Daily Republican., 1882-08-10
what Congress has Done.

what Congress has Done.
The actions OF the present Congress
fill bright page in history when we
compare them with the actions OF the
Democratic Congresses which preceded
it. The Forty.fourth, Forty'ffth and
Forty.sixth Coz crosses controlled by
the Democrats, were prolific in bad
measures, calculated to break down law
and order, and create panics, anarchy
and confusion, but owing to Repub-
-lican President being in power, the most
of them failed to become laws. The
Forty. fourth Congress covered the
days that led to the resumption of specie
payments and Democratic opposition
TO that measure is fresh in the minds
of the people. Fortunately the Senate
was Republican and one of the dozen
repeal bills offered in the House and
which passed by majority of twenty,
failed to PASS the Senate and if it had
it would have been vetoed by Repub-
lican President. 1t was not until re-
sumption had become an accomplished
law, that the Democrats abandoned
their efforts to break it down. In the
Forty. fifth and Forty.sixth Congresses
ahe Democrats had majority in both
Houses of Congress, hen they made
the most stupendous efforts to break
down all the safe guards that sur.
rounded the ballot box, and to sweep
rs they characteristically called it "the
last vestige OF war legislation from the
Statute books" In this they were par
TALLY successful by the means of riders
10 appropriation bills, Senator Bay
ard excelling in his devotion and labor
TO enferce partisan legislation. Through
n amendment which he offered as a
rider to an appropriation bill, United
States juries have been tampered with
and the conviction of offences against
the purity of the ballot box has been
made impossible. In all three of those
Congresses, bills were offered by the
hundred 10 pay rebel war claims and if
q Republican President had not stood
ready TO use the veto freely, the vaults
of the Treasury would have been opened
to indemnify red handed rebels for
striking at the life of the government.
In the last and even in the present Con-
Rress, the Democrats have tried to break
down the National Banking system, the
fear of which brought the country very
near the verge of general panic and
financial disaster. In short most Of
the legislation attempted and enacted
in the House during the last six years,
was destined to tear down and destroy
wise and necessary laws. The coinage
of the nation was, debased, the Internal
Revenue laws modified for the benefit
of whiskey distillers and tobacco manu-.
facturers, and indeed it looked as if q
general raid had been made upon all
thn laws which had made the country
happy and prosperous. In the present
Congress they have persistently and
successfully opposed a reduction CT
revenue taxes that bore hard upon the
people, and every inspiration and act
seemed to be prompted with desire tc
oppress the poor and protect monopo'
lies. The Republicans of the present
Congress may not have done all they
desired to do, but they have done al
they possibly could do in the face Of
Democratic factious opposition to bene'
fit the country, but even if they had
succeeded in doing nothing more thar
10 prevent the Democrats from carry
ing out their long contemplated sub,
version of the country, they deserve
we'll at the hands of the public.