New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-26
SYMPTOMS IN CONGRESS.

The year closes 10 political doubt. Enough
has bonpeued 10 show that the Republican
party, conducted and represented AS IL mas
been lately, could not succeed again. 1t is wen
known too by those who are not too pima 10
know any thing, that the party must revise the
tariff. reduce internal taxes. reform the ClVli
Service, and moderate appropriations, oelore IL
ceases to have power to legislate, in order 70
have ANYTHING like fair chance for success IN
| 1884. If all its professions and promises can
then be met with the reply, " You were trleo
! "many years. and even after you hal oeen
| Taught what the people wanted, refused to do
u it," there will be small chance OF renewal OF
public confidence Yet, as the year CLOSES II is
still yery uncertain whether the Republicans III
! Congress will do the simple things that ousht u
I be done.
The Senate. ii is true, Is better prepared as 10
! committee work for intelligent action on the
| tariff than had been expected week ago. IN
| stead of waiting for useless formallties' the
| Committee on Finance set itself at once 10 eX-
anime and report upon the bill recommended
nv the Tarif Commission. In most things IL
has accented and will recommend the Adoption
of that bill. The changes so far as they nave
been reported, appear to be reasonable ana not
sufficiently important to endanger the success
of the measure Further scrutiny may show
that changes have been proposed by the Com
mittee which ought not TO be made, but at pres
ent the expected report seems to deserve ap-
proval. If the Senate can be brought to q vote
upon the measure without unreasonable delay,
the chances of ultimate success in dealing with
this question will be greatly improved. 1t
is expected that the Senate will deal with the
tariff and the internal revenue in one bill. The
revenue bill has already been virtually ac'
cepted by majority in both Houses. With an
amendment covering substantially the changes
of tariff proposed by the Commission, the bill
would probably be stronger than either part
of the measure by itself. For there are some
members who have declared Their unwilling
ness to make the proposed reductions OF IN
ternal taxes unless there are also to be sub
stantial changes of the tariff while other mem
bers would be unwilling to cut down the tariff
and leave the internal taxes unchanged.
Re cent action in the House Committee has
been discouraging. 1t has shown growing
disposition in the Committee to depart from
the general plan recommended by the Com
mission, and inasmuch as the public has con-
siderable confidence in the work of the Com
mission, and insists that it shall be treated
fairly, these increasing departures from its
plan excite distrust. The Committee, too, has
made some changes which are palpably Objec-
tionable. and some which will render it exceed
ingly difficult to unite n majority In either
House to support its bill. When a compromise
has been proposed that the public regards as
decidedly fair and mertoriOus, every step OF
-
compromise much more difficult. 1t is not
strange to find people suspecting that
the House Committee either is unequal to
its task or desires to prevent revision of
the tariff while pretending to favor it. But
it is to be hoped that this impression will be
shown to be erroneous by prompt and ju-
dicous report.
The prospect of proper action on the Civil
Service question has not been improved by
performances in the Senate. Most of the Dem
ocrats, as was to be expected strive to prevent
the passage Of any useful or creditable bill,
either by entanglng it with amendments or by
exciting 10 debate all the partisan feeling that
they can. 1t will require more earnesIness of
purpose and faithfulness of effort than many of
the Republican Senators have yet shown to Sc
cure any proper action.
The worst sign yet noticed is that some Re-
publcans in both Houses are anxionsly striv
ing to fix public responsibility upon the Dem
ocrats for a failure to legislate in accordance
with the wishes Of the people. This will not
answer When the Republicans act together
as if they were in earnest, force measure to
vote, and cast their Own votes on the right side
upon every amendment and the bill ITSELF Their
and not till then can they hope to gain any
thing through the obstructive policy of many
Democrats. Each tub must stand on its own
bottom. The Republican Senators, if they are
in earnest, can prove it by votes before the
Senate adjOurns this day. When they want to
force bill through, they know how to do it,
and the country has seen them sit night after
night, until they had compelled final action, IN
cases less important or worthy than this. If
enough of them contrive to he absent or other
wise occupied, to prevent resOute effort in this
case, the country will know just what it means.
So it is in the House, also and upon other meas
ures. The Republican majority will be held re-
sponsble, they may rest assured, unless they
first show the same resolution that they have
shown in behalf of measures not at all merlto-
rious. When they have exhausted all proper
parliamentary efforts to pass a good bill,
without such waste of time that it can be
talked to death i'll the Senate, then it will be
time enough for them to say that Democrats
are to blame. AT present the country is wait
ing to See them do their duty, and will put the
load of responsibility squarely upon them and
nowhere else if they neglect it OF shirk it.
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CRUCIAL TESTS.