The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-10-18

will first reap the advantages Of progress
sivc Southern agriculture. :..isc your
own supplies ut home, and make cotton
u surplus crop, is the tnlismnn of aillu.
ence to the South.
THE DEMOCRATIC OPPORTUNITY.
When the next session of Congress
begins the Democrats will find them.
selves in possession Of the House Of
Representatives, while the Republicans
have both the Senate and the entire
Executive department Of tho govern
ment. It will, therefore, be utter folly
to attempt any party legislation at this
time. 1t may be heroic for minority
to enact laws that they know will be
defeated in the Senate or vetoed by the
President, but it is not good politics.
The experience Of the Democrats in
enac!ing party legislation to be vetoed
by MIR. Hayes was certainly not such as
to give assurance Of victory in another
campaign by pursuing the same policy.
The coming House should profit by the
experience of the Congress- of 1892,
end 60 into no theoretical or abstract
fights, which they know before hand will
be defeated or vetoed. Failure is never
assuring, however just the cause in which
it is incurred, but when it is unnecessn-
rily encountered it becomes subject OF
ridicule and contempt. The only
instance in which failure is commenda.
bic is where an effort il made to e.tab.
lish or maintain principle. Where it
Is to maintain Il principle, a man or a
party is always to be respected and ad.
mired for standing to its convictions. In
attempting, however, to establish n prin.
cipe where there is no opportunity for
success, u political party becomes ridicu.
ious. Such policy retards instead of
advancing the establishment Of the prin-
ciple, and the hopeless etEor! is neither
good politics nor good craftsmanship
For instance, the advocates of prohibi-
ton, by maintaining separate party
organization, are contending for u grea,
moral principle, the adoption of which
the majority of people will admit would
improve the social and moral condition
of the world, and yet this party, in seek
ing the impossible, is wasting its strength
and accomplishing no good. The Dem
ocratic party in Congress at present is in
n position where it can make similar
exhibition os +. lack Of judgment, and
from the quantity of pressure which is
being brought to bear upon the members
Of Congress from the South, we fear there
is much danger Of the folly of the policy
of political heroics being attempted.
There are two errors likely to be com.
mitted. The first and. in our opinion,
the greatest is the likelihood of long,
tiresome and useless discussion Of the
tariff question, which cannot possibly do
any practical good, and will show vast
amount Of difference of opinion on the
part of Democratic Congressmen, and q
still greater amount of ignorance upon
the subject. 1t can only give to the Re.
publicans On opportunity of shifting the
discussion from what they have done to
what the Democrats want to do. AS the
matter stands now, the Democrats can
we'll arraign the Republican party for
viscious legislation on the tariff, but to
attempt to alter it until the subject has
been fully investigated will lose much
of this advantage. We all agree on a
tariff for revenue, but Who knows how
much revenue is need;d Tor the proper
administration of the government. With
the revenues as large rs they are at
present, the existing tariff is necessary,
but if reduced to an economic and pru.
dent administration, we believe the gov.
ernment could be conducted with equal
efficiency upon many millions less. To
ascertain this is .he most inviting field
for the present House. Let it investi.
gate every department of the govern.
ment, and show to the country its
extravaganza and the reduction which
should be made. When this is done, we
can tell how much revenue is needed,
and conform our tariff to it. Until we get
this information, all tariff legislation
will prove unsatisfactory. In addition
to this the Democrats should show up
strongly the civil service abuses which
exist under Republican ism. In addi-
tion to this, the Democratic House
should reduce the River and Harbor bill
by leaving out all jobs and little streams
which have no national importance. In
q word, let them show an ability to de-
tect the extrayagances of the government
and willingness to reform them. This
Is magnificent opportunity If the Dem.
ocrats will confine themselves to this
line of action, and refrain from entering
visionary but hopeless conflicts. Another
danger which threatens us Is the dispo-
sition Of some Southeiners to insist
upon outlining the policy Of the party.
The South 10 not in q position to dictate.
the policy, for the moment 1t does 90
defeat is ensured. We can afford to
pursue such conservative course as to