Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-12-05
THE OPENING SESSION OF CON-
GRESS TO-DAY.


The Forty-Seventh Congress will be-
g.in its session to-day.
I'm p0int of ability il il generally adj
Judged "a weak body of men.
Many of the old lights have been
-nufItd out by the hand of death or
crushed in the crucial of party politics.
The peculiar methods of the ruling
party have resulted this year in giving
the country y body Of mcdiOcrities and
mcapables, who arr mostly young and
Inexperienced in politics and worse ott IN
the matter of statesmanAhip.
This is all the more 10 be amentcd
Just now, for the problems demanding
prompt solution are among the grsveSt
that have fallen To the lawmakers since
the civil war.
II i 10 no regretted that there are nots
more business men i'm Congress. The
administration of government has come
10 bc matter of business. New law
making has ceased To be- the sole bust
uc~S of Legislators. Non ought 10 bc
I'm Congress unless ne understands the
bu-iu,s>, Interests OF the country amt has
had some experience in business mat
trT~.
IudlIstr rial aud commercial interests
are coming Ia the front and will require
murr consideration by the Government,
and the highest legislative body in the
land should Therefore include mtt~nunl-
bvr 1T least a fair representation al rep
rte~vutativr business men.
cur ArnCricau business Interests leave
to- much To- politicians who know little
of business Interests and requirements
and care les. II will bc fortunate for
the country, therefore, il during the
present session this newly lc,l%cd Con-
gr>, of experimental politicians and
stump orators, the product, chiefly OF
ward bargaining and cumming tactics,
Io not 81 hunglc and blundcr i'm the inn
rprtant business measures with which
they must necessarily deal - to greatly
disturb the business prosperity OF the
country
There are other questions requiring
the highest craftsmanship and the larg-
t~t experience in constitutional govern
mcnt. Many Ot these measures have
already occupied the attention Ot the
whole country and have been adjourned
from session IL session 10y reason of their
gravity and the difficulty of obtaining
the assent of a majority of either party.
Having majoritic~ i'm both Houses,
and the President To agree with them,
the Republicans can now improve the
opportunity which the Democrats threw
away, To take up the vital question ot
the method of ;ISrcrtaining and dcClar-
ing the result of the presidential cleo
tiOnS, to forever avert 4 repetition or
the mOuStrOuS wrong of 1876.
Next To this in Importance l. the reg
UlatiOu for the succession in the case of
vacancy in the Presidency and the Vice
Presidency. Upon the SagaciOilS and
Statesmanlike settlement of these two
contingencies depends the tranquility OF
future elections. Fortunately for the
country both parties are 80 nearly
matched i'm numbers in both House
and Senate that the natural tendencies
OF artiSlnship will necessarily b. held
IN check.
Arthur i likewise reported 10 have
discussed in his first message the much
muOted aud ysNed subject at regulating
the civil service, and il seems To be one
of those things that won't down M
any bidding. Ii is u subject that will
test the best minds in the Senate and the
House, and test them {" the utmost.
Can legislation really root out Corrup-
ton: make men honest, and stop the
stealing: or shall the people have to take
the bull by the horns and transfer the
administration of the government 10
more conscientious hands?
Many other hardly less important and
urgent measures must be taken up; the
revision of the revenue laws; the settle
ment of the appOrtiOnment under the
new census, defeated last year through
the cynical opposition of the present
majority; these, and Others too numcr-
Gus to mention, are laws demanding in
slant consideration. 1t is the long term
and there will be abundant Latitude for
discussion even with the tendency Of
new members to waste time and talk.
In everything but numbers, says an
exchange, 1.-The Democrats OF the 47th
Congress will have marked advantage
over the majority. They will have the
benefit of the eX-Speaker's familiarity
with parliamentary procedure, Hewitt's
diversified information on economies
and law, Springer's long training in tao
ties, Holman'S exhaustive experience IN
fiscal subjects and appropriations, while
;. ;. Cox, Randolph Tucker, John Il.
Carlisle and Morrison will bring the |
Dracticed knowledge Of veteran legtS- |
ators to the various problems to be |
treated rather as national than party |
questions
IL will be d session of Congress in |
which the whole people will take a live
V interest, rs they should, for the mat
ers which are to be considered are of
to the welfare Of every Sec
ion of the Union.
The REGISTER has a special represen-
alive on the ground whose business 1t
viii be TO furnish our readers with full
md impartial reports of all matters OF
public nature transporting at the Nation
4 Capital during the session.