Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-04-05
Posting the Books.


work ace rnplished. 1t may have been
welllequipped with good intentions at
the outset, but however worthy its pur-
poses or high its aims. its achievements
csnno: ass whole, lie honestly com
mcnded. lis example should lie studied
~ Is Immediate successor rs showing
what 20 avoid. and not as q guide to be
trus' ed or followed.
Ime frs SeSS on. which was needless
~ prOtracted " Intentional delay In & he
preparation and presentation OF some
of The regular appropriation bis. in or
der ulat they Nigh he oalcd with
legislation that cou.d not Otherwise be
"a gotten through. wiil he Remembered
che V rs haring produced the anti
Oh nese bill. the auti-Io ySamy bill and
the !arif Comm ssion-the last named
being 4 device for putting OIL a present
and most imperative duty. ! he AppOr
tonment bill. increas nr the number of
memUerS to $50, and removing the seat
o. empire farther than before from the
Eastern States. the Geneva Award bill,
providing or the distribution OF the
ba ance OF the money paid by Eng and
Tor the destriIct ;on of our Commerce,
the compulsory retirement of army Off
GERS at sixty four We rs of age, and the
extension OF National Hank charters
were also fruits o. that session. OF these
the -Polv9amy bill, from which
much was expected, has proved fall
are, and the wisdom of other measures
has not yet been entirely demons trated.
Congress was expected to 90 at work,
at once. as soon rs il had Effected an or
gani2ation, on Il careful revision of the
. GeSenUe laws. 1t declined to do this.
ppe errin~ tue finisr device ofea Tariff
CommissionN But.the ma oritS-. feeling
that something must be done IN the way
of taX-reduct;on. brought forward the
Little Internal Rev enue bill tlitt pro
posed to cut of CIV millions, mostly
from luxpries, The defeat OF this hum
y bugzby the Democrats inthe Senate was
the besr work performed duringythat
eight months ession- The country
gave the democrats q hearty endorse
ment for compelli ng the Republi, ans to
lay that bill aside.
AS TO the Rive and Harbor bill of
last year. of which so mu h has been
sad, and against which so much of de-
nunciation and ridicule and so httlesin
the way of fair argument has been adj
vanced. we have only to- say that. as
Congress would not cut down the taxes.
but insisted on collecting about : Loo
900, 600 OF surplus revenue, it was better
for the country to have large apprO-
priations for pubic work. There should
have been a prompt reduction OF taxes
and c,ose calculations in expenditures;
but when Congress decline TO Tighten
taNaG0n.- there was no Occ son for
cheese pairing in relation to National
improvements. Congress erred unpar-
donably in not reducing the revenues,
but Was not culpable in applying few
man surplus millions 10 rivers and
harbOrS.
The gross partisanship which die
tated the unseatin@ OF Dem ocrats in
order to give their opponents a good
king majority, has been almost uni
verSally condemned. Law was tram
pied under loot. precedent were disre-
garded, deeency was outraged and
honesty was shancd By such exercise
OF power as can never be defended;
b. such examples as, for the honor of
the country, We hope no future Congress
will follow. Egt
The verdict of the people in the fall
elections was a most emphatic con-
domination OF the Republican ma iority
IN Congress-. IS well as the general
policy of the party and its rcpulsive
methods o. conducting political cam
pa gns When Congress reconyened in
December, 1882, the majority. seemed to
have read the lesson of the elections and
there was. for q few weeks, q strong
hone that it would make an honest adj
iustment of tariff and internal revenue
taxes and do the other work that the
poop demanded. Under the influence
OF this improved feeling Nh. Pendletonls
Civil service bill was passed. being
voted Tor by Stalwarts who condemned
it then andswho have nothing but con-
temptior it now. EA@f 81
Nothing has been done towards the
reStorat ion Of our ocean carrying trade.
Our coast is utterly deienseieSs.- cur
flag has almost Disappeared from the
ocean We have not single gun ashore
or a,:oat that would be of any service in
war. Cur rivers are open TO the fleets
of any nava! power. Our great cities
are at. the il ercv of any nation that
owns one iron clad. ~ . 10
Congress was expected TO provide for
the Presidential succession in case of
vacancy, but it has neglected this great
duty. Congress was bound to pass
law providing ;or the ascertainment and
declaration of Presidential "inability."
This imperative duty has also been
neglected. The Country demanded "a
National Bankrupt act, but this demand
has not been honored. F
One OF the o.st sins OF omission to
be charged against the responsible par
~ in Congressi> its refusal to take any
Steps towards prot Getting the National
life against Ignorance 1t viii be the
duty OF the next Congress to inaugurate
the great work thus sighted.
OF the Tariff and Internal Revenue
bill that was rushed through Congre IS
by an arrangement very SIMILAR to the
! Electoral Ommiss on. we shall have oc-
+ casion to speak more at lengthsat an
other time. 1t is very far removed
from the relief measure that public SEN
timent demanded. and srething obisc-
tlonable or exasperating was spared in
the longscourse of deceit and blunder-
ing! that Ied up to the. final consumma-
ton. We are glad, however, that the
lnaJoritywas. at least, compelledto take
the responsi biiity of passing a Tax bill.
The political situation is far more favor
able to the Democracy than it would be
had Democratic Obstruction which
,c&t ID r.