The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-08-31
The Terrible Congress.

The Terrible Congress.
We do not remember time within the last
twenty-five years when the people of the /
cour.try regarded Congress with so much dis
trust a. they did during the last session Had
il not been 10 sad. II would have been ex
ceedingly lndicroas 10 see the public funds 60 |
up, as they did, the moment Congress adj
iourued Congress in session was a constant 1
menace to the public credit and the business 1
OF the country. When Congress was scatter 4
ed. great power Of mischief was felt to be /
removed: and people could buy and sell with |
out the apprehension that something might be /
done any day to bewitch the tariff, or disturb /
the currency, or "Mexicanizei the govern /
ment. There has been no popular faith, /
either in the wisdom or the patriotism of Con- |
gress. Congress seems to have been busy |
critieisiug and watching the President, en-
tirely unconscious that the people we're watch |
ing their representatives with much Of uneasl-
ness aud very little Of approval.
If we inquire into the causef OF this dlstrust
of Congress, we do not need TO look far for
the principal ones. The Congressional lead
ers have made personal business Of the ses-
sion The men of prominence who were sent
10 Washington 70 do the business Of the coun-
try have been solely engaged in doing their
IA. ~
candidates for the Presidency we have in Con-
gress, but the names Of small number OF
them are Just as well known as II they had
advertised their candidacy over their own sig
natures. These men were watched from the
beginning of the session. They were not IN
significant men. They were men whose IN
huence would have been felt in the decision
of every important question, il they had
chosen to exercise II. They were men whose
astuteness in the comprehension of public at
fairs, and whose power in debate were needed
by the best interests of the country, again and
again, during the session, but who basely
shrank from speaking word or performing
an act which might injure their prospects for
the Presidency. They sat in their seats, or
skulked in their Hobbies, entirely with refer
ence 10 their private affairs. There were
great emergencies during the session, but
these men were dumb. Their wisdom was
needed. their eloqnence was needed, their
action was needed; but they had nothing to
spare for their constituents or the country.
II was their business to take care OF them
selves, and they devoted themselves simply TO
that. Nothing more shamefnlly patent or
more shamelessly confessed, than this deyo'
ton to a selfnominated candidacy for high
Office was ever seen in this, or any other,
country. Ii ought TO condemn them forever
TO private life. Such pusillanimous, contemP-
tible, selfserving and time-serving dema-
gogues as these, playing the role of statesmen,
were quite enough TO breed the distrust of
Congress which the rank and sile of that body
nourished to It's commanding growth.-Dr.
Holland, IN Scribnel' for September.
IfDr. Holland would attain the highest
success for the magazine of which he is
the editor, he should let party politics
alone. Or, if he cannot pass the subject
by, he should treat it in a spirit of perfect
candour and fairness In his indiscrimi-
nate dennneiation of Congress, as a body,
he has fallen into habit more honored in
the breach than the observance, habit
quite in vogue with the press, Of denounc
ing indiscriminately all officials, all legisla
tive bodies, and Congress in particular.
In treating Of Legislation, state or national,
the practice now is to resort to eensure.
This is the easiest method of dispOsing of
the subject The editor can do so, and
seem to exercise an intelligent supervision
over current events without the expendi-
ture of much mental effort Intelligent
criticism would cost him more labor, but
sluggish iuertness begets a Discrimination
for such labor. To dash off a singing
philippe, we're an easier task, and the
usual resource of the editorial SLOUGH. DIR.
Holland is not 70 be placed in such cat
egory, but it Is certain that he has dis
played very little discrimination in his
structures above quoted. He may plead,
that, as he has leveled his lance at Con-
gress as body he is not amenadable to
the charge Of partizanship, one house be-
ing Republican the other Democratic.
But, it vas only the Republicans who in
dulged this distrust of Congress, and it was
distrust Of the House, which was Demo
cratic, and not of the Senate, which was
Republican. There was really no ground
for distrust, but the apprehensions of the
Republicans were very natural; they were
born of a consciousness that their party
had perpetrated great wrong in wrestling
the Presidency from the choice of the peo-
pie, and there was fearful looking-for of
retribution Of some sort Hence their
alarm that the Democrats were about to
'sAIexicanize" the government. Congress
was constant menace to the credit and
business of the country, says this sinapian
critic. 1t is to be presumed that his as
sociations are chiefly with the commercial
classes, and they are of all men the most
timid. Ills ideas we're probably formed !
by contact with those classes, who are not |
only timid but selfish aud narrow-minded,
unable to look beyond the matter OF dollars
and cents or profit and loss. Neither the |
credit, nor the business, nor the peace of
the country, was at any time endangered |
by the action of Congress, and DIR. Hol- /
land, by sharing in aud giving expression
TO the fears of these old women ia breech- 4
es, detracts from his reputation for clear
ness of mental vision, and advcrtises all
men that his forte is that of literature
rather than the science of political eeono-
my. He is a mere novice there, as he is
in the tricks and wiles of politicians, and
If he would not hold up his DEFICIENCIES in
these respects still further to public gaze,
he would do we'll to confine himself to lit
erature alone. Ne sUtor ultra crepiddm
ESDoRsED.-The Democratic Conven-
ton, which met in this city on Monday
last, unanimously endorsed the course of
Hon. Charles b. Roberts ia Congress. 1t
must be very gratifying to Mr.. Roberts,
indeed, TO find that his political career is
so thoroughly appreciated by his constit-
uents, and that they elected delegates ia
Vorable to his denomination. Few young