC CON

dCHIh CLNENTS or 4 DEMOCRATIC con-
GRESS
The Democratic majority in the present Con-
gres3 have had what may he called an unlucky
season. The session now drawing to a close
has been to them an exceedingly Improbable
one They not only are unable to declare the
dividends they 30 confidently expected for use
in the coming Congressional elections, but
their original capital has been seriously I'M
paired, and all their assets have suffered
slrinkagc. We presume they are soon to adj
ioun: they have been talking about 1t for sew
cral weeks and they surely cannot last forever.
Still, there is no counting upon signs IN that
regard That was a slrrWd and Obs"ryant
lad who told the school teacher nc knew
his folks were going to move soon,
"'causc they'd begun cmPtyin' slOps INTO the
"ccllarr Bur ne would have been all at sea IN
undertaking to forecast the adjournment of
this Congress by any such sign, for these
people began disposiug of their Stops in that
way when they first moved H. In the hope,
however, that they will move out in the
course of Il month or two, it may not be amiss
TO take a cursUry glance over what they have
done and what they have failed to do in full
filment of the great expectations with which
they set ont last October. The animating
purpose OF the party, their sole object and con
slant aim, was to make as much capital
for themselves and against their opponents as
possible, in order to insure their holding the
next Congress. To accomplish this they de-
pended upon being able, in the first place, to
relieve, or seem to relieve, the prevailing tinan-
cial distress and business depression by lcgis-
lation; second, to expose the corrupt prac-
tees and maladministrahOn of their oppo-
ncnts; third, by showing their own
ability, integrity and capacity in admin
isterng SO much of power as had
been intrustcd to them; and fourth, by
retrcnchng the expenditures of the govern
ment, and conducting its affairs on a scale of
the most rigid economy. These are the things
they laid out for themselves at the outset,
and at which they have been very busily at
work for the past seven months. How have
they succeeded?
They began with the financial question. SO
impatient were they to exercise their states
manship upon the finances that they pushed
everything else aside, and with such haste rs
was never before known in legislation of such
importance, rushed through the Silver Bill.
The financial ability and craftsmanship eX-
hibited in this act consisted simply Ill
the attempt to increase the number
of dollars in circulation by making ninety
cents pass for dollar. That was the ere
" lief" proposed to be secured by that great
measure. The animus of the movers of it
was plainly disclosed in the threat of the au
thor of the bill against holders of Government
bonds who opposed it, that if this measure were
not passed, ITS advocates would come back to
the next Congress and wipe out the National
debt as with sponge. The purpose of repu-
diatiOn was openly proclaimed. They passed
their Silver Bill. What have they accom-
plished by it? In the method of re-
lief which they proposed, they simply
disclosed their dishonesty, while in their
inability to effect what they desired, as shown
in the result, they have disclosed their utter
imcapacity to do what they undertake even
when they have the power. That they failed
to carry out their purpose Is due partly to their
own ignorance and partly to the practical wis
dom and good sense of a Republican Secretary
of the Treasury. Thepresent favorable tinan-
cial condition of the country is not due to, but
in spite of them. So that instead of making
any capital for themselves on the financial
question, they have by their confessed dishon-
esty and blundenng inCapacity hurt themselves