Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-02-07

when these are accomplished Congress can
please the people no better than by adopting
| a motion to adjourn sine die.
For the most party the Democrats in the
present Congress have exhibited a COM
mendable disposition to atfiict the country
with as little legislation as possible. A few,
with a view to making "points" with their
constituents in anticipation of the next cleo
ton, have endeavored to give some pet
scheme an airing, but thus far with only in
different success There is great reluctance
to interfere in any way with the finances, a
| large majority being in favor of giving our
present system fair trial and fearful lest
any further legislation would jeopardize the
business interests of the whole country. In
this they display wisdom, for no harm can
come by letting well enough alone. When
changes are imperatively necessary it will
be time enough to make them. Until then
Congress should keep its hands off.
There is a very laudable disposition among
the members of the appropriation commit
tee to reduce the expenses of the govern
ment to the lowest possible limit. A slight
increase will be necessary in the pension
bill, snd the postofice department will need
little more than last year. The abuses
that have crept into the star system, how
ever, are likely to be remedied, and con-
siderable saving thus effected. The Indian
bureau will require less this year than here
tofore, while slight reductions can be made
in the army and navy, rivers and harbors,
consular and diplomatic and claims bills. A
few leaks may also be stopped in the legis-
lat,ve, executive and Judicial bills, and it is
quite probable that the total of the appro-
priations will not exceed a hundred and forty
millions of dollars. 1t is very certain that no
superfuous appropriation will be made at
this session, as the party is on its good be-
havior before the people.
We look for a close of the present session
at an early day. The Republican national
convention will be held the first week in
soon follow. These events are likely to en-
gross the attention of all the members of
both houses. In addition most of the Rep
resentatives will have their own political fu-
ture to look after. They will have to begin
canvassing their respective districts for a re-
nomination and reelection. This will &C.
cupy the greater part of their time during
the summer and fall, and Washington will
be practically deserted early in June. In
these facts we find reason to hope for an
early adjournment and the failure of much
pernicious legislation that often is one of the
results of protracted session. Nothing
will be done for a week or ten days prior to
the Chicago convention, and there is pos
sibility that the capitol will be locked up for
the summer by that time. At least we hope
such will be the case.
Thus far the only fault that has been
found with Congress is that it has done
nothing. lis critics seem to
forget that the labor of d legislative body is
not to be measured by the number of laws it
enacts. Every measure submitted has 10 be
referred to a committee and by it examined
section by section and line by line. This is
often labor of magnitude. Hundreds of
bills that are considered by the committees
never again see the light of day, yet it takes
time and patience to examine them, discover
their imperfections, and dispose of them
properly. 1t often happens that a bill
smothered in committee has cost the men,
bers more labor than a score of other bills
that are passed without close inspection.
And yet Congress gets no credit for the vast
amount of rubbish that it consigns to the
obscurity of the waste basket, but only for
those few laws that pass inspection and are
finally placed upon the statute books. There
fore we claim that Congress has not wasted
its time even though no bills of grave i'm
portance have been enacted. Deliberation
in action is far more encouraging sign
than undue haste. We are far less liable to
suffer evil consequences from a few bills
fully considered and understood than from q
thousand laws passed in haste and bat i'm
perfectly debated.