The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-04-25
Not Ashamed Of the Record.

q The Forty-seventh Congress was not
remarkable for the number of great
men it included, or for the .pre-emfnent
ability of few of its individual MEM
bers. 1t was-n we may be permitted
to continue the same candor toward It
now that it is dead that we exercised
during its existence-a very common
place body of men. 1t started of badly.
and through its first session it fulfilled
the promise of its unhappy beginning in
several ways. No need now to. particu-
larize; that its first session was any
thing but q success was sufficiently
shown in the results of last November's
elections, for which Congress was in g.
large degree, though not wholly, re-
.sponsible.. The Republican majority
has, moreover, frankly, confessed judg-i
ment and done what it could to make
atonement for its mistakes during the
short session Just ended. 1t was not q
.grestsC Congress except iR this sense that
1t had the true greatness and manliness
to confess its mistakes, recognize its
responsibility to the people, and in the
end endeavor to do what thepeople evil
IDENTIFY desired. 1t was a ERepublican
Congress, and the Republican party not
only shoulders the responsibility of it,
but, with all its faults, willingly and
cheerfully goes to the people on its
record, without even waitngfor its sue
cessor to come in and give it the adj
vantage of foil. q
For this Congress has fairly repre-
sented the Republican party-repre-
sented It in the human frailties and
weaknesses which grow inevitably out
of the possession Of power; represented
it still more faithfully in its nearness to
the people and its quick and hearty re-
sponse to public sentiment. What
ever else may be said ofiit, this at least
is true, that no other Congress ever
gave such satisfactory proof that 1t
stood as representative bodies in q pop
ular government ought always to stand
with its hand on the public pulse.
So without being remarkable for the
commanding ability of a few leaders or
for its general average, it may at least
be credited with representing upon the
whole the general spirit and purpose OF
the party in, control: And in this par
ticu1ar It has exhibited in the most
striking and significant manner, the
contrast between the two great parties:
between the party of progress, the par
ty of ideas, the party of the people,
and the party of obstruction, of mega
tions, of blind, willful Bourbonism.
The contrast between its first and sec
ond sessions is the contrast between the
parties. One party is susceptible to
correction and discipline; the other
stubbornly clings to its errors and
bases its only claim for consistency up
on an unreasoning defence of its
blunders.
:" The fundamental difference between
the two parties was well illustrated IN
the course taken by each on the tariff
question. No thinking politician at the
beginning of the last session doubted
that, if the Republicans in Congress de.
sired merely to gain q strategical ad-
vantage over their opponents, their besi
policy was, while making an apparent
ly earnest effort to pass q tariff bill, q
permit the Democrats to defeat it anc
to leave for the incoming Democratic
Congress legacy of dissension and
discord. Nothing could be palmer thar
that with the tariff an open question
the next Democratic Congress would
fall asunder at the very outset. Bat
the Republican leaders took q very
much higher view than this. They said
that the business interests of the coun-
try demanded an early settlement oi
tnls QueSIlOU duu bne ptOplc COulu oiuJ
look to a Republican Congress for it
So instead of leaving it as a stumbling
) block for their opponents, with the Ger.
tainty that the latter would blundel
oyer it to their own defeat, they tool
the matter up in an honest, business
like way, and oversthe factious. opposi.
ton of the minority carried it through te
q successful conclusions. The result, Of
course, is to remove from the path oi
the next Democratic Congress, one
great danger. By SO much the Demo
Gratis are helped. But it still remains tc
| be seen whether the people will not
after all recognize the manly and
straightforward treatment of the ques
ton by the Republicans and restore
them their confidence.
The XLVIIth Congress, with all its
mistakes, showed itself in the enc
worthy of the confidence of the people
1t was Republican Congress, and the
Republican party will not shrink from
going to the people on its record.-E1
change.
L