The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-03-24

| always lCLbdlH q 4uOotlOu WHObu6E
the leaving the subject open would
not have made them relatively
stronger by furnishing their oppo-'
nents the opportunity to blunder,
quarrel and 60 to'pIeces' over it. In.
dependently of this considerations,
nc wever, it is manifest that the Re-
publican party stands better with
the people to-day for having. passed
the bill than it would had the grand
strategy been adopted, which was
favored by some, of leaving the SUBJ
ject as stumbling-blbck for the in
coming Democratic Congress. For,
hard as it is for the average politi--
clan and even the average Congress.
man to understand, it is nevertheless
true that the people like manly and
straightforward dealing a great deal
better than sharp practice and subtil-
ETY.. They may BIZ cajoled and hood
winked for the moment, but they
presently see through it all and in
the end reach just conclusions. Dem
agogy is sure to be found out-noth-
Ing surer-and when found out is
powerless. What people know about
the tariff legislation of the last Con-
gress is that the Republicans went
about it in business-like way, not as,
though they were lying traps for an
adversary, but as if they weie hon.
estly endeavoring to do the work
they were paid to do.
The Republicans accordingly pass
out of control of the House, as has
been observed heretofore, with a r, c.
ord of which they need not be asham-
ed. That they were inconsiderate
and reckless during the first session
of the last Congress no one pretends
to deny. That they redeemed the rec
ord during the session just closed we
believe to be equally clear. They
cleaned the docket of all the issues
that have been raised up to the pres
ent moment and they can go to the
people with clean hands. No vital
question remains open or unsettled.
The last Congress, weak and faulty
as it was in many respects, did the
party and the country great service
in disposing of the odds and ends of
disturbing questions in such way
that no reasonable man can doubt
that it was actuated by sincere pur-
pose to do justice and respond to the
wishes of the people. The Tariff bill
just passed is, of course, in greater or
less degree an experiment, as all such
bills must necessarily be. 1t was
, courageous act on the part of the Re-
publican majority to pass it for in So
doing they haye hung up their work
| in the market place for criticism. Tt
f is something which aone of the three
Democratic Congresses since 1874
dared to, although they went around
| it and pettere& ever 10 and made
much. ado about it AN the time. A
Democratic Congress will come in
next December. 1t will find new
ttti OpVlutlOuS tIC CICablOh vi q
Republican Congress, and from pres
ent appearances nothing else which
it can undertake to make a fight.
The currency question has been re-
, moved. thank Heaven. from its mis-
chevious meddling !; the questions
arising out Demonstration aae grad
, ually settling themselves, and &they
were not, they would be very dagger
Gus for Democratic handling ;; the
!, matter of Civil Service Reform. about
, which our Democratic friends have
made so much potlser. has been dis
} posed of by the passage of the Pen
dleton bill, and the tariff is the only
} thing they can hope to make ospitaa
from.
} The great question tor the. Demo
Gratis in the next Congress is, what to
do with the tariff. They have near
nine months in which to observe its
effect and find whaa fault they may
with its operation They could not
ask anything fairer. Had they been
left TO wrangle over it they would
have divided at the very outset and
it is by no means certain they will
not even now-and all hope of their
barmonizing and uniting upon
Presidential candidate and platform
would have been at an end. The
Republicans with uncommon liberal
ity have set them up target. They
may fire at it for the next eighteen or
twenty months and make all the cap
ital they can out of it for the Presi-
Dental election. The present OUT.
look furnishes them only this pros
pect. 1t is just the fragment of an
issue over which they have any sort
of chance. And over this fragment
there is so much danger of dissension
and division that we question very
much whether, with all the opportu-
mites that intervene, they will dare
touch it. Not more than three months
have elapsed since they seemed on
the top of tidal wave, One session