New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-06-19
SOME DECISION NEEDED.

The man who knows what he wants, even
when he only wants to make mischief, has
very much the advantage of the man who has
no clear aim. But the advantage is incalcu-
laby greater when the PARTY that knows what
it wants has a hundred votes more, every
one of which can be cast, as if by one man,
in any direction whatever to attain the desired
end, while the other party has for its hundred
votes more than a hundred minds. The Re-
publicans in the House of Representatives have
been alternately bullied and beaten quite long
enough, on financial questions, by a Demo
cratic minority But its failure to discharge some
of its most important duties has been mainly
dne to the fact that the Democrats have voted
with great unaminity to prevent things being
done, and to bring the majority into disgrace,
while the members of the majority have not
taken the trouble to agree among themselves,
and have gone voting, every man for him
self, and nobody for the party.
| Personal independence is an excellent quail
| ity, which, when held In proper subordination
to q regard for the public good, the people
are very ready to appreciate. But the member
who sacrifices the public good to his private
independence, who subordinates grave National
| needs to local prejudices private notions,
and thus prevents the discharge of solemn
public duties by Congress and by himself for
the sake of Gn empty assertion of his own
peculiar phases of belief, only shows that he
is not the right man to be a member Of
Congress or of q party charged with the
responsibilities Of government There are
such men, whose sincerity and ability
can highly respect, even while he votes to put
them back into private life where alone they
can be of any Government is a work of
| compromise. The man who cannot postpone
the less for the sake of the greater, and is in
| capable of yielding private conceptions about
details in order TO perform great and urgent
public duties, has no more usefulness in a gov
eIning body than bull in a china shop. Now
the bare fact that the Republican Representa-
tives, at this late period in the session, have
come To no definite agreement as to the per-
Torrance of some of their most important ana
urgent public duties, shows that there must
be among them some men who more
anxious to serve individual interests or assert
individual beliefs than to get the public work
faithfully performed.
1t is the business of every member to Judge
for himself whether he is open to censure on
this score. But one thing is certain, that the
country will censure the party as whole and
many of its members personally, if this Con-
gress fails to deal reasonably and honestly
with some of the matters it has thus far left
unsettled. A conference of Republicans is to
be held tomorrow night. Mr.. Kelley has con-
sented, no doubt properly, to postpone until
after that meeting the effort to reduce taxa
ton. But the venerable chairman, or some
other member, ought TO impress upon the
meeting very strongly the necessity of more
deciding and less speech making, more readi-
ness for united action and less controversy
about details and methods
If the Republicans feel that the party can
afford to refuse any reduction of taxes at this
time let it be so decided. THE TRIBUNE
thinks such decision would be grave mis-
take. But it would be better, at this late stage,
to act upon a mistaken plan than to wander
on through the session without any plan what
ever. A Republican majority was not sent TO
Congress for the purpose of permitting
Democrats to make or repeal laws at
pleasure. So in regard to the methods of re-
ductiOn, if any is to be made the Republican
members cannot discharge their duty unless
they determine with reasonable unanimty
upon a course to be pursued, aud then agree
to pursue that course untedly and resoutely.
They have acted wisely in providing for an
investigation of the tariff question. They have
at least done something, though not as yet al
together wise thing, in regard to the extern
sion of bank charters. They ought now to de-
eide, lrst, TO reduce internal taxes as far as