New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-29
WHAT TIE PEOPLE WANT.

WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT
| Next week another session of Republican
| Congress will assemble. Many Democrats hope
that its misconduct will make it the last Repnb-
| lcan Congress that will ever assemble. Not
few Republicans fear, also, that this same
Congress, if it disregards duty and neglects
public interests as it did at the last session, may
be the last of its kind. Even those Republicans
/ who have greatest confidence i'll the people, In
the party or in the Democratic talent for blum
dering, perceive that unwise conduct this winter
might exclude the Republican party from
power for several years and cause the election
of a Democratic President at last. Rarely has
a Congress met under circumstances OF greater
responsibility, therefore, as respects the future
political history of the country
During the short time that has elapsed since
the elections, the public desire has been very
freely expressed There are some matters about
which sharply opposing wishes are expressed.
But upon others the expression of desire is
nearly OF quite unanimous. Thus there is
wide difference of opinion in regard to the kind
of revision of the tariff that should be made,
but there is practical unanimity in the desire for
a thorough revision. Men differ widely as to
the kind of taxes that should be removed, but
all are virtually agreed that a material reduc-
ton of taxation in some form ought to be made.
Men differ us TO the sort of appropriations that
should be made, but they agree that dishonest
and wasteful appropriations should be stopped.
SO men have very different ideas as to the proper
| method of reforming the Civil Service and di-
minshing the evils of pati Homage and spolls
seeking. But there is substantial unity in the
earnest desire that IN some mode those evils
should be abated and the Service should be
reformed.
All sincere Republicans will earnestly counsel
Congress not to forget this substantial unanim
ity of public opinion upon certain points. The
truth is that q tremendous defeat has been
caused, in large measure, by overlooking or
Ignoring this practical unity of the people in
certain desires Party leaders saw wherein the
people differed, and imagined that it was
enough to speak loudly and vote stubbornly on
the popular or the right side as to those points
of df1ere, ce. They were fatally in error.
The politicians cared only for the points of
difference, but the people cared far more ior the
objects about which they were virtually united.
They wanted taxes redrced aud the tariff revised
and the power of patronage cut down. and the
corruDting influence of the hunt for spoils linn
enacted laws attempting to do them, in either
of several modes, the people might have divided
about the expediency or superiority of the
modes chosen. But when Congress refused to
do either of them at all, the people were prac-
tically united in cOndemning Congress. And
as the Republicans were responsible for the
conduct of business at the last session, the
weight OF public rebuke fell upon them. To
refuse to act at all, when the whole people
wanted action, vas an insult to the whole
people.
Other causes affected the popular verdict par
ticularly with regard to candidates for State
offices. But votes for Congressional candidates
were largely influenced by the conduct of Con-
gross as to those matters already mentioned.
First III importance and weight, probably, was
the desire that the power of Federal Admin
istraIion 10 dictate in conventions and elections
through patronage should be checked, and that
the dlsgraceful and demoraizing scramble for
spells should be arrested. The conduct of
President Arthur, of Mr.. Conliing or Senator
Cameron and of other men, had given great
intensity to that wish, but Congress passed no
act on the subject; allowed its very Organiza-
ton to be shaped by Executive influence, and
not wisely shaped; made daily obeisance to the
appointing power, both in the Senate and the
House, and took part in the scramble for spoils
as if it had no better business. The refusal to
reduce taxation, and the passage of wanton and
reckless appropriation bills. all had less weight
with the feelings Of voters than the refusal uf
Congress to restrain or even 10 resent and re-
buke The dictation of the Administration
through the abuse of patronage.
1t would be well if Congress would set itself
with resolution and frmness, throughout the |
short session that is at hand, to do the things |
about which the people are substantially united.
They want spoils-hunting checked and Execu-
tive dictation arrested in States and conven- |
tons, in the Honse and the Senate. Congress
can at least do something in that direction,
which some part of the people will approve,
and that will be better than to do nothing,
which nobody will approve. They want taxes